Department of Public Works - FAQ
The Department of Public Works hours are Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please refer collection questions to them at 908-789-1522.
Trash receptacles should be placed curbside after 6:00 p.m., the night preceding your scheduled garbage collection and must be removed by 6:00 p.m. on collection day, per Borough Ordinance.
RECYCLING: Please refer all recycling questions and concerns to Great Northern Recycling at 888-738-7348. Recyclables should be out by 7:00 a.m., to ensure pick up.
FOR DISPOSAL OF SPECIAL WASTE CALL THE BUREAU OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES HOTLINE AT 908-654-9889 OR VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT: www.unioncountynj.org/oem
Garbage Pick-Up Information
Bulk pick-up is for Garwood residents only. Your tax dollars pay for this service. The more bulk, the more it costs to dispose of. Do not let your relatives or friends bring their bulk into our community for disposal. If you are aware of this happening, please call the Garwood Police Department (789 - 1500) immediately.
RESIDENTS SHOULD PREPARE THEIR MATERIALS FOR DISPOSAL ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING:
2010 DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES
908-789-1522 - FRED CORBITT, SUPERINTENDENT
HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE PICKUP - **NOTE** Bi-weekly garbage pickup will remain
in effect in 2010 during the leaf pickup season.
Household garbage (excluding bulk) is picked-up curbside for all residential
units located within the Borough according to the attached schedule. All
household garbage is to be placed in a covered watertight receptacle,
not to exceed 35 gallons. The receptacles are to be placed curbside after
6:00 p.m. the night before the scheduled pick-up. GARBAGE NOT PLACED IN
THE APPROPRIATE RECEPTACLES OR CONTAINING RECYCLABLES WILL NOT BE PICKED
UP. BRUSH, LEAVES, GRASS AND CHRISTMAS TREES MAY NOT BE MIXED WITH HOUSEHOLD
GARBAGE.
BULK GARBAGE PICKUP
**NOTE** BULK PICKUP FOR BOTH SIDES OF TOWN ENDS IN OCTOBER WITH THE LAST
PICKUP ON THE SOUTH SIDE. THERE IS NO BULK PICKUP IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER.
Please refer to pages 6 & 7 for bulk waste pickup dates and page 4
for the "Bulk Waste Guidelines". Bulk garbage is to be placed
curbside after 6:00 p.m. the night before the scheduled pickup. Any bulk
garbage, which is placed at the curb before that time, will be subject
to a summons. BULK WASTE WILL ONLY BE PICKED UP ON THE SCHEDULED COLLECTION
DAYS. REQUESTS FOR SPECIAL PRIVATE PICK UPS ARE PROHIBITED.
RECYCLING (See schedule for curbside pickup by Great Northern Recycling)
(See page 5 for recycling rules and regulations)
DO NOT LEAVE RECYCLABLES AT THE RECYCLING CENTER OFF WILLOW AVENUE. THE
CENTER IS NOT OPEN FOR RESIDENTIAL DROP OFF.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
The County holds special collection dates and sites for hazardous materials
such as, aerosol cans, antifreeze, batteries, caustics, corrosives &
cleaners, fire extinguishers, fluorescent bulbs (unbroken), thermostats,
mercury switches, oil based paints & varnishes, pesticides & herbicides,
pool chemicals, gasoline, solvents, thinners, tires and electrical components
including televisions and computer monitors. Please call the Bureau of
Environmental Services Hotline at (908) 654-9889, or visit their website
at http://www.ucnj.org/recycle/index.html, to find out the next scheduled
location and date for disposal of hazardous materials. It is unlawful
and environmentally unsafe to place these materials in with your household
and bulk waste.
WHITE GOODS PICKUP
Appliances including washing machines, dryers, hot water heaters, stoves,
ovens, refrigerators, air conditioners, and water softeners are picked-up
by appointment only. Do not place white goods at the curbside until an
appointment has been made for pickup. A record of these items will be
kept by DATE, ITEM, RESIDENT, and ADDRESS. Only one type of each of the
above-mentioned appliances will be picked up per residence yearly. Please
call the Department of Public Works to schedule an appliance pickup. PLEASE
NOTE: APPLIANCES WILL NOT BE PICKED-UP ON SCHEDULED BULK GARBAGE DAYS.
GRASS AND BRUSH PICKUP
Grass and brush will be picked-up curbside from April to October in accordance
with the attached schedule. Brush must be cut to a maximum length of 4
feet, bundled, and cannot weigh more than 50 pounds. Grass must be placed
in covered trash receptacles or biodegradable bags and may not exceed
50 pounds. GRASS PLACED IN PLASTIC BAGS WILL NOT BE PICKED UP. The Borough
strongly recommends that residents use mulching blades on their lawn mowers
and leave the grass clippings on your lawn to help the Borough reduce
the large amount of grass, which is picked-up yearly.
CURBSIDE LEAF PICKUP AND BAGGED LEAF PICKUP
Loose and bagged leaves will be picked-up curbside by schedule, which
will be mailed in the fall of 2010. All instructions for bagging leaves
and placing leaves curbside for pickup will be covered in the mailing.
CHRISTMAS TREE PICKUP
Christmas trees will be picked-up curbside every Wednesday in January
ending on January 27th. Christmas trees for the final pick-up must be
placed at the curb by 7:00 AM on January 27th.
USED MOTOR OIL AND OIL FILTERS
Used motor and oil filters may be brought to the Public Works Facility
located at 15 South Avenue during the day, Monday thru Friday between
the hours of 6:30 AM and 3:00 PM. There is a 10 quart per person limit.
DO NOT PUT WASTE OIL OUT WITH YOUR GARBAGE OR LEAVE IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC
WORKS GARAGE AFTER HOURS.
SANITARY SEWER
The Borough operates the sanitary system. The Borough is only responsible
for the maintenance of the main sewer line. The lateral service connection
(between the home and the main sewer line in the street) is the responsibility
of the resident. If a backup occurs in your home and you suspect that
the problem is in the main sewer line, you may call the Department of
Public Works during the day, Monday thru Friday at 789-1522 or after hours
please contact the Garwood Police Department at 789-1500.
RESIDENTIAL GUIDELINES FOR SNOW PLOWING
" Cars are to be removed from the street once 3" or more
inches of snow has accumulated.
" Sidewalks are to be cleared by the resident within 24 hours of
a snowstorm.
" On two-way traffic streets, shovel your driveway by the street
to the right. If you live on a dead end street, shovel the snow towards
the dead end side of the driveway. If you live on a one-way street, shovel
the snow towards the end of the street side of the driveway. The plows
will then carry the snow away from the driveway, which will minimize the
amount of snow pushed back into the driveway.
" Do not shovel or blow snow into the roadway.
" It is recommended that you wait until your street is plowed curb
to curb before clearing your sidewalk or driveway.
BOROUGH OF GARWOOD BULK WASTE GUIDELINES
1. "BULK WASTE"- Items other than Household Garbage. For
example: Box spring/mattress, table, chairs, cabinets, all furniture,
couches, love seat, recliner, audio equipment, toys, rugs and padding
(must be cut to 4' lengths, rolled and tied-up), wood 2 x 4's cut to 4'
length and tied-up in bundle (not to exceed 50 pound weight limit), gasoline
power equipment no larger than a standard 21" push mower (all gasoline
and oil must be completely removed). Call (908)789-1522 if you are not
sure regarding an item to dispose of.
2. "BULK WASTE" items not picked up by the Borough:
" Materials that may be deemed dangerous or injurious to the health
and welfare of the residents of the Borough of Garwood or the agents and/or
employees of the municipality, such as poisons, acids, caustics, explosives,
other hazardous wastes, soil, large rocks, boulders, broken concrete,
or hot or warm ashes, are not acceptable for collection.
" Materials required to be separated from residential or non-residential
solid waste for recycling or other purposes are not accepted for collection.
" All building material and debris are not acceptable for collection
and shall be otherwise lawfully disposed of by the property owner or resident.
It is the responsibility of the property owner or the resident to contract
with a private trash hauler to obtain a dumpster to dispose of any building
materials and debris. The terms "building materials" and "building
debris" shall include, but not be limited to concrete, cement, plaster,
stones, cinderblocks, concrete blocks, drywall materials, fencing, plaster,
wood, windows, aggregate, brick, siding, insulation, pipe, plumbing fixtures
(including but not limited to bathtub units, sinks and toilet bowls),
and any other materials used in construction or which are accumulated
from excavating, construction, building, demolishing or repairing any
structure. In any prosecution under this section, the presence of any
such materials or debris on or about any premises shall be presumed to
have accumulated from excavation, construction, building, demolition,
or repairs on the premises.
" "HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE" (i.e. food, etc.) will not be picked
up on the "BULK WASTE" pickup day.
" "HAZARDOUS WASTE (i.e. paints, solvents, thinners, petroleum
products, batteries, televisions, computer monitors, tires etc.) will
not be picked up with bulk waste. To dispose of these items, residents
need to contact the Union County Bureau of Environmental Services Hotline
at (908)654-9889.
CONDITIONS AND REGULATIONS
" "BULK WASTE" amounts shall be limited to a total
pile size not to exceed 4'h x 6'w x 6'd (5.3 cubic yards) per resident.
" Any tenant or property owner who is moving or vacating a property
may only put out the limited pile size amount stipulated above. It is
the responsibility of the property owner or the tenant to contract with
a private trash hauler to obtain a dumpster to dispose of additional materials,
which may exceed the pile size limit.
RECYCLING RULES AND REGULATIONS
" NEWSPAPERS - must be clean and tied in bundles that are no
more that 12" thick. The bundles may not include paper bags, magazines,
telephone books, or junk mail. Must be stacked on the ground.
" CORRUGATED CARDBOARD - must be clean, flattened and tied in bundles. NO paper bags, magazines, telephone books, junk mail, or newspapers will be collected in these bundles (see mixed paper).
" MIXED PAPER - must be tied in bundles no higher than 12". Materials placed in plastic will not be collected. Acceptable materials include magazines, glossy catalogs, coupon inserts, envelopes, color news inserts, sweepstakes forms, notebook paper, construction paper, real estate listings, mixed color paper, photocopy and fax paper. Unacceptable materials include food boxes and chip board. Newspaper and corrugated boxes cannot be combined with mixed paper.
" GLASS AND PLASTIC / ALUMINUM AND TIN CANS - must be well rinsed
with all caps and lids removed and placed curbside in a sturdy, reusable
container. Plastic should contain the PET, PETE, or HDPE mark or the number
1 or 2 in a triangle imprinted on the bottom of the bottle.
" The following items will not be accepted: Windows, glass, dishes,
pyrex, mirrors, crystal, squeeze bottles, packaging, plastic wrap, or
containers holding food or hazardous materials, such as motor oil, anti-freeze,
paint cans, or spray cans.
Plastics are used everywhere today, from packaging to car parts to building
construction, and production is growing rapidly, leading to increased
waste. That's why plastic recycling, which has been widely available since
the early 1990s, is more important than ever.
THE CHALLENGE
-Plastic production is up. A record amount of plastic was produced
in the U.S., a total of about 115 billion pounds, according to the American
Plastics Council.
-Most plastic is made from nonrenewable resources. Plastics are typically
made from fossil fuels, including oil and natural gas.
-Plastic waste is increasing. The amount of plastic in municipal solid
waste has increased from less than 1 percent of the total in 1960 to 11
percent, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
-Plastic recycling rates are down. The recycling rate of the most widely
collected type of plastic (#1-PET) has dropped by about a third in the
last decade, from one in three containers being recycled to about one
in five, according to the Container Recycling Institute. This means that,
of the 50 billion single-serve beverage bottles expected to be used and
about 40 billion will end up in landfills, or as litter.
THE OPPORTUNITY
-We have the capacity. According to the American Plastics Council,
we're only using 25% of our nation's recycling capacity. That means the
plastic you put out at the curb is most likely being recycled, as promised,
and there's room for a lot more. But if your plastic is not cleaned or
the lids are not removed, it may not be recycled. Please remember to remove
the lids and clean your plastic.
-There is a market for recycled plastics. Once collected and sorted, plastic
is processed into small pellets or flakes and sold to manufacturers, which
then use it to create new plastic products. The majority of collected
plastic, #1-PET and #2-HDPE bottles and containers, is turned into fiber,
including carpet and clothing, as well as nonfood containers, including
detergent, motor oil, and household cleaner bottles.
HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
1. Get to know your plastic. Since the late 1980s, many plastic products
have been labeled with one of seven codes indicating the type of material
they're made from. These are the familiar numbers and letters inside "chasing
arrows" found on the bottom of plastic containers. The most commonly
recycled types are #1-PET and #2-HDPE, while the other five are much less
likely to be collected.
2. Follow your community's recycling guidelines - recyclables must be
rinsed with all caps and lids removed. Plastic should contain the PET,
PETE, or HDPE mark or the number 1 or 2 in a triangle imprinted on the
bottom.
3. Give preference to products made from recycled content. Whenever possible,
use products made from recycled plastic. Look for those labeled "made
with recycled content" and especially those "made with post-consumer
recycled content," which are made with materials that have actually
been used, rather than with manufacturing waste that never reached consumers.
4. Reduce when you can. Try to cut down on the amount of plastics you
use in the first place. Alternatives, such as cotton shopping bags, reusable
water bottles, and refillable containers can go a long way toward reducing
the amount of plastics that enter the waste stream.