Union County, NJ – February 3, 2022 — The 2022 Union County recycling schedule is now available to view online at ucnj.org/recycling. The free, annual program covers secure paper shredding for personal documents, safe disposal of hazardous chemicals and other wastes commonly found in and around the home, and scrap metal recycling.
“Union County’s free recycling events are among our most popular programs, and we encourage everyone to make use of these opportunities to conserve resources, prevent identity theft, and protect the environment,” said Commissioner Board Chair Rebecca Williams.
Open to all Union County residents, the first event begins in March and the schedule runs through the summer and fall.
For the safety of all participants and staff, all Union County recycling events are drive-through only and contact-free. Residents must remain in their vehicles at all times. Items for recycling should be loaded in a trunk or cargo area easily accessible for staff to remove.
The first paper shredding event of 2022 will take place on Saturday, March 26th, at the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools campus at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. The program provides residents with a free service that helps prevent identity theft. As a reminder, business documents are not accepted at these events, it is for personal documents only. All papers are securely shredded on site by a licensed recycler. The program will visit additional sites each month in 2022, including Plainfield, New Providence, Clark, Cranford, Rahway, Union Township, Westfield and New Providence. To view the full schedule visit ucnj.org/recycling/mobile-paper-shredding.
The first household hazardous waste event of 2022 will take place on Saturday, April 9th at Union County College, located at 1033 Springfield Avenue in Cranford. This program provides residents with an opportunity to remove potentially dangerous items and supplies from their homes and yards, and dispose of them safely. Residents can bring their old or unwanted household cleansers, pool supplies, pesticides and other household chemicals to these events, among many other items. To see a list of accepted and prohibited items visit ucnj.org/recycling/household-special-waste.
For the first time ever, Kean University will co-sponsor a household hazardous waste event with Union County on its campus in Union Township on June 4th. The program will also visit the Vocational-Technical Schools campus in Scotch Plains this year.
Union County’s scrap metal recycling sites are located in Cranford and Kenilworth. Visit ucnj.org/recycling/scrap-metal for hours and locations.
To help local curbside recycling programs run as efficiently as possible, residents are reminded to keep plastic bags out of their recycling bins. Vendors will reject cans and bottles mixed with plastic bags, raising the cost of recycling for local municipalities. Residents seeking to recycle electronic items, block-type Styrofoam or used motor oil can contact their municipal recycling coordinator or visit ucnj.org/recycling for information on these items.
To request a printed copy of Union County’s paper recycling programs by mail, call the Bureau of Recycling and Planning at 908-654-9890. To keep up to date with all local and County-sponsored recycling programs, residents can download the free Recycle Coach app for mobile devices.
For more details about all free County-sponsored recycling programs and other recycling opportunities, including contact information for local recycling coordinators and instructions for downloading the Recycle Coach app, visit the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning online at ucnj.org/recycle or call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.
For quick links to all Union County environmental programs and activities visit The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connection.
For more information and updates on all Union County services during the COVID-19 outbreak, including free vaccination, free testing, emergency food distribution and other support services, visit ucnj.org/covid19. General information about COVID-19 is available through the New Jersey Department of Health at nj.gov/health.