The Burlington County Department of Solid Waste and Recycling wants to remind residents that Styrofoam should be removed from all cardboard shipping boxes and disposed of in household trash, not placed in curb-side recycling containers.
Plastic bubble wrap and packaging, such as air pillows, should also be kept from curb-side recycling because they can jam and damage the county’s sorting equipment. Residents who want to recycle such packaging can bring it to a dedicated dropoff at the county resource recovery complex in Florence. Residents may also bring bread bags, newspaper sleeves, dry-cleaning bags, ice bags and wrapping from cases of beverages or paper goods.
The resource recovery complex is open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon. Residents with plastic film materials should enter the complex and follow signs to the scale house, where they will then be directed to the correct dropoff.
In addition to keeping Styrofoam and plastic packaging materials out of curb-side recycling, residents should also be mindful about not recycling foil wrapping paper or plastic gift bags, bows, ribbons, aluminum foil food trays or pie tins, or single-use plastic, paper or foam plates, cups and cutlery.
Plastic coated gift cards or battery-embedded cards should also be kept out of recycling containers. Cardboard shipping and gift boxes should be empty, flattened and folded for proper recycling.
Residents with questions can call (609) 499-1001 or email recycle@co.burlington.nj.us.
