Recycling Coordinators Meeting

Recycling Around Morris County, New Jersey: What’s Available

The Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority (MCMUA) held a pivotal meeting on May 30, 2024, bringing together four major recycling materials recovery facilities from Northern New Jersey. This gathering was a significant step towards educating Morris County municipal recycling coordinators about available marketing opportunities in the region. The meeting featured detailed presentations from the Republic Service Mine Hill Recycling Facility, the Atlantic Coast Recycling Facility in Passaic, Ricova/Recycle City in Clifton, and the Global Recycling Solutions facility in Andover, each outlining their specific recycling program, guidelines and concerns.

The Republic Service Mine Hill Recycling Facility, known for its extensive conveyance, sorting, screening, and baling equipment, emphasized the importance of source-separated, commingled recyclables. Like all the presenters, Republic focused on worker and facility safety. Eric Gabrielson, Plant Manager showed an eye-opening video on how a hotspot in the recycling pile can quickly escalate into a large fire. The video also showed the effectiveness in the Fire-Rover system recently put in place at the facility to detect and help extinguish the fire before it engulfed the entire plant. Finally, Eric highlighted Republic’s capacity to process single-stream commingled containers, ensuring that materials such as aluminum, paper, and plastics are efficiently recycled.

Atlantic Coast Recycling Facility in Passaic, a leader in the Northeast’s recycling industry, showcased their recently opened state-of-the-art, 125,000 square-foot facility which replaced the old facility which itself ended burning down. Their highly automated equipment allows for the processing of both single-stream and dual-stream recyclables, catering to a wide range of municipal and commercial clients.

Ricova/Recycle City in Clifton presented their upgraded technology and operations, which include an automated sorting line within their existing building. This enhancement increases their capacity to process Class A recyclables, such as aluminum and steel cans, glass bottles, and plastic containers, from 200 tons to 300 tons per day.

Lastly, the Global Recycling Solutions facility in Andover, a fully licensed Class A recycling facility, shared their commitment to environmental safety and their role in providing recycling services to the community.

The MCMUA meeting was not just about sharing guidelines; it was a forum for these facilities to discuss challenges, innovations, and strategies for improving recycling rates and operations. The collaboration among these facilities is crucial for developing a more sustainable future for Morris County’s recycling programs.

As we move forward, the insights gained from this meeting will undoubtedly influence the recycling practices of municipalities, businesses, and residents alike. It is through such collaborative efforts that we can hope to make significant strides in our environmental stewardship and resource conservation.

For more information on the recycling guidelines and services provided by these facilities, residents and businesses are encouraged to reach out to their respective municipal recycling coordinators or visit the MCMUA website. Together, we can work towards a greener, more sustainable Morris County.