Recycling Pick-up Date Adjusted for Labor Day Holiday

BRIDGEWATER - The Somerset County Recycling Center, located at 40 Polhemus Lane will be closed Monday, Sept. 1, in observance of Labor Day.

Curbside pickup for residents of Branchburg and Raritan will be Tuesday, Sept. 2.

For more information, call the Recycling Center at (732) 469-3363 or visit www.co.somerset.nj.us/recycle/recyclescedule.html.

To stay up to date with Somerset County events and information, sign up for free email alerts at www.co.somerset.nj.us/subscribe.html or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

‘First Saturday of the Month’ Drop-off Sept. 6

BRIDGEWATER – Somerset County Freeholder Patricia Walsh, recycling liaison, invites Somerset County residents to take advantage of the next First Saturday of the Month Drop-off event Sept. 6 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Somerset County Recycling Center, located at 40 Polhemus Lane, Bridgewater, NJ 08807, to clean up around their homes. 
First Saturday drop-off events enable busy residents to recycle tires, clean textiles and usual curbside items in one fell swoop, as well as help people in the community who are less fortunate by donating food items for a local food bank. 

As part of the program, residents can drop off up to eight tires - with or without rims, scrap metal, used motor oil, oil filters, antifreeze and usual curbside materials, including chipboard items and plastic bottles and containers, marked #1 through #7.  Chipboard includes gift, shoe, shirt and all retail boxes, as well as cereal, cookie, pasta, cake and cracker boxes, without the plastic liners.  Also poster board, backing from writing pads and empty, dried-out steel paint cans are accepted.

Textiles (clean and dry) include drapes, curtains, sheets, towels, belts, handbags, shoes (pairs), clean cloth and small stuffed animals. Textiles only will be accepted in a plastic bag.

No household hazardous waste is accepted at First Saturday Drop-off events.  

For a complete listing of recyclable items, recycling events and much more, visit www.co.somerset.nj.us/recycle or call the Somerset County Recycling Center at (732) 469-3363.  

Residents wishing to help the needy during these difficult economic times have two options. They can bring canned goods and non-perishable food donations to First Saturday of the Month drop-off events or they can put out canned goods in a plastic bag on their usual recycling pickup dates.  Items are delivered to the Food Bank Network of Somerset County.  Perishable items and foods in glass containers are not accepted by food banks. 

Somerset County no longer accepts consumer electronics (e-waste) at First Saturday of the Month events. Residents can recycle e-waste, free of charge, at Newtech Recycling Inc., located at 600A Apgar Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873, on selected Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Saturday drop-off dates at Newtech are Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1 and Dec. 6. For more information about Newtech Recycling Inc., call (732) 564-3110 or visit www.newtechrecycling.com.

To stay up to date with Somerset County events and information, sign up for free email alerts at www.co.somerset.nj.us/subscribe.html or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Learn About Composting at September Workshop 

Registration deadline is Sept. 10

SOMERVILLE – Somerset County Freeholder Patricia Walsh, recycling liaison, invites county residents to attend a backyard-composting workshop Thursday, Sept. 18, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. or 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The workshops are being sponsored by the Somerset County Division of Solid Waste Management and Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County.

The workshops will be held in the second-floor Engineering Conference Room of the Somerset County Administration Building, located at 20 Grove St., Somerville, NJ 08876.  A $50 registration fee includes attendance at a workshop, a compost bin and literature.  Registration is required by Wednesday, Sept. 10. A registration form and composting information are available at www.co.somerset.nj.us/recycle/composting.html.

Participants will learn how to compost kitchen and yard debris into a "black gold" organic material for use in the yard, garden and for houseplants.

The program also will include a brief presentation titled "Cut It & Leave It," and other environmentally friendly lawn-care strategies.

Composting reduces the amount of discarded garbage, acts as a natural fertilizer by returning nutrients to the soil, improves soil aeration and reduces soil diseases. It also helps to conserve the Earth's resources.

For more information and to register, contact Recycling Coordinator Melissa Harvey, Somerset County Division of Solid Waste Management, at (908) 231-7109 or harvey@co.somerset.nj.us.

To stay up to date with Somerset County events and information, sign up for free email alerts at www.co.somerset.nj.us/subscribe.html or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Sept. 13

BRANCHBURG – Somerset County Freeholder Patricia Walsh, recycling liaison, invites Somerset County residents to take advantage of the next Household Hazardous Waste drop-off event to clean up any household hazardous waste that has accumulated around their homes.

The next Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off for Somerset County homeowners and farmers is Saturday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Branchburg Township Public Works Garage, located at 34 Kenbury Road 08876.

No registration is necessary, but proof of Somerset County residency is required.  The program is free to county residents.  

Household hazardous waste includes used cooking oil, banned or outdated pesticides, antifreeze, transmission fluids, brake fluids, wet-cell car batteries, motor oil (2-gallon maximum), ammonia-based cleaners, gasoline, kerosene, oil-based paints, pool chemicals, propane tanks, rechargeable and button-cell batteries, and items containing mercury, including fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent light bulbs, mercury switches, thermometers and thermostats.

In June, 408 county residents dropped off approximately 27,400 pounds of hazardous materials for proper disposal.  In addition, 220 gallons of used motor oil, 110 gallons of antifreeze, 33 propane tanks and 50 wet-cell batteries were collected and recycled.

The final Household Hazardous Waste drop-off will be Oct. 25 in Hillsborough.  Household Hazardous Waste events are held at different locations around the county for the convenience of residents.

For more information on types and quantities of materials accepted, contact the Somerset County Division of Solid Waste Management at (908) 231-7031 or email solidwaste@co.somerset.nj.us or visit the Somerset County website at www.co.somerset.nj.us/recycle  for recycling programs and information.

Residents wishing to safely dispose of unwanted or outdated prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications can do so at all scheduled Household Hazardous Waste events.

For more information regarding medicine collection in Somerset County, contact Lt. Steve SanAntonio at (908) 231-7168 or Sheriff’s Officer Thomas Wallace at (908) 231-7138.   The Medicine Drive-Thru Drop-Off program is hosted by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Somerset County Solid Waste Management Division and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

No tires, electronics (computers and televisions), infectious waste, gas cylinders, smoke detectors, air conditioners or dehumidifiers are accepted at Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off events.

Residents can dispose of tires each month at First Saturday of the Month Drop-off events at the Somerset County Recycling Center in Bridgewater.  For more information, call the Recycling Center at (732) 469-3363.

Residents can recycle e-waste, free of charge, at Newtech Recycling Inc., located at 600A Apgar Drive, Somerset, NJ 08873, on selected Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Upcoming Saturday drop-off dates at Newtech are Sept. 6, Oct. 4, Nov. 1 and Dec. 6.  For more information about Newtech Recycling Inc., call (732) 564-3110 or visit www.newtechrecycling.com.

To learn about proper disposal of home medical waste, visit www.co.somerset.nj.us/recycle/medicalwaste.html.