Single-Stream Recycling Program Could Start In July

Some residents – such as those in townhomes – may not be able to switch due to large size of container.

An example of the container that will be used for the single-stream recycling program.

Somerset County’s pilot single-stream recycling program could begin in Franklin in July, the Township Council was told at its Jan. 28 meeting.

That’s if the county feels its outreach program to residents and businesses is working, said Paul McCall, the county’s Director of Public Works.

Otherwise, “we might have to wait a little bit longer,” he said.

McCall said the county did not yet know how much the program will cost the township, but, he said, if the per-unit cost is more than the average in South Bound Brook and Green Brook, “we’ll have to sit down and have a conversation.”

“Why would you want to switch to something if you have to pay more?” he said.

The program entails issuing every resident a 96-gallon container, which will hold all recyclables. This is seen as a way to boost towns’ recycling efforts, which in turn would make them eligible for more state aid.

McCall said that the pilot programs in Green Brook and South Bound Brook were “painful,” but have yielded positive results.

He said Green Brook has increased its recyclable tonnage by 20 percent, and South Bound Book by 8 percent.

The containers will be picked up by “one-armed bandits,” specially designed trucks with articulating arms that can pick up the containers and dump their contents.

Because of this, the containers will have to be placed in areas away from cars so the trucks can access them, he said.

The containers are also larger than the blue containers used now. McCall said this might cause a problem in some planned communities, such as those where residents live on second floors, or those with small garages.

In those cases, he said, residents would have to continue to use the old containers, he said.

Paul McCall, Somerset County’s public works director, told the Township Council that switching to single-stream recycling will be “painful.”

“We need to reach out to those places first and find out who can and who can’t,” McCall said.

Another task that has to be completed is a manual count of all households in the township, McCall said.

He said the manual count is necessary to identify multifamily homes and make sure enough containers are distributed.

Residents who want extra containers will be able to get them for $50 each, he said.

Residents can keep their old blue containers, or the county will take them away, McCall said.

Businesses can also participate, McCall said, but they will have to pay for the service themselves.

The switchover won’t be smooth, McCall said.

“There’s going to be a lot of things to fix,” he said. “It’s going to be a painful process. But in the end, I think Franklin Township and the residents will benefit greatly from single-stream recycling.”

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