The Ocean County Residential Shredding Program and the Household Hazardous Waste Program are back for select dates through the fall season.
Sponsored by the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, the Residential Shredding Program and the Household Hazardous Waste Program are available to Ocean County residents through the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management.
“It is a great opportunity to have these programs run during the spring and fall seasons so that our residents get two chances to take advantage of these services,” said Ocean County Commissioner Barbara Jo Crea, who serves as liaison to the Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management. “The events are free to Ocean County residents, and you can go to any of the locations which makes it more convenient.”
While registration is not required for the shredding program, preregistration is required for the household hazardous waste program. Businesses and institutions are not eligible for either program.
Each shredding event runs from 9 a.m. to noon or until the trucks are full. Each truck has a capacity to hold five to seven tons of paper and all documents are destroyed confidentially on site. The scheduled remaining dates are:
Sept. 16 – Lacey Township Recycling Center Lot, 820 Municipal Lane
Sept. 23 – Barnegat Township Recycling Center Lot, 5 Lippincott Avenue
Sept. 30 – Berkeley Township Recycling Center Lot, 630 Pinewald Keswick Road
Oct. 14 – Beach Haven Parking Lot on Taylor Avenue
Oct. 21 – Brick Township Public Works Yard, 836 Ridge Road
Oct. 28 – Beachwood Township Municipal Complex Lot, 1600 Pinewald Road
The shred units feature an automatic feeding and dumping system that eliminates human contact with private documents. Residents are limited to four file boxes or clear bags, or 100 pounds of confidential documents per car. Paper must be in a manageable container; paper clips and staples do not need to be removed.
Unacceptable items include magazines, books, junk mail, hanging file folders, greeting cards, photos, x-rays, CDs, floppy disks, microfilm, shredded paper and garbage. In addition, moldy or wet paper and plastic bags should not be included in the shredding.
“We are always encouraging our residents to take advantage of recycling programs that dispose of waste properly,” said the Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners Joseph H. Vicari. “These programs continue to help us keep Ocean County’s environment clean.”
In addition, the Ocean County Household Hazardous Waste Program has the following dates remaining for the 2023 season, each event runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.:
Sept. 16 – Jackson Township Public Works, 95 West Veterans Highway
Oct. 14 – Long Beach Department of Public Works, 7910 Long Beach Blvd.
Nov. 4 – Toms River Fraternal Order of Police, 1791 N. Bay Ave.
Pre-registration can be done online at www.co.ocean.nj.us/recycle, or by calling 732-506-5047, if preferred. Proof of residency is also required.
The items that can be dropped off include aerosols, auto products, cleaning products, pool chemicals, compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs), fire extinguishers, gasoline, pesticides/herbicides, mercury switches/devices (thermostats), stains/thinners, polyurethanes, and polishes.
Items that are not accepted include electronics, cylinders (oxygen tanks), asbestos, radioactive materials (smoke detectors), infectious wastes, explosives (fireworks, gunpowder, boat flares), scrap metal and unknown materials.
All materials, with the exception of oil and gasoline, should be in the original containers. A limit of 200 pounds of dry materials and 20 gallons of liquid material is allowed per household. No containers larger than five gallons are accepted.
“These programs help keep recyclable materials out of the Ocean County landfill,” said Crea. “Everyone is encouraged to recycle right as we continue to make a difference in preserving our natural resources.”
Residents are also reminded that they can skip the line for many items and bring them to municipal recycling centers and the county’s recycling centers that allow for year-round drop off of other materials. Residents can use the drop offs located at the Ocean County Northern Recycling Center in Lakewood, or the Southern Recycling Center located in Manahawkin from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.