Shredded paper should not be thrown in the curbside recycling bin. If you have shredded paper at home, it can be thrown into the trash, or can be used for home backyard composting.

When our curbside recycling is taken to the processing facility, it goes on a conveyor belt with many screens and other automated processing equipment that sorts the various commodities.

Shredded paper either ends up falling through the conveyor belts or ends up wrapped around the machinery, clogging it up.

We ask residents to instead use our paper shredding program. The material from that program does not have to get sorted, rather it is baled and sent directly to recycling markets.

No – recycling from your household should go directly into your curbside bin. Your recyclables should not be bagged, and there should be no plastic bags/film in your recycling bin.

No – Plastic bags that are put in the curbside recycling bins can get tangled in machinery at recycling facilities, making a mess. Too many plastic bags tangled in the machines can even cause a facility to have to shut down for cleaning and repairs.

You can reuse plastic bags for other purposes (ex: bathroom trash bag, picking up after pets) or put them in your regular garbage.

Middlesex County has had conversations with the private recycling facility operators in and around our County, who handle our recycling as well as some of the surrounding counties’ recycling. So, to be clear, it is not Middlesex County who has decided what is recyclable and what is not, rather it is the private facility operators who are telling us the types of plastics that they can market. This is not a Middlesex County only problem. The marketability of plastics is an issue all across New Jersey, and many counties who previously recycled all types of plastic are going back to recycling only #1 and #2. Markets are always evolving, so if in the future, we get confidence that other types of plastic can be reliably recycled, we will consider adding those to the mandated items list.

No, those can just go into the trash. Those things are too large to be properly recycled at a facility.

Generally, the frozen food boxes should not be recycled. They have a waxy coating on them that makes it more difficult to recycle.

Visit the Electronics Recycling Program page.

Each apartment complex decides the best method of collection for recycling and garbage depending on their situation. Recycling is mandatory for these locations. The County and Municipal Recycling Coordinator are available to assist in this effort, but by law, the generator (meaning the apartment complex managers) are responsible to ensure that their residents are recycling properly. Our Environmental Health Division has a team of inspectors to ensure our multifamily locations are recycling. For questions on this program, call 732-745-8480.

If you run out of room in your recycling bin in between collections, in most cases you can contact the town to purchase another bin. In some towns, you can also use your own can (no larger than 32 gallons) clearly marked “recycling”. Most municipalities also have a drop-off center to handle excess materials. Residents should contact their towns for specific rules. Recyclables cannot be put in plastic bags in any town’s curbside collection.

Caps should be removed, but it is not critical to do so. No need to crush the bottles.

Most pizza boxes are greasy or have food contamination and should not be recycled. Contact your local municipality if your pizza box is free from contamination for further instructions.

Egg cartons should be thrown in the regular trash.