Despite residents having to separate recycling, Montclair Department of Community Services crews have recently been collecting curbside recycling bins – both “Mixed Paper” as well as “Commingled” – by combining them into one truck. The Township has annoucned that this practice will discontinue beginning Monday, February 8, 2016.
Residents must continue to adhere to Township Ordinance 292-7, which has always required recyclable materials to be separated into two containers: Commingled metal, glass, and plastic bottles and cans all go in one container, and Mixed Paper must be in a separate container, when placed out for collection.
Changes in the current economic markets have affected the material recovery facilities who accept our recyclables: they now face decreased demand for these materials. The value of paper is greatly reduced when combined with metal, glass, and plastics, because residual liquids (such as wine, beer, and soda), and glass shards damage the paper fiber. Many local governments now pay to have recyclables hauled away when the paper is combined with bottles and cans – a situation that is economically untenable for the Township.
This means that if you have not separated your recyclable materials into a Commingled container and a Mixed Paper container, your recycling will not be collected.