To get the system working properly, Hoboken Public Works Department is offering to hold meetings with building maintenance/management companies and condo associations to explain the program. Just send an email to Dave Calamoneri, dcalamoneri@hobokennj.org.

In as much as the Quality of Life Coalition and its Committee for a Green Hoboken introduced the idea of single stream recycling and urged its adoption, we are assisting the City of Hoboken in getting information out to the general public about the new recycling regulations. The new regs went into effect June 7, 2011 though the city won’t start enforcement for a few months so that everyone has the time to get the hang of the new procedures. Info is on the city’s website at http://www.hobokennj.org/departments/environmental-services/recycling-garbage/

Effect on Multi Family Buildings

Many multi family buildings may need to change their recycling room procedures, make sure residents (owners & renters) understand the changes and will reduce the amount of landfill waste from Hoboken. Keep in mind too, recycling just got a lot simpler.

Biggest changes:
1) As of June 7, the City is now picking up COMMINGLED plastics, glass, cans, cardboard & paper on both Tuesdays & Thursdays. Recyclables must be in bins with lids, not plastic garbage bags no matter how small or how large. Paper will go into the bins with everything else but cardboard can be bundled & set to the side.

2) No plastic bags!! The big change is that no plastic bags are to be put in the bins. The waste processor – Waste Management – will charge the city if there are a large number of plastic bags mixed in (either grocery store plastic bags or giant garbage bags). We need to make sure that residents no longer drop recyclables in plastic bags into the cans in the basement or collection area. If the residents carry recyclables down for disposal in plastic bags, they need to open the plastic bags, dump the plastics/cans/glass/paper, and toss the plastic bags in a separate garbage can. Some buildings are creating a separate bin just for the plastic bags which they will accumulate and later take to local grocery stores that accept such bags.

We recommend that shoppers use reusable canvas or cloth bags to bring home the groceries and to tote recyclables down to their recycle area.

3) A major benefit of the new system is that more types of plastics & papers are accepted now — Any numbered plastics with the numbers 1 to 7 on the bottom may now be recycled. (Plastic caps should be removed but may be added to the recycle mix,) Junk mail (even with cellophane windows!), phone books, magazines, even paperback books may be recycled, and no need to worry about the occasional staple, paperclip, rubber bands, cellophane windows on envelopes, etc. — all that’s OK.

There are a few items that CANNOT be recycled, like plastic six-pack rings and slick address sticker label sheets, but it’s all on the city’s flyer, which everyone should have
received in the mail last week along with the city’s recreation program. The flyer is available on the city website www.hobokennj.org.

The city is also giving away — for free — blue lidded garbage pails with “Hoboken Recycles” printed on the side and lid. Public Works also has Recycle stickers available if you decide not to use new bins and reuse existing cans. ALL bins used for recycling must have lids which MUST have the recycling stickers on them so the collection trucks can see that the bin is for recycling. Building maintenance personnel will be carrying or wheeling (depending on the bins used) to transport up to 32-gallon bins out to the curb Tuesday and Thursday evenings and will collect them again in the morning.

If you need any more information, let us know. The QLC/CGH is trying to develop a list of frequently asked questions to help multifamily and condo buildings adapt to the changes. www.qlcHoboken.org.

Please remember- no plastic bags in the mix.

QLC thanks Jason Tecza, a member of the QLC’s Committee for a Green Hoboken for having introduced the idea of single stream recycling, for performing research about its operation and benefits, and urging its adoption. Our gratitude as well to the Zimmer administration for its acceptance of the idea and to the City Council for unanimously approving the ordinance to enact the program.

Helen Manogue, Coordinator, Hoboken Quality of Life Coalition
and QLC’s Committee for a Green Hoboken
Melissa Abernathy, Assistant Coordinator, QLC and QLC’s CGH
Tom Chartier, Chair QLC’s Committee for a Green Hoboken

The QLC is partnering with the Save the Youth Academy, Hoboken Housing Authority, and Hoboken P.A.L to raise funds for back-to-school supplies for the children living in the Housing Authority. We’re holding a Back-to-School Green is Cool block party on Saturday September 11th from 2 – 6 p.m. at the ball field on Jackson and 4th. The block party will kick-off the school year with a fun event that will educate the kids about the environment and allow us to hand out the supplies.

We’ve been lining up donated supplies that are environmentally friendly, but are raising funds to buy additional supplies and to throw the party. The “price” of admission requires the children to participate in a series of fun and educational games before entering the rest of the party. We’re educating the kids on why to use products that tread lightly on the environment.

We’re also teaching the kids about why they should recycle and why they shouldn’t litter. This project is an extension of an ongoing collaboration between the QLC and Save the Youth Academy to teach at-risk youth about why and how to protect the environment.

Please help out and click on the “Donate” button on our homepage and give what you can! It’s tax deductible. If you, your company, or organization want to do more, please click on “contact” and send us an email.

Recycling at this festival was a huge improvement over the attempt to recycle at the fall 2009 festival. At that event, all of the recyclables collected had too many contaminants to bring to the recycler. Sadly, it all went into the trash. Learning from these past mistakes, Jason Tecza (pictured) and JD Capuano came up with a new plan to get festival-goers to recycle and reached out for help to make it happen.

Our success is attributable to collaboration with the City of Hoboken – both Environmental Services and Cultural Affairs, help from Greener Corners, cooperation from the food vendors, and volunteers! The city was very excited about doing this and was a good partner in getting the special bins set up and in collecting the materials. Check out the administration’s excitement on the City’s website. Greener Corners is looking to bring recycling to the streets of Hoboken everyday and one of their co-founders, Aaron Klein, brought us special temporary recycling bins with clear bags just for the festival.

What really helped make this happen was volunteers wearing bright green shirts displaying “Hoboken Recycles” on the front walking around monitoring the recycling containers for contaminants. They adorned latex gloves and picked out plastics that aren’t yet recycled in Hoboken (with a 5 or 6 stamped on them) and any trash that mixed in. The volunteers also picked recyclables out of the garbage. Aaron helped with this effort. The volunteers were happy to see festival-goers largely putting items in the right receptacles – recycling vs. landfill waste.

One other ingredient added to the success. We would like to thank the food vendors who almost unanimously allowed us to tape signs instructing festival-goers to recycle on their booths.

Look for more great things we’re pushing to improve recycling in Hoboken!

Most municipalities don’t have programs in place to recycle CFLs on a regular basis. Hudson County sets up recycling days for CFLs twice in the spring and twice each fall. Visit the Hudson County Improvement Authority’s website for dates. If you don’t want to wait, Home Depot collects CFLs at every store. The store located closest to Hoboken is on Grove Street in Jersey City right by the entrance to the Holland Tunnel.

Computers, especially monitors, contain heavy metals and toxins that are dangerous if not disposed of properly. If you have an old computer that’s still in decent working order, why not donate it to the local Goodwill? You should wipe the hard drive to protect your personal information. For more information on how to protect your information, visit the Goodwill Industries International website.

Donate your old computer locally to Goodwill Industries in Jersey City on any day of the week from 10 AM until 7 PM at 2815 JFK Blvd.