It’s Holiday Time! Exactly What Can We Recycle in Lakewood?
The holidays are coming and so are a lot of gifts wrapped with ribbons and bows. What can we recycle? Wrapping paper can be recycled; but ribbons, bows, and ornaments go in the trash. Why? The Ocean County Department of Solid Waste Management determines what materials are acceptable for recycling in Lakewood and what is considered trash.
Here are some guidelines for materials that can go in the yellow containers for recycling (Please do not bundle or bag material):
Plastic Bottles, but only if the neck of the bottle is smaller than the base of the container. Some examples of bottles that are acceptable are juice, beverage, shampoo and conditioner, laundry and dish detergent, milk jugs, and condiments bottles, such as ketchup and salad dressing (NO plastic bags. No coffee pods. No Styrofoam. These are NOT recyclable.)
Glass bottles, jars, containers of all shapes, sizes and colors. Empty and rinse all bottles and containers. (Remove all caps, lids, and pumps and throw them in trash.)
Cans: Aluminum cans; soda cans; steel, tin and empty aerosol cans
Paper Products: Steve Hill, the recycling coordinator for Lakewood, said, “In general, the rule for paper products is ‘If it’s clean then it’s green and can be recycled.’ The cleanliness of recyclable material is the premium when our vendors market the material Lakewood provides. For example, if oil or cheese drips onto the pizza box, it no longer can be recycled.”
Cardboard boxes: Corrugated and CLEAN cardboard pizza boxes; empty milk cartons. Please flatten all cardboard boxes. (No wax coated cardboard or paper of any kind.)
Mixed Paper: Magazines, catalogs, paperback books, junk mail, including envelopes, office paper, computer paper, school papers, newspapers plus inserts, brown paper bags, construction paper, colored paper, tissue paper and wrapping paper, greeting cards. (NO shredded paper!)
Nothing Waxed — No waxed paper or waxed cardboard containers.
Below are some materials that do not go in either yellow or green containers!
Bring them to the Ocean County Recycling Center, 601 New Hampshire Avenue, Lakewood (733-244-1716).
Telephone books, hardcover books with the covers removed, paints and oils.
Bulk Trash: Remember you must call for an appointment to have bulk trash picked up. Bulk trash is collected once a month. Items for special bulk trash pickup go on the curb: Any metal, electronics, or appliances.
Expired prescriptions or medications: Dispose of in the receptacle by the Police Department, Lakewood Municipal Building, Third Street.
For more information or questions, call 732-905-3405.
Ocean County owns and operates two recycling centers, one in the northern region of the county and one in the southern region. The Northern Recycling Center is located on New Hampshire Avenue (off Route 70) in Lakewood Township. The Southern Recycling Center is located at 379 Haywood Road (Manahawkin) in Stafford Township. Both facilities close on select county-observed holidays; however, 24-hour resident recycling centers at both sites remain open year-round.