| DEP &
HUDSON COUNTY TEAM UP TO INCREASE RECYCLING
Partners Will Conduct
Compliance Sweep of Recyclable Material Generators
(05/65) JERSEY CITY -- Standing with Hudson County Executive
Thomas DeGise, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy and Hudson
County Improvement Authority (HCIA) Executive Director Norman
Guerra, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner
Bradley M. Campbell today announced that DEP will conduct countywide
compliance inspections of recyclable material generators in Hudson
County. The June compliance sweep will help to ensure that recyclable
material is properly handled.
"The Hudson County recycling sweep will improve compliance
and help to meet the state's goal of recycling 50 percent of the
municipal solid waste stream," said Commissioner Campbell.
"Recycling is not optional in New Jersey, it is the law."
The Hudson recycling sweep is part of DEP's statewide initiative
to increase recycling. On March 31, Commissioner Campbell announced
a new solid waste management plan that focuses on boosting recycling
rates across New Jersey. The new plan aims to expand recycling
opportunities for various materials at schools, multi-family housing
complexes, and small- and medium-sized businesses. As part of
the plan, each county will be required to identify local strategies
to establish and achieve recycling tonnage targets. County plans
will include methods for public promotion of new opportunities
and methods for enforcing local recycling mandates.
"Recycling is crucial in our ongoing effort to improve our
environment here in Hudson County," said County Executive
DeGise. "I urge all residents and business owners to support
this effort to increase recycling compliance."
The Recycling Compliance and Enforcement Sweep will focus on
colleges, schools, hotels, motels, law firms, fitness facilities,
motion picture theaters and sports and recreation clubs. Bowling
centers; photocopying and duplicating service providers; nonresidential
building operators; insurance brokers; banks; department stores;
bus and taxi companies; and convenience stores may also be affected
by this initiative.
"The HCIA has begun community outreach initiatives to reinforce
the importance of recycling," said Guerra. "Our goal
is to encourage every Hudson community to step up recycling efforts
before the DEP sweep and to continue with environmental education
efforts once it's completed. This will help to avoid notices of
violation for homeowners, businesses and organizations, and it
will more importantly help protect and preserve the environment
for years to come."
The DEP and HCIA will conduct the recycling sweep in two phases.
The first phase, known as the Compliance Sweep, will begin this
month and will focus on providing outreach and assistance to known
and potentially regulated individuals, businesses and government
operations. Prior to conducting inspections, DEP and HCIA will
meet and work cooperatively with business representatives to help
regulated entities comply with environmental laws.
The second phase, known as the Enforcement Sweep, will involve
a large-scale, unannounced inspection effort.
Inspectors will assess the following:
- Do generators separate recyclable material from regular trash
and store these items in separate containers?
- Do generators have a written contract with a private refuse
removal firm for the pickup of recyclable materials? This requirement
does not pertain to sites whose recyclable materials are managed
by the municipality.
- If an inspected entity has a contract with a private firm,
the recycling services must be articulated in the contract/billing
statements?
- Do refuse removal firms ensure that recyclable materials are
not mixed with regular trash in the same truck?
DEP and HCIA will address non-compliance found during the Compliance
and Enforcement Sweep by issuing Notices of Violation and penalties
where appropriate.
DEP is responsible for compliance with the state's recycling
mandates under the Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling
Act, which was enacted by the state of New Jersey in 1987.
In 2003, New Jersey generated 19.9 million tons of solid waste,
which includes construction debris and scrap iron. Of that total,
10.4 million tons or 52 percent was recycled with 9.5 million
tons sent for disposal. Of the 9.5 million tons disposed, 1.5
million or 8 percent of the total waste generated went to resource
recovery facilities, 3.8 million or 20 percent was disposed at
landfills located in New Jersey and 3.7 million or 19 percent
was sent for out-of-state disposal. The municipal solid waste
stream recycling rate stood at 32 percent, down from a high of
45 percent in 1995.
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