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State of New Jersey-Department of Environmental Protection-Recycling Information
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Additional Information for Recycling & Helpful Links

Educational Resources: (For Residents, Businesses/Institutions, Recycling Coordinators, the Recycling Industry and Teachers/Students)

For Residents:

  • Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – This resource from the United States Environmental Protection Agency provides information on how reducing, reusing, and recycling can help you, your community, and the environment by saving money, energy, and natural resources.  https://www.epa.gov/recycle

  • Reuse Opportunities (by Material) - It has often been said that one person's trash is another person's treasure.  Instead of discarding unwanted items, try donating or selling them.  Not only will you be reducing waste, you'll be helping others.  Local churches, community centers, thrift stores, schools, nonprofit organizations and other organizations may accept a variety of donated items.  Learn more at http://www.nj.gov/dep/dshw/recycling/Reuse%20Organizations%20and%20Opportunities.pdf.

 

For Businesses/Institutions:

  • New Jersey Higher Education Partnership for Sustainability – This organization’s mission is to advance sustainability at New Jersey’s colleges and universities.  http://www.njheps.org/
  • New Jersey Sustainable Business Registry - The Registry, a partnership between Rutgers University’s New Jersey Small Business Development Centers (NJSBDC) and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, provides resources to small and mid-sized business interested in becoming sustainable.  http://registry.njsbdc.com/  
  • New Jersey WasteWise Business Network – The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection coordinates this free program, which is designed to educate businesses and other organizations about the environmental and economic benefits of waste reduction, recycling and recycled product procurement.  ../recycling/wastewise/brbn03.htm
  • Sustainability Speaker Series - The Sustainability Speaker Series (S3) provides a forum to share ideas and strategies to expand social, environmental and economic sustainability within New Jersey.  S3 brings together sustainability experts and NJ leaders from diverse sectors to discuss how organizations can incorporate sustainability into business decisions.   http://www.nj.gov/dep/aqes/s3.html
  • "The Economic Benefits of Recycling and Waste Reduction - WasteWise Case Studies from the Private and Public Sectors" - This report focuses on the economic side of the recycling story and demonstrates that recycling and waste reduction makes economic sense for New Jersey’s commercial, institutional and governmental sectors.  ../recycling/wastewise/njwwcasestudy.pdf

 

For Recycling Coordinators:

  • Certified Recycling Professional Training Program - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is an active partner in and supporter of the certified recycling coordinator training program that is coordinated by the Rutgers University Office of Continuing Professional Education. This educational and training program was the first of its kind in the United States. The program is funded by the NJDEP and has resulted in the certification of over 250 recycling professionals. For additional information, visit http://www.cpe.rutgers.edu/programs/recycling_solid_waste.html 
  • Economics of Recycling Manual - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued its “Practical Recycling Economics – Making the Numbers Work for Your Program” manual in 1999. This publication was developed by the Rutgers University Office of Continuing Professional Education, in conjunction with the Department, and was written as a reference and instruction manual for municipal, county and other recycling coordinators. It was designed to provide specific information, tools and strategies to make recycling more cost-effective for individual recycling programs. An additional chapter that focuses on cost-effective promotional strategies that can be employed on behalf of local recycling programs was added to the manual in 2004. The manual is available online at the following weblink: ../resource/techman.htm#prem

  • Recycling Coordinator Toolkit -  To help local recycling coordinators improve recycling rates and improve financial returns, Rutgers University and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection have created tools that can immediately enhance your recycling program.  http://www.cpe.rutgers.edu/recycling-coordinator-toolkit/
  • Sustainable Jersey - Sustainable Jersey is a nonprofit organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs.  By supporting community efforts to reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and improve environmental equity, Sustainable Jersey is empowering communities to build a better world for future generations.  http://www.sustainablejersey.com/ 
  • "The Economic Benefits of Recycling and Waste Reduction - WasteWise Case Studies from the Private and Public Sectors" - This report focuses on the economic side of the recycling story and demonstrates that recycling and waste reduction makes economic sense for New Jersey’s commercial, institutional and governmental sectors.  ../recycling/wastewise/njwwcasestudy.pdf
  • The Recycling Coordinator’s Primer- A manual for recycling coordinators that contains information about the laws governing and regulating recycling and information that provides recycling coordinators with a fundamental understanding of their duties. http://www.anjr.com/recyclingprimer/recyclingprimer.html

For Recycling Industry: 

  • New Jersey’s Manual on Composting Leaves & Management of Other Yard Trimmings - This manual serves as a useful tool when planning for a leaf and/or vegetative trimmings composting facility.  This resource is a collaboration between Rutgers University and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.  ../rrtp/compost/combined_manual.pdf 
  • Recycling Business Assistance Guide for the Northeast States – The Northeast Recycling Council’s Recycling Business Assistance Guide is a comprehensive compendium of resources available to startup and expanding recycling businesses in the 11 northeast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.  https://nerc.org/documents/Recycling_Business_Assistance_Guide_for_Northeast_States.pdf
  • Recycling Center and Recycling Markets Directory – The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection maintains lists of recycling centers for various types of recyclable materials.  ../recycling/recymkts_directory.htm 
  • The Scrap Recycling Industry:  Commodities – This resource from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries provides information on various recyclable commodities and markets. https://www.isri.org/recycled-commodities

 

For Teachers and Students:

  • Association of New Jersey Recyclers School Resources – Resources include books, videos, classroom and assembly programs, field trips, curricula and more. https://anjr-school.com/
  • Here Today, Here Tomorrow - Recycled! - A curriculum supplement sponsored by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that is designed to nurture, through education and active, local participation, a sense of responsibility in students regarding their contributions to New Jersey's waste stream and what is within their power to reduce, reuse and recycle, as well as to purchase in terms of recycled products.  http://www.nj.gov/dep/seeds/hthtr/
  • Learning and Teaching About the Environment – This resource from the United States Environmental Protection Agency provides K-12 students and educators with quality homework resources, lesson plans and project ideas to learn and teach about the environment.  https://www.epa.gov/students 
  • SEEDS – The State Environmental Education Directory – The aim of SEEDS is to promote the environmental education information and resources that are directly supported by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, either through its programs or through formal and ongoing alliances and partnerships.  http://www.state.nj.us/dep/seeds/index.html

 

Helpful Links:

Contact: Steven Rinaldi, NJDEP, Bureau of Sustainability, Steven.Rinaldi@dep.nj.gov or 609-633-0538