Not every plastic container is recyclable, but now more of them are in Verona.
The township and the Verona Environmental Commission announced yesterday that residents can now put plastics with the #5 code on the bottom out for curbside recycling on so-called commingled days, in addition to #1 and #2 plastics. The changes are effective immediately. (Plastic food trays, like those often used in catering, cannot be put into recycling, even if they are stamped with #1, #2 or #5.)
Commingled recycling now includes the plastics mentioned above, as well as aluminum cans, aluminum foil and aluminum pie pans, as well as steel cans, glass bottles and jars. All containers should be cleaned out before they are put into recycling bins.
Verona still does not recycle styrofoam of any kind, as well as food trays and frozen food microwave trays. You also can’t recycle rubber hoses, plastic crates, or plastic toys of any kind. If you want to recycle plastic bags, bring them to the bin at the Verona Community Center. Most supermarkets also have plastic bag recycling.
Electronics that need to be recycled can only be recycled at the Verona Department of Public Works on four designated weekends throughout the year. The next e-waste collection will be Friday and Saturday, July 14 and 15.
Pesticide and paint containers can only be recycled at Essex County Hazardous Waste Collection events.
The easiest way to stay on top of all recycling issues is to put an app called Remyndr on your smartphone. As MyVeronaNJ.com reported last year, Remyndr is a free app that was developed by Verona resident Tom Cherry to help all of us remember when to put what at the curb. There’s more information on all aspects of recycling on the website of the Verona Environmental Commission.
