Reminder: No Plastic Bags In Recycling

Posted July 27th 2020

Avalon’s Department of Public Works is reminding residents and visitors to the island that plastic bags can not be a part of the recycling trash system in Cape May County. Avalon participates in a single-stream recycling system, where all clean recyclables can go into one container. However, the container will not be picked up if it contains plastic bags.

In addition, placing a bag full of recyclables into the regular trash creates two issues for the Borough of Avalon: the Borough then has to pay additional tonnage fees as the recyclables are then counted as trash; and the recycling numbers go down, which impacts the amount of recycling grants the Borough receives.

“We appreciate everyone’s cooperation regarding this plastic-bag issue,” said Public Works Director Bill Macomber. “Recycling rules and regulations vary greatly from county to county, and from state to state. If any recycling container has a plastic bag in it, it will not be picked up by the contractor. Please put any plastic bags in with your general trash waste, or better yet, find a company or business that will accept these bags as a recyclable product.”

The trash and recycling depot at 15th Street and Dune Drive remains open for those taking their trash on alternate pickup days. However, a reminder to those utilizing this courtesy to not put recyclables in a plastic bag and then dispose of that in the trash bins. Remove disposables from a can instead and do not co-mingle plastic bags with
recycling.

For additional information on trash and single-stream recycling, go to cmcmua.com/single-stream-recycling.