Hurricane Sandy

Berkeley Suspends Recycling Collection

Public works personnel concentrating on storm debris removal, mayor says

Berkeley Township has suspended curbside collection of recyclables while cleanup from Hurricane Sandy continues. Mayor Carmen Amato said the amount of debris that needs to be removed from streets where residents suffered significant damage to their homes is so extensive that the town is focusing the efforts of the Public Works Department there. "We had removed 1,231 tons of debris as of Monday," Amato said at Tuesday night's Township Council meeting. "We're going to keep going until it's gone." Amato said the town has pulled in as many employees as possible in the cleanup. "We even have golf course employees helping," he said, "because nobody's thinking about playing golf right now." Residents can take their recyclables to the town's …

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Recycling Continues to Give Dividends to Towns Despite Weak Economy

While the amount of money received from the county's sale of recyclables has decreased, a reduction in tipping fees helps the bottom line

Though the price of recyclables has fallen in recent months, Ocean County towns continue to see positive results from the county's recycling program, Freeholder James H. Lacey said Wednesday. Ocean County residents recycled nearly 36,000 tons of cardboard, paper, bottles and more between Jan. 1 and June 30, Lacey said during a pre-board meeting at the county administration building. That resulted in a savings of more than $2.5 million in tipping fees. But Lacey sounded a slightly cautionary note, saying that while the county's recycling program paid out dividends totalling $486,606 for the January-June period -- the 35th dividend distribution to towns since the program began in 1995 -- the continuing weakness in the global economy has cut …

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Pilot Robo-can Recyling Program Planned For Bayville

Township officials say program will cut manpower costs, increase recycling revenue

The $37,765 check the township received from Ocean County Tuesday for Berkeley's recycling efforts over the last half of 2011 is welcome revenue, Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. But Amato wants more the next time around. Township officials are planning a pilot robo-can recycling program in a yet undecided section of Bayville for later in the year, Amato said at the Township Council meeting Tuesday night. "This is a way we could increase revenue and cut down on workmen's comp cases," he said. The township would use two of the older robo-can trucks in public works for the program, which would cut the number of public works employees needed for recycling pickups from three to one, the mayor said. "This way the municipality does not have to …

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Residents' Recycling Efforts Pay Off

Berkeley to receive a $48,109 dividend check from the county

Lugging those cans, bottles and paper products down to the curb has paid off for Berkeley residents. That's because Ocean County officials are paying taxpayers another dividend from an unlikely source, the county’s mutual fund of garbage. “We haven’t missed a dividend payment since we’ve been in business,’’ said Freeholder James F. Lacey of the county’s recycling program that cashed in for a record sum during the first six months of the year. Ocean County is sending a record $917,436 back to local governments based on the amount of items each town recycled. Berkeley's cut is $48,109. More than 35,300 tons of what once was bound for dumps in the county were sent for reuse since January. That's after the county took a share of the money to …

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Toms River Tops Grant List with Recycling Center Makeover

Municipalities, schools around the county awarded $136,000 in grants

Toms River and Brick are the big winners in the latest recycling sweepstakes conducted by Ocean County. Freeholder James F. Lacey said those towns are among a dozen applicants for recycling grants totaling about $136,000. Most of the money for the recycling grants comes from a $3-a-ton tax on refuse dumped at the Ocean County Landfill in Manchester Township, he explained. Fifteen grant applications were reviewed this year by the county’s Solid Waste Advisory Council and 12 projects were recommended for funding. They are designed to improve municipal or school recycling programs. Toms River Township is getting $39,652 to improve the entrance to its Church Road recycling center to include a pavilion, barriers, an LED display board and …

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