The Union County Board of County Commissioners is pleased to announce the expansion of the reusable bag recycling program, aimed at addressing the surplus of reusable bags in our communities. This program is in collaboration with the Union County Bureau of Recycling and Planning, the Town of Westfield, the Housing Authority of the City of Elizabeth (HACE), the City of Linden, the Town of Kenilworth, the Borough of New Providence, the City of Plainfield, the Town of Hillside, the City of Summit, and GOATote, Inc. to provide a solution to this issue.
“With Union County residents at the heart of this initiative, we are transforming excess into opportunity, creating a sustainable cycle that benefits both our environment and our community,” said Commissioner Chairwoman Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded. “This program not only tackles waste but also represents unity and responsibility, showcasing the power of collective action for a greener, brighter future. Thank you to all of those who are involved in making this initiative possible.”
With the implementation of New Jersey’s Get Past Plastic law, which prohibits businesses from providing single-use plastic bags, many individuals have transitioned to using reusable bags. However, some people occasionally forget to bring their reusable bags to stores, resulting in the purchase of additional bags. Over time, this has led to an accumulation of excess reusable bags in households. Furthermore, grocery delivery services often provide customers with reusable bags, contributing to the surplus.
At the same time, Food Pantries and Food Banks have expressed that they are having difficulty keeping up with the need for reusable bags when distributing groceries to their clients. Since these entities are no longer permitted to use single-use plastic bags when handing out food and supplies, they go through reusable bags very quickly and are frequently in need of more.
Residents from any municipality in Union County can bring their gently-used reusable bags to any of the participating locations. GOATote, Inc. will collect the bags, thoroughly clean and sanitize them, and deliver them to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside. From there, the bags will be distributed to local Food Pantries in need.
The Westfield Conservation Center at 1300 Lamberts Mill Road in Westfield:
Now, until October 20:
Thursdays/Fridays from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm
Saturdays/Sundays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Starting from October 21 until December 22
Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 2:30 pm
Saturdays/Sundays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
For more information on the operation of the Conservation Center, please visit the Westfield Conservation Center website at www.westfieldnj.gov/conservation.
Housing Authority of the City of Elizabeth (HACE) Drop-Off Locations:
Kennedy Arms
70 Westfield Avenue in Elizabeth, drop-off:
Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Ford- Leonard Towers
69 Division Street in Elizabeth, drop-off hours:
Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
O’Donnell- Dempsey Towers
632 Salem Avenue in Elizabeth, drop-off hours:
Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
J. Christian Bollwage Building
205 First Street in Elizabeth, drop-off hours:
Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Elizabethport Community Center
250 Second Street in Elizabeth, drop-off hours:
Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Farley Towers
33 Cherry Street in Elizabeth, drop-off hours:
Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Linden Recycling Center
2 Donaldson Street in Linden:
Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 2:30 pm
Saturday from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Kenilworth DPW Recycling Yard
401 Sheridan Avenue in Kenilworth
Fridays from 7:00 am to 2:30 pm
First Saturday of every month from 7:30 am to noon
Third Saturday of every month from 7:30 am to noon
New Providence Drop-off Locations:
DPW Yard
4 Park Place in New Providence
First Saturday of the month from 9:00am to 1:00pm
Third Saturday of the month from 9:00am to 1:00pm
New Providence Recreation Center
360 Elkwood Avenue in New Providence
Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Plainfield Transfer Station
95 Rock Avenue in Plainfield:
Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 2:45 pm
Hillside DPW Yard
274 Hillside Avenue in Hillside:
Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 3:30 pm
Summit Transfer Station
40 New Providence Avenue in Summit
Tuesday through Friday from 7:30 am- 3:45 pm
Saturday from 7:30 am – 4:45 pm
*closed Sundays, Mondays and holidays
The primary goal of this program is to ensure that reusable bags are truly being reused and made available to those who genuinely need them. Please note that the program only accepts bags in usable condition. We kindly request excluding any ripped, damaged, or otherwise unusable bags when making your drop-off.
For the latest news and updates on all municipal and countywide recycling programs in Union County, download the free Recycle Coach app. More information is available at ucnj.org/recycling/recycle-coach-app.