The Union County Board of County Commissioners is pleased to continue offering seasonal recycling opportunities in July. Residents are welcome to participate in this free annual program, which allows for the safe and secure disposal of personal documents, scrap metal, and hazardous household items at designated drop-off locations throughout Union County.
“Our seasonal recycling programs have been highly successful in reducing waste, eliminating pollutants, and protecting our ecosystem thanks to the active participation and contributions of our residents,” said Union County Commissioner Chairwoman Lourdes M. Leon. “Your involvement matters, and encourages us to continue seeking new ways to make recycling easier and more accessible for all community members. By working together, we’ll continue to transform waste into opportunities, preserve vital natural resources, and ensure that Union County remains green and beautiful for generations.”
Residents are encouraged to securely shred personal documents at the upcoming mobile paper shredding event, taking place on Thursday, July 10th,from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. All documents are shredded on-site, and the shredded paper is taken to a recycling facility for processing. The event will be held in the lot adjacent to the Park Services yard (across the swimming pool) at Rahway River Park, located off St. George’s Avenue in Rahway. The event will conclude before 1:00 p.m., should the trucks fill up first.
This event is part of Union County’s annual paper shredding program, which runs each year from March through October. The shredding events are open to all residents, regardless of their municipality, and are intended for the disposal of personal and sensitive documents only. Residents can recycle magazines, junk mail, and other papers through their municipal recycling program. Please remove all bindings, large plastic or metal clips, and other paraphernalia prior to the event (staples are allowed). Pre-shredded, damp, or wet paper will not be accepted.
Union County’s Scrap Metal Recycling Program also continues in July, providing residents with an opportunity to recycle various metal items. Drop-off events will be held on Thursday, July 3rd, and Saturday, July 19th, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at two convenient locations:
- Cranford: Emergency Services Building, 151 Kenilworth Boulevard, Kenilworth
- Rahway: Rahway River Park (follow Park Drive, Rahway off St. George’s Avenue to service yard across from swimming pool)
Accepted items include refrigerators (with doors removed), metal cabinets, appliances, bicycles, aluminum scrap, air conditioners, and other metal household goods. The scrap metal program runs on the first Thursday and third Saturday of each month, April through November.
Union County’s next Household Hazardous Waste event will take place on Saturday, September 6th, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Kean University’s Kean Hall Parking Lot, located at 1000 Morris Avenue in Union. At these events, residents can bring a variety of household chemicals for proper recycling or disposal. These items include, but are not limited to, oil-based finishes, motor oil, gasoline, propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides, fluorescent lightbulbs, and more. Latex (water-based) paint (wall paint) will not be accepted. Residents are advised to dry latex paint out at home using commercial paint hardener, sand, kitty litter, or sawdust. Once hardened, it can be thrown in your household trash.
All Union County recycling events are contact-free and drive-up only. Residents must remain in their cars while staff unloads materials from their trunks.
Union County Recycling Programs are funded through Recycling Enhancement Act (REA) funds, which are applied for and received by the County of Union.
For a complete schedule and more information on all recycling programs hosted by Union County, please visit ucnj.org/recycle/ or call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889. Residents may also contact their municipal recycling coordinator for more details about recycling in their community.