The Union County Board of County Commissioners is pleased to announce that the 2026 seasonal recycling events will continue this April, featuring a variety of programs designed to help residents recycle unwanted, expired, or hazardous items and to promote sustainable waste management practices in the community.
“We’re excited to bring our residents this entirely free program that makes it easy to responsibly recycle, reduce waste, and remove hazardous items from the environment,” said Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek. “We welcome all residents who are spring cleaning and decluttering their spaces to utilize this program and join us at the next recycling event.”
The next paper shredding event will take place on Wednesday, April 8th, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Black Brook Park, located at 349 North 19th Street in Kenilworth. The event will end before 1:00 p.m. should trucks reach capacity.
Union County’s free paper shredding events take place each year from March through October, bringing mobile paper shredding trucks to various locations throughout the County. Any Union County resident, regardless of their hometown, can take their personal documents to be shredded at any of these events and have them shredded onsite.
The shredding events are intended for 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.
In addition to paper shredding, Union County’s additional seasonal recycling programs, Scrap Metal Recycling and Hazardous Waste Disposal, will begin this April.
Union County’s Scrap Metal events provide a space for residents to recycle various metal items, including refrigerators (with doors removed), metal cabinets, appliances, bicycles, aluminum scrap, and air conditioners. The scrap metal items are collected at two locations on the first Thursday and third Saturday of the month, from April to November. The first scrap metal events of the season will take place on Thursday, April 2nd & Saturday, April 18th, from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. On these dates, residents may dispose of unwanted scrap metal items at either of our two convenient locations:
- Cranford: Emergency Services Building, 151 Kenilworth Boulevard
- Rahway: Rahway River Park (service yard across from swimming pool), 3 Parkway Drive
Union County’s first Household Hazardous Waste event of the season will take place on Saturday, April 25th, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event will be held at Union County Vo-Tech, West Hall/Police Academy Lot, located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains. 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 light bulbs, and more. Latex (water-based) paint (wall paint), medical sharps, and welding gas/ oxygen cylinders 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 trunk.
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. The free Recycle Coach mobile app provides a handy way to find out what items are included in curbside recycling programs and drop-off sites in Union County. The app provides up-to-date information on both countywide and local recycling programs. Quick links to all environmental programs and activities hosted by Union County are available at The Green Connection, ucnj.org/green-connection.