The Union County Board of County Commissioners is pleased to announce that 2026 seasonal recycling events will continue in August, 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.
“Our seasonal recycling program is the simplest solution for residents to safely and responsibly dispose of items that cannot go out with the regular trash and therefore tend to collect around homes and garages, at times even spilling over into shared public spaces. By participating, residents are doing their part in keeping our community clean and habitable for all to enjoy,” said Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek. “I encourage everyone to get a head start on our August events and begin collecting their expired and unwanted items today.”
Union County will continue to offer a free mobile paper-shredding event in August, giving residents a secure, convenient way to dispose of personal documents on-site while recycling the shredded paper. The event will take place on Sunday, August 16th,from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., or until trucks reach capacity. The event will be held in the Kean Hall Lot of Kean University, located at 1000 Morris Avenue in Union.
The shredding events are intended for personal and sensitive documents only. Residents can recycle magazines, junk mail, and other papers through their municipal 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 August, providing residents the opportunity to responsibly recycle various metal items, including refrigerators (with doors removed), metal cabinets, appliances, bicycles, aluminum scrap, and even air conditioners. The next scrap metal events of the season will take place on Thursday, August 6th & Saturday, August 15th, from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. at 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 next Household Hazardous Waste event will take place on Saturday, August 8th, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event will be held in the Kean Hall Parking Lot of Kean University, located at 1000 Morris Avenue in Union. Residents can bring a variety of household chemicals for proper recycling or disposal, including, but not limited to, oil-based finishes, motor oil, gasoline, propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides, and fluorescent light bulbs. Latex (water-based) paint (wall paint), medical sharps, and welding gas/oxygen cylinders will not be accepted. Residents are advised to dry out latex paint at home using commercial paint hardener, sand, cat 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. All Union County recycling events are free for residents to participate in and are funded through Recycling Enhancement Act (REA) grants that the County applies for and receives through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).
For a complete schedule and more information about all Union County recycling programs, please visit ucnj.org/recycling 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 is a handy way to find out which items are accepted in curbside recycling programs and at drop-off sites in Union County. The app provides up-to-date information on both countywide and local recycling programs.