Program Overview
The new plastic film recycling program enables Union County residents to bring their clean, dry plastic bags, bubble wrap and other types of plastic film to a local collection site for recycling.
The program launched with an initial cohort of 12 municipalities.
Residents can check their municipal website for up-to-date details about drop-off locations and schedules, or use the free Recycle Coach app.
What to Recycle
In order to ensure a high-quality recycling stream, only the following items are accepted:
- From the store: produce bags, store bags, and ice bags
- From the pantry: Ziploc and other re-closable bags, cereal box liners, case overwrap (for example a case of bottled water), and bread bags
- From the front door: newspaper sleeves, bubble wrap, and plastic e-commerce mailers
As a reminder, only flexible plastic film may be recycled through this program. No clamshells, casings, containers or other hard plastic items are accepted.
Where Does it Go?
After residents bring their plastic film to the local drop-off location, it is consolidated and shipped to the company Trex, which will use it as raw material in their facility in Virginia.
Trex is the world’s largest manufacturer of high-performance, low-maintenance composite decking and other outdoor living products items made from recycled materials. More information about Trex is available at trex.com.
Drop-off Sites
Berkeley Heights
DPW Yard – 101 Berkeley Avenue
- First Saturday of every month 9:00 am to noon
Cranford
Conservation Center – 210 Birchwood Avenue
- Wednesday 9:30 am – 3:20 pm
- Saturdays and Sundays 9:30 am to 3:50 pm
Elizabeth
523 Trenton Avenue
- Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
- Saturdays 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
- Sundays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Fanwood
536 North Avenue
- 8:00 am to 11:00 am on specified dates that can be found at fanwoodnj.org
- This facility is open to Fanwood residents only
Garwood
DPW Building at the end of Willow Avenue
- 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
- January 14th
- March 11th
- May 13th
- July 8th
- September 9th
- November 14th
- This facility is open to Garwood residents only
Hillside
274 Hillside Avenue (rear building of the Community Center/ William H. Buie Center)
- Monday – Friday 8:00 am to 3:30 pm
New Providence
DPW Yard – 10 Park Place
- First and Third Saturday of each month 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Roselle Park
Multiple locations
- Borough Hall
- 110 East Westfield Avenue
- Monday through Friday 8:30 am and 4:30 pm
- Casano Community Center
- 314 Chestnut Street
- Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 9:00 pm
- Roselle Park Veterans Memorial Library
- 404 Chestnut Street
- Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
- Wednesday and Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Scotch Plains
DPW Yard, 2445 Plainfield Avenue
- Thursdays 7:00 am to 2:00 pm
Springfield
Municipal Pool parking lot – 44 Morrison Road
- Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 7:30 am to 11:30 am during e-waste, vegetative waste, and Styrofoam drop -off
Summit
Municipal Transfer Station – 40 New Providence Avenue
- Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays 7:30 am to 3:45 pm
- Saturdays 7:30 am to 4:45 pm
- Residents need City of Summit resident permit to utilize facility.
- No other County residents can drop off at this location without permission from the County or City of Summit.
- If you have any questions, please call the Summit Community Service phone number: 908-273-6404
Union
Recycling Convenience Center – 1 Swanstrom Place
- Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 4:00 pm
Westfield
Conservation Center – 1300 Lamberts Mill Road
- January – Saturdays only 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
- February & March – Mon- Fri 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, Saturdays 9:00 an to 3:00 pm
- March 24 through October 23 – Thursdays and Fridays 9:00 am to 2:30 pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
- October 24 though December 18 – Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 2:30 pm, Saturdays and Sundays 9:00 am to 3:00 pm