In an effort to maintain the viability of the single stream recycling program instituted in 2011, Ocean County and Manchester Township officials are asking residents to ensure that only acceptable materials are placed at the curb for recycling.

Residents are reminded that ACCEPTABLE single stream materials are: bottles, cans, cardboard, newspaper, junk mail, magazines, office paper, and catalogs.

PROHIBITED single stream items include: plastic bags, shredded paper, garden hoses, furniture, and air conditioners.

Also please note that plastics bags must not be used to hold recyclables that are put out to the curb for pick-up; items must be placed in a container. It may become necessary that Ocean County begin turning away trucks with recyclable materials in plastic bags, meaning the Township hauler would be forced to leave these materials at the curb.

According to the County, including prohibited items in the single stream system decreases productivity, increases maintenance costs, and result in higher residue rates. All of these factors affect the financial stability of the single stream operation for Ocean County, and in turn Manchester Township. The County stated that for the first time in three decades, their recycling program lost revenue. Ocean County officials have stressed to municipalities that the viability of the program and its continuation in large part is dependent on the quality of the incoming materials.

Manchester Township recently launched a free app, “Recycle Coach,” which allows residents to enter their address and receive information about pick-up times for recyclables and solid waste in their community and what products can and can’t be recycled.

“Recycle Coach makes it easy for our residents to learn how they can recycle particular items and is a great way to ensure that everyone in Manchester Township is doing their part to keep single stream recycling a viable program for years to come,” said Manchester Township Public Works Director Al Yodakis.

Getting the Recycle Coach app up and running takes only a couple of minutes: search for “Recycle Coach” in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, download and install, then search for your home address. An interactive calendar will be displayed, showing pick-up dates and other important information regarding waste management. These same Recycle Coach features may also be accessed through a web browser at www.recyclecoach.com.

Through the Recycle Coach app or website, users can: find out when to put out recyclables and solid waste for pickup, ask questions about what is recyclable, receive specific communication from their town or county, read articles about becoming better recyclers, stay informed of missed pick-ups or holiday collection schedules, listen to educational podcasts, take interactive quizzes, and more. A ‘What Goes Where’ database within the app will be especially helpful for knowing where to recycle a variety of materials.

Manchester Township thanks everyone for helping us to keep the recycling program in Ocean County successful, as it helps to keep our environment clean and enjoyable while reducing costs.