Public utilities provide special buckets for recycling plastic film waste. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)

A one-year pilot program to encourage recycling of plastic film waste entered its second month at Red Bank on Wednesday.

Despite some glitches, the first one was "successful," said the municipality official who oversaw it because he was facing cost issues.

The classification guidelines identify products that can be recycled under the program. (Click to enlarge.)

Regularly recycled materials — glass bottles and cans, metal cans, mixed paper, cardboard, and #1 and #2 plastics — continue to be collected every Wednesday by DeLisa Demolition, a contract porter in the district.

But according to a pilot program that began earlier this month, public utility staff will collect plastic bags and plastic film products on the first Wednesday of the month.

Residents are encouraged to separate all items such as dry-cleaning bags and marine wrapping paper and put them in special containers on the side of the road.

According to an agreement reached with consumer goods giant SC Johnson & Sons in June, Red Bank became the fourth city in New Jersey to recycle film packaging. The company agreed to provide up to 1,800 barrels and up to $6,600 to cover mailing costs related to the program.

On November 3, the first day of the collection, Cliff Keen, the director of public utilities, told the municipal council that "a large amount of material" had been collected but had not yet been weighed.

He said the plastic was stored in the public works yard on Chestnut Street and then transported to Mazza Recycling in Tinton Falls for processing.

But even though the plan “has a positive impact on the environment,” city councillor Ed Zipprich said he questioned the cost.

He said: "It looks like this will be a cost rather than a source of income," he added, "in the transfer of garbage and general recycling pickups to Teresa six years ago.

But apart from metals, "Unfortunately, there are not many sources of income at this point," Keane replied. He said that due to the light weight of the material, the cost of recycling plastic film is expected to be low.

Keane said that DPU employees spent about six hours on the first collection, and about 350 families participated.

"In the final analysis, I think six working hours a month are worthwhile," he said. "When we double or triple the number of buckets outside, it does not mean that we have to double or triple the working hours, because if they are already on the street and move from one neighbor to another, then Just don’t have a lot of extra time."

Keane said that he and DeLisa had "multiple conversations" about the possibility of transferring the series to the company, but "now, the cost analysis shows that we should do a little bit by ourselves and see when it can become troublesome for us. .

"If the time next month doubles, we may have different conversations," Keane said.

Although the plan allows the recycling of ship’s wrapping paper, Keen said that Irwin Marine, the town’s largest terminal, will continue to collect its film waste under existing private arrangements.

Residents can obtain special buckets from the public utility.

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PO Box 8683 Red Bank NJ 07701