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RECYCLING PROGRAM PAYING DIVIDENDS FOR MUNICIPALITIES
TOMS RIVER - Ocean County will distribute more than $622,000 to its municipalities this month as part of the county's Recycling Revenue Sharing Program.
"The payout for the last six months of 2007 is $17.58 per ton, which is up about 30 cents a ton from the first half of 2007," said Freeholder James F. Lacey, who serves as liaison to Ocean County's award winning recycling program. "This program truly shows that recycling has economical benefits as well as environmental."
Implemented by the Ocean County Board of Freeholders 12 years ago, the revenue sharing program has produced and returned approximately $9 million in funds to municipalities for their participation.
"This program is a great incentive to keep
community recycling programs viable,"
said Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari. "It helps to return revenues to our towns,
and in many cases it is reinvested into the recycling program."
As finances continue to get tighter during economic downturns, this revenue source will provide even greater benefits to the county's municipalities, according to Lacey.
"For instance, Toms River Township will receive the largest of the revenue sharing checks totaling $126,648 simply because the residents recycled 7,200 tons of material during a six-month period," Lacey said. "This is the perfect example of how recycling truly pays dividends."
The market for recyclables changes throughout the year and in some cases from one month to the next, said Lacey.
For instance, last January, the county was receiving $318 a ton for colored plastic containers like detergent bottles. By the end of the year, the material was worth $556 a ton. By the same token, the yearly average for cardboard was $121 a ton, while the yearly average for steel was $168 per ton.
"Last year we recycled 20,914 tons of newspaper," Lacey said. "That amount filled 1,045 tractor trailers.
"Again, we encourage our residents to recycle," he added. "We want to see our numbers increase."
The county is optimistic that recent changes to the way the paper stream is collected should raise the amount of paincreases per recycled in the county even more.
"Since the beginning of February, Ocean County residents no longer had to tie or bundle newspapers, junk mail and magazines for recycling," Lacey said. "Instead, all those items can now go in one bin.
"We understand it will take some time for our residents and our municipalities to implement the change," he said, "but studies show this program will be successful in increasing how much of the paper stream is recycled," he said.
For their participation in the recycling program, Ocean County municipalities will be receiving the following payouts: Barnegat Township, $18,668; Barnegat Light, $3,122; Bay Head, $3,160; Beach Haven, $8,994; Beachwood, $9,476; Berkeley Township, $42,049; Brick Township, $73,988; Eagleswood Township, $1,810; Harvey Cedars, $2,630; Island Heights, $1,741; Lacey Township, $33,775; Lakehurst, $2,577; Lakewood, $87,600; Lavallette, $6,856. Little Egg Harbor Township, $20,484; Long Beach Township, $19,733; Manchester Township, $31,741; Ocean Gate, $1,887; Ocean Township (Waretown) $10,424; Pine Beach, $2,633; Plumsted Township, $4,648; Point Pleasant Beach, $8,418; Point Pleasant, $23,994; Seaside Heights, $8,172; Seaside Park, $8,106; Ship Bottom, $4,301; South Toms River, $2,074, Stafford Township, $40,021; Surf City, $6,628, Toms River Township, $126,648 and Tuckerton, $6,599.
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