OCEAN CITY — Just in time for the holidays, when many plastic toys are replaced with new ones, this city is planning to add this product to its long list of recyclable items.
Starting this week, rigid plastic items may be dropped off at the Shelter Road Recycling Center.
Winter hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Summer hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Drop off can also occur at the county MUA Transfer Station in Burleigh and the Sanitary Landfill in Woodbine. All sites offer free drop off.
Mixed rigid plastic (MRP) is a term used to describe the hard or rigid, often bulky, plastic items that are not commonly recycled plastics like soda or water bottles. The most common MRP items include plastic lawn furniture, plastic toys and playhouses, plastic buckets and plastic milk crates.
There are several other common plastic household items that are accepted; a complete list can be found on the Ocean City website www.ocnj.us by following the link to Environment. All items should be clean and free of debris.
The above Web site also lists non-acceptable materials that may be mistaken as recyclable MRP, such as PVC, grocery bags, hoses, and small containers such as yogurt cups.
Recycling rates in Ocean City have been on the rise since April 2007. The city’s Environmental Commission and staff provide information to the public on the benefits of recycling. Already in 2007 the city has saved $67,000 because of this effort while steadily increasing the city’s recycling rate.
MRP recycling was introduced by the MUA earlier this year and already over 80 tons of material has been recycled.
The inclusion of MRP recycling in the Ocean City recycling program will help the city achieve greater success in reducing the amount of waste that enters the Cape May County landfill and increasing recycling credits from the State of New Jersey.
MRP recycling is important because it conserves energy and natural resources by reusing old plastic instead of manufacturing new plastic which consumes vast amounts of crude oil.
Finally, recycling helps extend the lifespan of many plastic goods that are so plentiful in our everyday lives.
For more information on the City’s recycling program and all of the City’s environmental initiatives visit www.ocnj.us.
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