This is a friendly and important reminder that plastic bags should not be placed in your recycling carts. Plastic bags require a different collection system and processing equipment than our Township provides. Most recycling facilities are set up to handle predominately hard materials that are easier to separate i.e. aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic containers and lids, metal cans, and cardboard/paper. Plastic bags get easily tangled in the processing equipment and can shut down the recycling facility.
It’s not that plastic bags can’t be recycled – they just require a different collection system and processing equipment. Plastic bags can be recycled at the main entrance of many big box stores and local grocery stores, or can be brought to the Department of Public Works, the Municipal Building, and the Cherry Hill Public Library.
Plastic bags that are seen in Township recycling carts include:
- Garbage bags – even if good recyclables are inside of the bags, there is no way to tell. Therefore, do not bag recyclables. Leave the items loose in the blue recycling cart.
- Retail store bags – many retailers collect these for recycling, so they should be returned to the store. Or, if reused for garbage, these bags belong in the green garbage cart.
- Other – including dry cleaning bags, food storage bags, newspaper delivery bags, etc. must go in the garbage cart.
- Placement of yard waste in plastic bags for collection is also prohibited and will not be collected by the Township.
For more information, please visit our website at CherryHill-NJ.com or call the Department of Public Works at (856) 424-4422.