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SWAINTON — The Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority is preparing to issue $730,670 in recycling rebates to 16 municipalities for the 27,873 tons of source separated recyclables those communities sent to the MUA’s Intermediate Processing Facility in calendar year 2007.

That rebate equates to $26.21 for each ton of mixed paper, commingled bottles and cans, and mixed rigid plastics delivered to the IPF for recycling, according to a release. The 2007 recycling rebate figure represents an increase over the 2006 rebate of 44 percent and is the second highest amount ever rebated to municipalities.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the MUA has been able to provide a recycling rebate to participating municipalities. These rebates, which have totaled more than $3.7 million since the IPF began operating in 1990, are possible when net market revenues generated from the sale of IPF recyclables exceed expenses. In addition to receiving a rebate, municipalities realized a savings of $59.50 per ton in avoided landfill disposal charges for each ton recycled in 2007.

While the economics of recycling is an important consideration for local governments, the environmental benefits accrued by recycling are significant as well.

“Not only does recycling conserve valuable natural resources, the use of recyclables to make new products conserves energy, reduces water consumption and reduces air pollution created during the manufacturing process”, according to Bridget O’Connor, county recycling coordinator. “Recycling reduces the quantity of greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere and helps reduce our carbon footprint,” O’Connor added.

The following are amount of recyclables originated in municipalities and the rebate amounts each will get for 2007:

Avalon, 1,493.95 tons, $39,162.95

Cape May City, 1,802.02 tons, $47,238.80

Dennis Township, 106.64 tons, $2,795.50

Lower Township, 4,149,34 tons, $108,772.30

Middle Township, 3,699.44 tons, $96,978.46

North Wildwood, 1,884.12 tons, $49,391

Ocean City, 4,166 tons, $109,209.03

Sea Isle City, 2,062.96 tons, $54,079.18

Stone Harbor, 823.86 tons, $21,596.96

Upper Township, 2,411.96 tons, $63,227.99

West Cape May, 217.06 tons, $5,690.09

West Wildwood, 161.08 tons, $4,222.61

Wildwood, 2,186.28 tons, $57,311.94

Wildwood Crest, 1,177.97 tons, $30,879.73

Woodbine, 362.56 tons, $9,504.28

In New Jersey, every resident, visitor, business, and institution is required to source separate and recycle. In Cape May County, a total of 41 categories of materials are mandated for recycling by all waste generators in an effort to achieve the State mandated 50 percent municipal solid waste stream and 60% total solid waste steam recycling goals. Preliminary figures indicate that 37 percent of the municipal solid waste stream generated in Cape May County was recycled in 2007; the total solid waste stream recycling rate exceeded 62 percent.

“While the education and enforcement efforts being made by municipalities and the county to increase recycling rates are beginning to show up in the recycling tonnage figures, local efforts to reinvigorate recycling need to continue in 2008 and beyond, said John R. Baron, MUA solid waste program manager.

Baron added that, “the tonnage of IPF recyclables actually declined slightly in 2007.”

Strong recycling market pricing is continuing and therefore it is expected that an IPF recycling rebate may be available to municipalities for materials recycled through the IPF during 2008. To maximize any economic benefit that may be available, municipalities were strongly encouraged to expand recycling education and enforcement efforts in a recent letter from the CMCMUA notifying them of the 2007 recycling rebates.

Residents, vacationers, and businesses should strive to reduce the waste they generate and recycle as much waste as possible, he stated.

“If you are concerned about global warming, just remember that by recycling you can reduce greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to that problem”, said George Betts, MUA chairman.

In fact, 80,832 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions were avoided by recycling 27,873 tons of materials though the IPF in 2007.

That is the annual equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions generated by operating 14,804 passenger vehicles or the carbon dioxide emissions from consuming 9,175,025 gallons of gasoline.

For more information about recycling, visit our website at www.cmcmua.com or call the CMCMUA at 465-9026.

What are IPF Recyclables?
MIXED PAPER includes newspaper, magazines, office paper, shredded paper, junk mail, telephone and paperback books, corrugated boxes, and kraft grocery bags.

COMMINGLED BOTTLES & CANS includes clear, green, and brown food and beverage glass bottles and jars, aluminum, and steel food, beverage and aerosol cans, and PET and HDPE plastic bottles.

MIXED RIGID PLASTICS includes plastic laundry baskets, buckets, crates, garbage cans, flowerpots, lawn furniture, and other hard plastics, which are ONLY accepted when delivered separately from Mixed Paper and Commingled Bottles & Cans.