Recycling Pick-up Goes Weekly in City of Easton

A trash collection truck is seen making the rounds.
Easton Eccentric file photo

By Christina Georgiou

Forget about trying to remember if it's the right week to set recyclables out on the curb if you live in the City of Easton, as the contents of the blue cans will now be collected every week, beginning today.

The change comes with the start of the city's new trash hauling contracts, which began with the new year.

The change to a weekly recycling pick up schedule is designed to encourage residents to recycle more, which helps the city keep garbage disposal costs in check, Public Works Director David Hopkins said last year during his presentation of the new waste disposal contracts to city council. 

Beginning this year, trash hauling service in the city was broken down into basic components--collection and transportation, recycling, and landfill disposal. Splitting the components of the city's trash hauling into separate contracts allowed the city to cut a much better deal, saving about $1.2 million annually as a result, Hopkins noted.

Much of the savings will come from the city gaining revenue from recycled materials, Hopkins said.

"The will actually pay us for single-stream recycling for the first time," he said.

And, residents can see the benefit of that deal directly now too.

While Easton has been a participating municipality in the Recyclebank rewards program for a couple of years, the city will now offer a direct reward to those who are serviced by Raritan Valley Disposal, sign up for the Recyclebank program, and regularly recycle.

Once per calender year, after earning 1,000 points, customers are eligible to receive a credit for one month of trash and recycling fees.

Recyclebank points are also redeemable for a variety of offers from both local and national businesses and can be donated to some charitable causes as well.

Recycle cans are available for $5 at the city public works office on the fourth floor of Easton City Hall, 1 South Third St.

Recyclebank participants must have a bar code sticker on their city recycling can to be credited for redeemable points.

If you do not yet have a bar code sticker on your city recycling can, please contact the City of Easton Public Works Department at 610-250-6680 for more information.

For more information about Recyclebank or to sign up or to receive technical assistance, please call 888-727-2978 or visit www.recyclebank.com.

For a complete list of items that are recyclable in the City of Easton, click here and scroll about halfway down the page.