Residents More Intimate With Their Trash : Acceptance, Grumbles Greet Forced Recycling in N.J.

The nation’s first law making recycling mandatory across a state has forced New Jersey residents to become more intimate with their trash.

No longer can one toss the chicken bones, the baby food jars and the bean cans into the garbage bag and forget about them. Recycling isn’t just for Boy Scouts operating Saturday newspaper collections anymore.

To 79-year-old Vera Collett, this means converting her kitchen into a mini recycling center. She has to collect newspapers, bottles and garbage in separate containers and then remember which day to carry each bag downstairs for pickup.

‘It’s a Pest’

“Well, for us old folks it’s a pest,” she said, adding, “I guess we can struggle through if we have to.”

Her resigned acceptance is echoed across New Jersey as county governments tackle the logistical difficulties of recycling and residents contend with separating coffee grounds from cans and soaking labels off bottles.

“It’s not pleasant, and to tell you the truth, it’s a pain in the neck. But it has to be done,” said Mark Hart of Fair Haven.

Brian Krulick, an 11-year-old from Manalapan whose chores include most of his family’s recycling, said he hears many similar complaints from the grown-ups around him.

“They think it’s a pain in the neck, but it’s worth it,” he concluded. “It’s a good law because you’re throwing away a resource, but it’s a lot better to use it again.”

Most Sweeping

New Jersey’s law was the most sweeping in the nation when it was signed by Gov. Thomas H. Kean in April, 1987. It requires every community to compost leaves and recycle three materials, choosing from aluminum, glass, tin, plastic and newspapers.

By the end of 1988, all of New Jersey’s 567 communities are scheduled to be recycling.

Under a Rhode Island law that took effect last fall, communities must recycle trash or be charged higher rates at the state landfill. Most towns are planning to avoid the higher rates by refusing to pick up residents’ garbage that is not recycled. So far, two of the state’s 39 communities have launched pilot programs and 16 more are scheduled to begin by the end of the year.

Connecticut enacted a more comprehensive measure in July, 1987 requiring nearly a dozen materials to be recycled, but it is not scheduled to be in full force until 1991.

In early May, New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo signed a mandatory recycling law that requires all communities to recycle by late 1992. Oregon has a law requiring recycling in larger communities, and Pennsylvania is considering a similar statute.

Spurred by Need

The state recycling laws have been spurred by the need to ease solid waste burdens on dwindling landfill space.

“New Jersey is probably feeling the pinch of the solid waste crisis harder than other states because of its limited landfill space,” said Judy Roumpf, publisher of the Oregon-based trade magazine “Resource Recycling.”

“Unfortunately, we tend to be crisis-oriented,” said Jerry Rhodes, the recycling coordinator in Paramus, which has faced soaring rates for dumping garbage at landfills as space became more scarce.

Paramus’ pilot program for 220 homes allows residents to mix their glass and metal waste and bundle their newspapers separately.

“The easier it is for the people, the more cooperation you’re going to see. By letting them commingle the waste, we meet about half the resistance,” said Rhodes. “We’re trying a pilot because we don’t want to make an 8,000-home mistake.”

Not Without Hitches

Implementation has not been without some hitches.

Officials report problems with curbside scavengers stealing valuable aluminum, which is commanding up to 50 cents a pound.

Midnight dumpers have dropped unwanted couches and refrigerators at community recycling centers.

Oceanside communities are gearing up for seasonal problems when vacationers are likely to ignore local recycling pickup schedules.

Other towns have encountered problems with waste haulers who get paid by the ton and cart away garbage, even if it is improperly loaded with newspapers and glass.

Still others say they have heard of residents bragging that they circumvent the law simply by sticking to plastic bags that can’t be seen through.

Eliminate Loopholes

State Sen. Paul Contillo, who created the law, said he wants to revise it to eliminate loopholes and make it easier to go into the recycling business. At the same time, he said, the state must avoid opening the field to organized crime, which controls some waste haulers.

Another obstacle has been generating markets for the recycled plastics. The state must report back to the Legislature by the end of the year on what steps have been made.

Many local recycling coordinators say compliance has been good.