NURSERY AND GREENHOUSE FILM RECYCLING PROGRAM
GOING STRONG IN NEW JERSEY

In 2005, growers requested that New Jersey's seasonal nursery and greenhouse film recycling program be expanded to year-round. Well the growers' recommendation has paid off.  In 2005 Garden State growers recycled almost three quarters of the million pounds of used film, a 46 percent increase from 2004, and saved almost $15,000 in avoided landfill costs. New Jersey's year-round nursery and greenhouse film collection and recycled program will be held for the tenth year in a row in 2006.

Both white and clear nursery film and clear multi-season (two-year, three-year, and four year) greenhouse covers can be recycled. Film MUST be free of lathing, staples and saran. Loads containing other agricultural plastics, such as bags, mulch film, shrink film, stretch film, drip irrigation or ground cover film, will be rejected at the collection sites. New Jersey growers do a tremendous job of maintaining good quality control on the film they recycle. Out-of-state growers must implement the same quality control measures to maintain the integrity of NJ's film-recycling program.

The Cumberland County Solid Waste Complex in Deerfield, Cumberland County, and the Burlington County Occupational Training Center in Mt. Holly, Burlington County, serves as the regional collection sites for this program. The Cumberland County facility only accepts film generated by New Jersey growers and the Mt. Holly site will also accept film from out-of-state growers. Both facilities are readily accessible from major state highways. Vehicles used to transport the greenhouse and nursery film to the collection sites do not need a NJDEP license. 

NEW JERSEY NURSERY & GREENHOUSE
FILM COLLECTION SITES FOR 2006

CUMBERLAND COUNTY SOLID WASTE COMPLEX
COLLECTION YEAR-ROUND
ACCEPTS ONLY FILM FROM NEW JERSEY

LOCATION: Cumberland County Solid Waste Complex
169 Jesse Bridge Road
Deerfield, New Jersey
Located off Route 55 Exit 29 (Sherman Avenue-Route 552)
Contact: Dennis DeMatte, Jr. (856) 825-3700

Prior to delivery of the film, all growers MUST call the Cumberland County Improvement Authority to establish an account with the Authority. Growers using a licensed solid waste hauler MUST inform the Authority prior to delivery in an effort to maintain proper billing and documentation.

HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday-Friday 7:30 am - 3:30 pm, Saturday by appointment only
TIPPING FEE: $20.00 per ton
Drop-off Requirements:
Film must be rolled into manageable bundles for ease of loading and unloading
If grower chooses to tie the bundle (not required), the tie MUST be made of greenhouse or nursery film.
Material MUST be free from all debris including wood, shrink wrap, nails and any other material foreign to said film.
Film that is dirty or not properly prepared will be rejected.
Additional services are available on a case-by-case basis. Please contact the Authority with specific needs.

BURLINGTON COUNTY OCCUPATIONAL TRAINING CENTER
COLLECTION YEAR-ROUND
ACCEPTS FILM FROM NEW JERSEY AND OUT-OF-STATE GROWERS

LOCATION: Occupational Training Center of Burlington County
130 Hancock Lane
Mt. Holly, New Jersey
Located off NJ Turnpike Exit 5 or Rte. 295 Exit 47A
Contact: Kevin Carducci (609) 267-6889 ext. 160

Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Tipping Fee: $25.00 per ton payable by check to OTC

Drop-off requirements:
Film must be bundled and tied (the tie MUST be made of greenhouse or nursery film) for ease of loading and unloading.
Material MUST be free of any debris including, but not limited to, wood, dirt, stone, etc.
Film that contains any material other than nursery or greenhouse film will be rejected by the collection site.

NEW JERSEY NURSERY & GREENHOUSE FILM
RECYCLING PROGRAM FOR 2006

GROWER COLLECTION & BUNDLING GUIDELINES
Growers are encouraged to maintain a quality control program when removing the film and preparing it for storage or delivery to the collection sites. In order to market the film, the collection sites must be able to provide an ample supply of quality material. Grower cooperation is imperative in order to continue the success and future of the program. Below are steps that MUST be followed for the film-recycling program.

BUNDLING PROCEDURE

QUALITY CONTROL:
Film should be cut just above the lathe board in order to insure that no staples or wood is commingled with the film.

Most collection sites require that the film MUST be rolled. For ease of handling, the film should be rolled up as soon as it is removed from the structure. The rolled film must be no wider than 4-5 feet (like a sausage). It may be necessary to cut the length of the film for ease of handling.

The bundled film MUST be tied and ONLY the same type of film in the roll should be used to tie it. DO NOT use twine, wire, non-nursery/greenhouse film, etc. If anything other than nursery/greenhouse film is used to tie the bundled film, the load will be rejected . See the BUNDLING PROCEDURE.

Every step should be taken to avoid picking up excess soil when the film is removed from the structures, rolled, stored or prepared for delivery to the collection site.

Only nursery and greenhouse film will be accepted at the collection sites. No bags, mulch film, shrink film, stretch film, or ground cover film will be accepted.

Film MUST be free of foreign material: lathing, wood, staples, paper, stone, saran tape, etc. The approved collection sites will reject any loads that contain material other than nursery or greenhouse film.

STORING THE FILM FOR FUTURE OFF-SITE RECYCLING:
If a grower misses New Jerseyís collection period, the rolls of film can be stored until the next collection program is in place. In order to assure that the material will maintain its quality over the winter months, the steps listed below must be followed.

The rolls cannot be in contact with the soil or placed on stone. They must be stored on a concrete pad or on pallets. Storing the film on soil or stone will increase the chance of soil or stones contaminating the load of film when it is prepared for delivery to the collection site.

The best place to store the rolls of film is inside a building. However, if an area of a building cannot be designated for this purpose, the material can be stored outside if it is covered. In order to eliminate the accumulation of water in the rolls, they MUST be covered with some type of tarp or plastic. The film, which is removed from the structures, can be used to cover the rolled film and the covering can then be bundled and tied and recycled when the material is delivered to the collection site. If a tarp or non-greenhouse/nursery film is used to cover the rolls, it must be removed prior to delivery of the rolls of film to the collection site.

All quality control measures outlined earlier must be followed.

TRANSPORTATION:
A grower or a commercial contractor may transport film to the collection sites. If a trash dumpster is used to transport the rolls of film, remember that only nursery and greenhouse film is allowed - no other plastic material or refuse. If there are any contaminants in the load, the entire load may be rejected by the collection site.
A solid waste transport permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental protection IS NOT required to transport recyclable materials to the collection site.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS CONTACT:
The New Jersey Nursery & Landscape Association at (609) 291-7070 or email at njnla1@aol.com or Karen Kritz at (609) 984-2506 or Karen.Kritz@ag.state.nj.us.

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