Recycling Guidelines

Our commitment to you

Giordano Companies waste collection and recycling services

Go Green with Giordano! We are absolutely dedicated to a cleaner environment & always working to make recycling easier and more convenient for everyone.

Our Material Recovery Facility is located in Newark, NJ, and is one of the most advanced recycling facilities in the area . Our recycling solutions help greatly by diverting waste from landfills. Recycling is not only good for our environment, it saves us all money. With a proven track record of 50+ years in the industry, we can offer recycling solutions to a wide variety of waste collection needs.

Many of our customers ask us what types of items are recyclable and how they should be disposed of. Please see below for commonly asked questions. If you have a specific question about an item that is not listed please don't hesitate to contact us.

Together, we are working on putting New Jersey first.

Looking for recycling tips? Start with our recycling cheatsheet...

Giordano Companies waste collection and recycling services

Recycling cheatsheet

Click here to view


Frequently asked questions

  • All empty plastic bottles coded #1, # 2 & #5
  • Aluminum & steel (tin) cans
  • Glass bottles and jars
  • Paper, newspaper, magazines & junk mail
  • Cartons, cardboard and chipboard

A combination of machines & employees sort all of the materials collected for recycling into metal, plastic, paper & cardboard.

Please remember... machines can easily get clogged with plastic bags so please keep them out of your recycling container.

Recycling bins should always be free of:

  • Plastic bags
  • Styrofoam
  • Food waste
  • Bulbs
  • Batteries
  • Takeout food containers
  • Dishware (e.g. cups, plates, etc.)
  • Glass & mirrors
  • Tubs (e.g. yogurt, margarine, etc.)
  • Paper towels
  • Hangers
  • Flower pots
  • Pots & pans
  • Hoses
  • Shredded paper
  • Syringes

Please don't. Putting the wrong items with your recyclables will only contaminate the recycling stream. The materials move quickly on the belts through our Material Recovery Facility (MRF) & our machines and people can't sort all of the unacceptable items quickly enough. It’s best to follow the list of acceptable items.

It’s important to recycle, but it’s just as important to recycle correctly.

Plastic bags simply aren't compatible with the machines that sort recyclables at our processing facility. Many retail stores however will collect plastic bags at their entrance for recycling. Visit www.plasticfilmrecycling.org for a location near you.

The only plastics acceptable in curbside recycling are bottles and jugs coded with #1, #2 & #5 on the bottom (e.g. milk & juice containers, water/soda bottles, shampoo bottles, etc.).

Other plastic containers such as yogurt cups, strawberry/lettuce containers and sour cream tubs are a different type of plastic that is not able to be recycled locally.

Simply look for the following symbols on a container to see if it's safe for recycling:

Giordano Companies waste collection and recycling services

Please take the lids off and throw them out with regular trash. This helps ensure that bottles are empty of all liquids.

Please remember, styrofoam cannot be added to your curbside recycling.

However, Union County does have a recycling program in place for styrofoam. Please click here for information and dropoff locations.

    Did someone say pizza?!

Yes, while pizza boxes are recyclable, the food in them is not. Please discard any remaining food, or any parts of the box that may be covered in grease or cheese, and you can recycle the rest.

Containers should be rinsed and emptied. They do not need to be thoroughly washed. Sticky items such as peanut butter jars just need to be wiped out to be “clean enough”. Cardboard boxes should be free of any and all packing material.

There are 3 different types of egg cartons: plastic, styrofoam and paper/cardboard.

None of them should be placed in the recycling bin, but the paperboard containers are great in a compost pile.

ABSOLUTELY! Cartons are now accepted curbside for recycling. Please make sure cartons are empty before recycling.

We cannot accept juice pouches however at this time.

Contamination is any material that isn't recyclable that residents put in their recycling bin.

Examples include:

  • Yogurt cups
  • Aluminum foil
  • Plastic bags
Removing contamination is costly for the processors, thereby increasing the cost of recycling. Some contamination can even damage the equipment at the materials recovery facility and require the whole plant to be shut down while contamination is removed from the equipment.

Latex paint is not hazardous and can be thrown away once dry. Garbage collectors cannot pick up liquids so remove the lid and let dry. To speed up this process, add kitty litter or paint hardener. Once dry, set out with your regular trash. For more information, please contact your county directly.

Recycling Resources

Whether you're new to recycling or have been doing it for years, the tools & resources we all have at our disposal are ever evolving. Not only do they make recycling easier & more convenient, they help greatly in keeping our environment clean.

Below you'll find just some of the tools & resources that you can use. If you have any questions at all, we're always here to help.

1

Recycle Coach

Why wasn’t your recycling bin collected today? Are coffee cups recyclable in your area? Feel confident you’re doing the right thing with the Recycle Coach app.

Learn More »

Giordano Companies waste collection and recycling services

2

Plastic Film Recycling

PlasticFilmRecycling.org is supported by the Flexible Film Recycling Group (FFRG) of the American Chemistry Council. The FFRG works to increase access to and participation in plastic film recycling for both consumers and businesses.

Learn More »

Giordano Companies waste collection and recycling services

3

Recycling Partnership

As a leading, national force for improving recycling, The Recycling Partnership puts private dollars to work in communities because we know that when we invest in a system to protect resources, empower sustainable action and unlock opportunity, everyone wins.

Learn More »

Giordano Companies waste collection and recycling services

4

Union County Recycling

The latest recycling information & upcoming events are listed on Union County's recycling website.

Learn More »

5

Essex County Recycling

The Essex County Utilities Authority works to ensure that the solid waste generated in Essex County is disposed of in an environmentally safe and economically sound manner.

Learn More »

Giordano Companies waste collection and recycling services