The Township has installed new trash and recycling kiosks at the entrance to each of the Township’s 52 parks and playgrounds for this spring season, Mayor Cahn has announced. Smaller parks will be outfitted with one kiosk each; multiple kiosks will be installed in larger parks, such as Erlton and DeCou.
The new program, a modified version of “carry-in, carry-out” programs implemented throughout the national park system and in other areas across the United States, requires that visitors to all parks “carry out” their trash and recyclables to deposit in one centralized drop-off location – rather than to multiple trash bins throughout the facility.
Trash cans will be replaced by the centralized kiosks, which contain larger 96-gallon bins for trash and recycling that are easier for Public Works personnel to access.
Funded in part by State Recycling Grant dollars, the new program is meant to streamline the collection process, reduce litter, beautify our parks, and encourage park visitors to rethink the items they bring and how they dispose of them.
Collection in our parks will be automated, and picked up by a Public Works crew member in a specially outfitted truck that can easily access each collection point.
“Our hope is that by reconfiguring this collection process, residents and visitors who use our parks will be conscious of what they are bringing into and taking out of our facilities and that, ultimately, they will begin to minimize the amount of disposable material they bring into our parks or throw away at all,” Mayor Chuck Cahn said. “There will be a certain amount of education needed to make this project a success, but we believe our park users will ultimately embrace the change.”
Signs clearly marking the new kiosks have been installed in each location. As with residential collection, green cans are to be used for trash, while blue cans are for recyclable materials. Please note that used diapers, baby wipes, tissues and food waste can never be recycled.
Cans have been installed with holes cut in the lid, so users can deposit their trash and recycling in the appropriate can.
Residents and park users with questions or concerns about the program should contact the Department of Public Works at (856) 424-4422, or the Parks and Recreation Department at (856) 488-7868.
