Department of Public Works

Recycling

On Monday, September 23, 1991 Shippensburg Borough joined with other cities, townships and boroughs across the commonwealth in removing recyclables from the municipal waste stream. The program was implemented for three reasons:

• it's law in Pennsylvania
• it make good environmental sense
• in the long run, recycling will help to keep down escalating landfill fees

Recycling conserves resources, saves energy and reduces the demand for additional landfills, all of which helps the environment and keeps disposal costs down. Although recycling is State mandated, Shippensburg is free to design a program best suited to its needs. In keeping with this freedom, the Borough's program is designed from the customer's point of view.

• First, the program was developed to be as convenient as possible. This was achieved by eliminating the need for extensive source separation of recyclables and multiple containers. Simply, the resident needs only to obtain a single container, place it in a convenient location and start recycling.
• Second, the program was designed to minimize preparation requirements. This was achieved by eliminating the need for crushing, bottle ring removal or label soaking. Simply, a resident needs only to rinse the bottles and cans and place them in the recycling container. News papers only have to be bundled and tied or placed in PAPER bags.
• Third, the program was targeted to be predictable and easy to follow. This was achieved by having recyclable pick-up on the same day as one's regular garbage pick-up. There is no need therefore, to remember special days or particular routs. Simply, a resident can place recyclables beside their trash on regular pick-ip day, with a minimum separation of three feet between the tash container and the recycling container.

WHAT MUST I RECYCLE?

All Borough residents are required to recycle by removing the following items from their regular garbage:

• Aluminum, steel, and bi-metal cans
• Clear, green and amber glass
• Newspaper
• Plastic food and drink containers

Recyclable items, except newspapers, are to be separated by glass and metal and placed in a separate container and set at the curb by all customers. Newspapers should be bundled and tied or placed in paper bags, and set at the curb with your other recyclables.

RESIDENTIAL CONTAINERS

All residential customers will be individually responsible for providing a minimum of two (2) bucket or box-type container to store recyclables.

Any solid, open-ended plastic or metal container, of at lease 5 gallons but not more than 15 gallons with handles, will meet this requirement.

All designated recycling containers must bear the respective recycling sticker logo. If your container is lost or stolen , or if you have added an additional container, please contact the Borough Office during regular business hours to receive a new, free sticker.

PROCESSING ERRORS

Despite our best intentions to follow program guidelines, all of us will sometimes forget and improperly prepare our recyclables for pick-up. Errors of processing would include such things as:

• IMPROPER CONTAINER
• BROKEN GLASS
• CO-MINGLING OF TRASH AND RECYCLABLES
• IMPROPER SPACING

In cases such as this, recycling workers will attach a warning tag to the designated container. The warning tag will identify the problem and instruct the customer in the proper processing method.

NON-RECYCLABLE ITEMS

There are certain items that cannot be recycled because they will contaminate the recyclables or endanger recycle workers. These include:

• Aerosol cans or paint cans.
• Scrap metal, pots, pans, wire, coat hangers.
• Aluminum foil, food tins, scrap or lawn chairs.
• "Slick" newspaper inserts with colors.
• Magazines, books, mail, paper products.
• Window glass, plate or mirror glass.
• Light bulbs or light fixtures.
• Cookware, china, ceramics, cups or bowls.
• yard waste or wood products.
• Garbage, food or liquids.

WHO OWNS RECYCLABLES

Residents are not required to give all their recyclable materials to the Borough. For example, aluminum and glass can still be sold to buyback centers and newspapers can be given to the Boy Scouts. However, once these are placed at the curb, they are the property of the Borough and cannot be removed by anyone but the Borough.

NON-RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS

Non-residential customers are defined as commercial units, industrial units, manufacturing units and apartment building containing four (4) or more units.

These units, in addition to all the recyclable items required to be recycled by residents, are required to recycle corrugated paper (cardboard), and high grade office paper.

These units may opt to utilize the Borough as its collector or utilize a private collector, licensed by the Borough of Shippensburg.

The owner or management of these units will be responsible for coordinating, overseeing and managing recycling compliance within each unit. The owner or management is required to provide a container large enough to handle the needs of the total facility.

GREEN WASTE

Yard waste and leaves are accepted by the Borough. The Recycling Act of Pennsylvania prohibits landfills from accepting these items. To continue to provide a place to dispose of these items, the Borough has developed a composing facility on Avon Drive across from the sewer plant. Residents may take their yard waste and leaves to this site during the regular hours of operation. Grass clippings will not be accepted.

Borough residents may wish to consider backyard composting and grasscycling as green waste disposal methods. For more information see Borough Services... Grasscycling and Composting.

COSTS

The recycling program will be partially financed by a special recycling fee to be paid by all residential and non-residential customers. The fee schedule is as follows:

Base Fee ( Applies to all residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers):

• $7.00 per quarter for from 0 to 60 gallons of recycling material a week.
• $ .50 for each additional 15 gallons a week over base of 60 gallons.

Non-residential will be charged a fee of $3.00 per cubit yard for corrugated paper.

The recycling fee will be billed as a special charge on the regular quarterly utility bill. Fees will be changed by Borough Council, by resolution from time to time.

ENFORCEMENT

If recycling material is found co-mingled with trash, a progressive system of enforcement will be utilized. The customer will be issued two (2) warnings. If non-compliance occurs a third time within the same calendar year, a red tag will be issued rejecting the trash for pick-up. Rejected trash will not be picked up again until the following week and only if property recycled. Individuals who are issued two (2) consecutive reject tags will be subject to a fine.