The Union County Board of County Commissioners is pleased to announce the continuation of its 2026 seasonal recycling programs in September, including two mobile paper shredding events and two dates for scrap metal recycling. The County’s final Household Hazardous Waste event of the season will follow in October.

“These free programs make it easier for residents to securely dispose of personal documents and responsibly recycle items that should not enter the regular waste stream,” said Union County Commissioner Chairman Joseph C. Bodek. “We encourage residents to take advantage of the upcoming events and join us in keeping reusable materials out of landfills while protecting our communities and environment.”

Union County will host two free mobile paper shredding events in September, offering residents a convenient and secure way to dispose of sensitive personal documents on-site:

• Friday, September 18: Westfield Pool Parking Lot, 713 Cumberland Street, Westfield
• Saturday, September 26: UCNJ Parking Lots 5A/5B, 1033 Springfield Avenue, Cranford

Both events will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., rain or shine, or until the shredding trucks reach capacity.

The shredding program is available to Union County residents only and is not open to businesses. There is a limit of four bags or boxes per vehicle, with each bag or box weighing no more than 10 pounds.

Only confidential and sensitive personal documents will be accepted. Magazines, junk mail and other non-sensitive papers should be recycled through residents’ municipal recycling programs. Residents should remove bindings, large plastic or metal clips and other non-paper materials before arriving. Staples are permitted. Pre-shredded, damp or wet paper will not be accepted.

Union County’s Scrap Metal Recycling Program will continue in September, with events scheduled for Thursday, September 3, and Saturday, September 19, from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the following locations:

• Cranford: Emergency Services Complex, 151 Kenilworth Boulevard
• Rahway: Rahway River Park Service Yard, 3 Parkway Drive

Residents may use either location on either date.

Accepted items include refrigerators and freezers with doors removed, metal cabinets, household appliances, bicycles, aluminum scrap, air conditioners, microwaves, washers, dryers, stoves, metal fencing, tire rims, wire hangers and other eligible metal items.

Union County’s final Household Hazardous Waste event of the 2026 season will be held on Sunday, October 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools’ West Hall/Police Academy parking lot, located at 1776 Raritan Road in Scotch Plains.

Residents may safely dispose of a variety of household chemicals and materials, including oil-based paints and finishes, motor oil and filters, gasoline, propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides, fluorescent bulbs and other accepted hazardous household products.

Latex or water-based paint, medical sharps and pressurized welding gas or oxygen cylinders will not be accepted.

Residents with leftover latex paint should dry it at home using a commercial paint hardener, sand, cat litter or sawdust. Once the paint has hardened completely, it may be disposed of with regular household trash.

All Union County recycling events are contact-free and drive-up only. Residents must remain in their vehicles while staff removes materials from their trunks. The events are funded through Recycling Enhancement Act grants that Union County applies for and receives through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

For a complete schedule and additional information about Union County recycling programs, visit www.ucnj.org/recycling or call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889. Residents may also contact their municipal recycling coordinator for information about programs in their community.

The free Recycle Coach mobile app provides current information about countywide and municipal recycling programs, including accepted materials, curbside schedules and drop-off locations. For more information, visit www.ucnj.org/recycling/recycle-coach-app.

For all Union County programs and services, visit ucnj.org, call the Public Information Line at 877-424-1234, email info@ucnj.org or use the online contact form.