by Joann Held

Hopewell Valley residents are always asking:  When is the next Styrofoam collection date?  We are happy to report that it is drawing near and has been scheduled for Saturday, September 19.  The items to be collected will include Styrofoam, CDs, DVDs, and wine bottle corks.

Jointly sponsored by the Hopewell Valley Green Team and the Pennington & Hopewell Township Environmental Commissions, these items will be accepted at the NEW Pennington Borough Public Works Building on North Main Street from Noon to 3pm.  Styrofoam packing material, especially blocks, sheets and coolers, will be taken to RayBob Packaging in Bristol, PA. Styrofoam egg cartons will also be collected for delivery to an Dolco Packaging, an egg carton manufacturer in Somerville.

There are important exceptions at this collection. Spongy sheets of packing material can NOT be accepted. (They are a slightly different material and can’t be used by our recycler.)  RayBob puts our material directly into a shredder and then sells the bits of styrofoam to companies that make toys, dog beds, etc.  So, it is important that items be very clean – no staples, tape, stickers, and nothing that has contained food.

Packing peanuts will also NOT be accepted this time; instead, residents are encouraged to return packing penults to their favorite shipping store where they can be reused immediately.

Old CDs and DVDs tapes will be delivered to Back Thru the Future in Franklin, NJ.   Free CDs that come in the mail, outdated software, and DVDs with corrupted files can really pile up! This is a chance to get rid of those disks and still keep them out of the landfill.  Plastic jewel cases will also be accepted if they are empty and have no paper inserts. Please note that we can no longer accept VHS and Audio Tapes.

Does it feel “wrong” to throw out a wine bottle cork? September 19 is your chance to recycle them instead.  They should be made of real cork – not synthetic – since they will be sent to Yemm & Hart, a cork tile manufacturer in Fredericktown, MO.

All Hopewell Valley residents and our nearby neighbors are welcome to participate.  Materials should be delivered on September 19 to the New Pennington Borough Public Works Building on North Main Street. Check the Green Team website for updates at:  www.HopewellValleyGreenTeam.org