On Saturday, April 19, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, the Town of Secaucus will host its annual Earth Day Cleanup at Kane Stadium, located at 111 Dorigo Lane, Secaucus, New Jersey, 07094. The event focuses on cleaning the creek near the stadium and is open to all community members.
Breakfast, gloves, and cleanup supplies will be provided to every volunteer. People are encouraged to bring a refillable water bottle and wear clothes suited for outdoor work. The main goal is to remove litter and debris to help protect the local environment, especially the water and wildlife, led by the Secaucus Environmental Department.
- Earth Day Cleanup will happen on April 19, 2025, from 10 AM to 12 PM at Kane Stadium, Secaucus. Gloves, breakfast, and all supplies will be provided.
- Volunteers must complete an online waiver before the event. This waiver covers health, safety, and liability matters.
- The event also helps raise awareness about proper recycling in Secaucus. Learn how to recycle the right way and avoid common mistakes like “wish-cycling.”
Waiver Required Before Participating
To join the cleanup, each volunteer must complete an online waiver before the event.
The waiver asks for basic details such as full name, address, email, and phone number. It explains possible risks involved in taking part, including injury, illness, or contact with wildlife. By signing the form, each person confirms they are physically healthy and can participate without a doctor’s approval. If a medical issue happens during the event, town staff may provide emergency care.
The form also states that the Town of Secaucus is not responsible for any lost or damaged personal belongings, including phones or valuables, brought to the event. There is also a photo release, allowing the town to use pictures from the event for news or on its website.
If the volunteer is under 18 years old, a parent or guardian must fill out and sign the waiver as well.
Why Proper Recycling Matters in Secaucus
This Earth Day Cleanup is included in Secaucus’s plan to make recycling better and cut down on waste. The Recycle Right Program was started to fix problems with people putting the wrong items in their recycling bins. Incorrect recycling can damage sorting machines, increase costs for the town, and send more waste to landfills.
The Mayor of Secaucus, Michael Gonnelli, and the Town Council ask residents to learn and follow the town’s recycling rules. Although New Jersey has required recycling since 1987, every town has different guidelines. In Secaucus, many people still place items like Styrofoam, plastic bags, or food-covered containers into bins, thinking they are recyclable. This practice is called wish-cycling, and it causes problems for the entire recycling system.
To avoid these problems, residents are encouraged to use Recycle Coach, a free app that helps people figure out how to properly dispose of items. The app includes a “What Goes Where?” search tool, a recycling calendar, and helpful recycling tips.
Recycling in Secaucus is done using a dual-stream system. This means there are two types of recycling:
- Commingled recycling includes metal cans, glass bottles, cartons, and plastics numbered 1, 2, or 5. These must be loose, not bagged, and placed in clearly marked bins.
- Mixed paper and cardboard must be clean and dry. Cardboard should be broken down and free of Styrofoam and plastic. Items like newspapers, magazines, junk mail, office paper, and cereal boxes are acceptable. These should be tied with rope, placed in a paper bag, or put in a town-approved bin.
Residents must place recycling on the curb by 6:00 AM on their scheduled pickup day. It should not be put out before 6:00 PM the night before.
If a resident needs a new town recycling bin, they can call the Secaucus Department of Public Works (DPW) at 201-330-2080.
Accepted and Rejected Items in Secaucus Recycling
Secaucus only accepts plastics marked with the numbers 1, 2, and 5 on the bottom of the container. These include:
- #1 (PET) – Water and soda bottles
- #2 (HDPE) – Milk jugs, detergent bottles
- #5 (PP) – Yogurt tubs, margarine containers
Plastics numbered 3, 4, 6, and 7 are not accepted in regular recycling. These include items like juice bottles, cling wrap, Styrofoam, and most other plastic packaging.
All containers must be rinsed and emptied. Food-covered containers like peanut butter jars must be scraped clean. If a container cannot be cleaned, it must go in the trash. In the case of greasy pizza boxes, only the clean part of the box can be recycled; the dirty part should be thrown out.
Plastic lids, caps, spray nozzles, straws, and other small pieces are not recyclable and must be removed and discarded.
Plastic grocery bags should not be put in recycling bins. They jam the sorting machines and cause delays. If a store near you collects plastic bags, bring them there. If not, use the Trex bins provided by the town for bag collection.
Other Recycling and Waste Services Available Year-Round
The town of Secaucus provides other ways to safely dispose of waste. Unwanted medicine can be taken to the Secaucus Police Station at 1203 Paterson Plank Road. There is a drop box in the lobby.
Household batteries can be dropped in the Big Green Boxes, which are placed in four public locations: the Library, Recreation Center, Town Hall Lobby, and DPW. Rechargeable batteries can be brought to Home Depot, which has an orange recycling container.
Residents can call the DPW to set up a special pickup for large electronics like TVs and printers. Small electronics, like phones, chargers, and batteries, can be dropped in the Big Green Boxes.
Used clothing can be donated at one of the clothing bins around town. These donations support the Secaucus Emergency Fund.
Shredded paper is not accepted in curbside recycling. Residents can bring confidential papers to Hudson County’s Mobile Paper Shredding Events, which will be shredded and recycled properly.
Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) must also be handled carefully. Items like thermostats, oil-based paint, propane tanks, pool chemicals, and pesticides should be brought to an HCIA Hazardous Waste Collection Day. If disposed of incorrectly, these items can harm people, wildlife, and water.
