All Around Pennsauken

By Joe Scavuzzo, Director, Department of Public Works

Finally bought that sleek, space-saving flat-screen TV you’ve had your eye on? Like many of our neighbors going through this transition from tube to flat, you’re ready to ask the strongest person you know to help wrestle the awkward and monster-sized tube TV out of your home. STOP! DO NOT PUT THE TV AT THE CURB! Waste Management, your trash collector, WILL NOT take that TVs or other electronics.

Here’s what happens when you put the TV at the curb: the weekly scavengers or “scrappers” ride around your neighborhoods, looking for ferrous and non-ferrous metals (magnetic and non-magnetic) to trade-in for scrap at local recycling centers. The problem is that these individuals DO NOT take the entire TV with them and break them down to sort out the entire unit, recycling each part appropriately. What they do instead is smash the glass screen or break apart the shell to get to the “scrap metal” pieces that have a monetary value and they leave the rest. Sometimes these individuals will take your TV off the curb, but then you, or Pennsauken’s Department of Public Works, will find them dumped in our parks and athletic facilities. The unsightly result of this action exposes the ground, our stormwater, and our neighbors to the chemicals and broken glass that are used in TV manufacturing. This is why there are now strict guidelines on recycling electronic waste or “e-waste.”

How You Can Dispose Of A TV

It may take some planning, but recycling your unwanted TVs will pay off, both helping the environment and keeping Pennsauken a safe place to play and live. The Pennsauken Sanitary Landfill, located at 9600 River Rd., accepts non-compromised TVs. A compromised TV, or one that is smashed open or torn apart, WILL NOT be accepted by the landfill. All intact TVs can be dropped off at the landfill during normal business hours at no charge to residents. For more information, call the landfill at (856) 665-8787.

You may have already placed a TV out at the curb for trash before reading this article and found that the next morning it’s still out there, but in a ton of pieces. Unfortunately, this is the homeowner’s responsibility to clean-up and dispose of. The Township is currently looking at options for the proper disposal of compromised TVs, but this may involve a fee to residents. This is when it really pays to properly recycle your electronic waste the first time.

For more information about e-waste recycling, visit the Public Work’s Page on the Township’s web site at www.twp.pennsauken.nj.us or call Public Works at (856) 663-0178.

The Importance Of Neighborhood Clean-ups

Public Works was contacted by a local Girl Scout troop who wanted to lend a helping hand by participating in a clean-up project this month. Public Works, along with the Township’s Parks and Recreation Department, completes an evaluation to analyze and prioritize the needs of each park, playground and sports facility in Pennsauken. Often times, Pennsauken’s parks get some “extra” help from residents, businesses or community groups. The location chosen for this event was “The Pit,” which is officially called Crescent Park. You may recall a complete overhaul of the area a few years back with the installation of a new turf football field, walking path and parking lot. The park in general still looks brand new; the only eyesore for this gem is where trash collects at the surrounding tree line from the wind. In a perfect world, no debris or trash would exist in any park, but through efforts such as the Girl Scouts and similar groups, we can help to eliminate litter together.

Another annual clean-up in town is held over on 44th St., which has been organized for several years by a recent retiree of the Department of Public Works, Brian Mount. I recently came across last year’s flyer for this event. It reads: “Hi Neighbor! It’s that time of the year. We’re going to have our annual alley way clean up! This is a great time to meet your neighborhood family and help make our neighborhood a place we can all be proud of. We’ll be providing our new neighbors with all the information they need to properly put out their trash and recyclables.”

This is an excellent tradition that many people, myself included, don’t hear enough of in today’s world. A little effort goes a long way in helping Pennsauken continue to be a great place to live.

For assistance with your own community clean-up, please contact Public Works at (856) 663-0178 or publicworks@twp.pennsauken.nj.us. We’d be happy to help provide supplies, such as trash bags, etc., for your event.