By Joe Scavuzzo, Director, Department of Public Works

Each year, the County sponsors numerous waste collection events to help its residents properly dispose of various items around our homes, garages, and sheds to protect the environment. It may sound like a nagging chore to do, but the benefit it has on our local bodies of water far outweighs any inconvenience of disposal.

We at Public Works see it every day. On Cove Rd., you may have seen what looks like a “paint trail” that was spilled on this freshly-paved road. This was more-than-likely from a trash truck pulling out from one of the Collins Tract side streets, headed towards Rt. 130. It can be concluded that a resident did not dry out a can of latex paint with kitty-litter or sand as required by the Township prior to placing the dried paint pale in the trash; the trash truck crushed the paint pail during compact, and the paint drained from the truck, along with all the other unpleasant trash liquids. Remember, oil-based paints and can ONLY be disposed of at the following County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events.

For the convenience of residents, all household hazardous waste collection events take place on Saturdays and are open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at various locations. Upcoming collection events include April 16 at the Collingswood Public Works Complex, 713 N. Atlantic Ave. in Collingswood; May 14 in Atco at the Parking Area at Atco and Raritan avenues; June 18 at Camden County College parking lot in Gloucester Township; Sept. 17 at the Pennsauken Sanitary Landfill at 9600 N. River Road in Pennsauken; and Oct. 15 at the Camden County Public Works Complex at 2311 Egg Harbor Road in Lindenwold.

The County also offers a shredding service for residents only; no materials from businesses are accepted. The only County shredding event currently scheduled will be held on Saturday, May 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Camden County College parking lot in Gloucester Township. The Township and the Pennsauken Environmental Commission are also holding a shredding event for residents on Saturday, April 23 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Pennsauken Township Municipal Complex, located at 5605 North Crescent Blvd.

Electronics Recycling Collection

There are several upcoming County electronic recycling events, the next held on Saturday, June 18, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Camden County College Parking Area, 200 College Dr., Blackwood, N.J.

If you currently have a TV that you need to dispose of, the Pennsauken Landfill, located at 9600 River Rd. here in Pennsauken, accepts both compromised (smashed open) and non-compromised TVs. Residents can call (856) 665-8787 for more information.

For more information or a list of items you can and cannot bring to a household hazardous waste collection event, please refer to the Camden County web site, http://www.camdencounty.com/parks/recycling-info/household-hazardous-waste-collection-days-schedule, or call Public Works at (856) 663-0178.

PSE&G Road Openings

By now, most work associated with the multi-year PSE&G electrical upgrade project has been completed for our area. You may see some crews here and there, but most roads have been restored. During a conversation with our Township Engineer, he eluded to the possibility of PSE&G’s natural gas division to begin replacing gas mains in 2016. The project is not expected to be anywhere close to the size of the recent years’ electric project, but we should be prepared. No details have been released yet, but as they are, I will incorporate them into this article and the Township’s web site.

Fallen Trees During Storms

During the recent windy storms in February and March, we received numerous phone calls regarding fallen trees on private property from residents looking for assistance. Public Works will only remove a fallen tree that has fallen into a local Pennsauken road. If a curb-line tree falls onto a property, Public Works cannot assist in the removal of the tree. However, we are able to pick-up trunk and limbs over 3” in diameter that are placed at the curb. This is a typical service that the Department of Public Works offers. Small branches may be bundled by twine in piles less than four feet long and weighing less than 50 pounds. If a large tree growing on private property reaches across the property and into the street, Public Works will only remove the debris that is in the street and will return when the rest of the tree is properly placed at the curb.

Here’s a tip for bundling branches: use the handles of a wheel-barrow to assist in the bundling of branches. The natural slope of the handles, as it connects to the bucket, uses gravity to keep the branches together. Use the width of the bucket to cut each added branch to length evenly. Once you have a good pile assembled, use the open space between the handles to wrap your twine around the bundle. This prevents you from having to lift up half of the bundle while keeping all branches together. Lastly, use the wheel-barrow as you would if it’s filled to move the completed bundle to the curb to avoid lifting each bundle multiple times.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please call us at (856) 663-0178 or e-mail publicworks@twp.pennsauken.nj.us.