Borough to Vote on Construction Recycling Law

The Council will vote on an ordinance Monday requiring mandatory recycling of materials from construction and demolition sites.

If the ordinance passes, anyone conducting a construction and demolition project will be required to recycle at least 50 percent of the materials generated.

This includes remodels, additions or alterations worth over $50,000 and excludes single-family and duplex residences.

Councilman Len Resto said examples of recyclable material from construction sites would include "asphault, ... concrete, wood, any fixtures, metals, et cetera. ...

"We're starting at 50 percent to see how that works," Resto said. "Most of the larger contractors are doing this already, so this shouldn't be a difficult thing for them to do."

Borough Engineer Vincent J. DeNave said the ordinance will apply to "larger-scale jobs [and] ... rather expansive projects," such as in office buildings or other commercial buildings in town.

Under the ordinance, contractors must file a Waste Reduction Recycling Plan with the borough before beginning a project. When the project is completed, the contractor must submit documentation proving the recycling requirement.

Acceptable documentation includes receipts from recycling facilities and a summary report specifying the quantity of material generated and how much was diverted for recycling or otherwise disposed of.

The ordinance will help the borough meet the state and county Solid Waste Management Plans, which require for at least 60 percent of all solid waste and 50 percent of municipal solid waste generated by the borough to be recycled.

The Chatham Borough Council meets Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the . A full copy of the agenda may be found in the Photos section of this article.