Reformed Church mobilizes to intercept “e-waste”
One town’s effort to stem the blight of throwaway technology

Jean Stockdale
for The Mirror

The Reformed Church of Highland Park has begun an electronics recycling initiative serving all residents of the borough. The church offers pickup of recyclable electronics from any home in Highland Park, in a partnership effort with the borough to collect certain items that the Public Works department (DPW) currently does not pick up.

Most items that contain a computer chip can be recycled through the Highland Park program: computers, printers, monitors, keyboards, scanners, modems, and cables; televisions, game consoles, VCRs, and DVD players; telephones and cell phones; answering machines; even household irons and stereos can be recycled (but not stereo speakers). Other items specifically excluded are microwaves and toaster ovens – these cannot currently be recycled in the borough’s program.

Residents need to be at home when the pickup is made, in order to sign the borough’s log to verify the address of the participating household. Each household may discard ten electronic items per year. For non-residential sources, such as electronics discarded from businesses, contact the Dept of Public Works directly, at 732.514-1277, for instructions on recycling.

A team of two volunteers per weekend conducts the pickups, using the church’s van. Volunteers are needed. Just contact the Reformed Church to volunteer – you do not need to be a member.

The collected electronics are delivered to the Borough’s Recycling Center. The Dept. of Public Works then sells them to an independent partner, a “green” company that breaks them down into usable parts, salvaging metals, plastics, etc. This waste management technique keeps the items out of landfills and also produces income for the Borough.

Residents of Highland Park are not allowed to dispose of electronics by putting them in the garbage or at the curb. Until now, discarded electronics had to be brought to the Valentine Street Recycling Center, operated by the DPW. The church’s pickup service makes it more convenient for residents to comply with the borough’s policy on recycling of electronics.

Team captain Milo Schwab, a church member and a founder of Green Today, Inc., commends the extent of the Borough’s recycling and stated that the church’s effort bridges a gap. “Electronic waste is a resource we should all be recycling, so it doesn’t cause pollution. These items do not biodegrade.”

Frank Troy, the DPW recycling coordinator, is hopeful that the new pick-up service will increase the borough’s revenue and improve disposal for unwanted electronics. Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale, co-pastor at RCHP with his wife Stephanie, stated that the congregation seeks to respond to God by caring for the earth.

Pickup is available four times a month: on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays from 10 AM to noon, and the second and fourth Sundays from noon to 2 PM. To schedule a pickup, call the church at 732.249-7349 or email to rchpoffice@juno.com.