Solid Waste Information

Petroleum-based products, chemicals and many cleaning supplies need to be stored in a safe place away from children, and properly disposed of at a certified hazardous waste collection site.

MCMUA Sponsored Disposal Days — The MCMUA sponsors several Hazardous Waste and disposal days. See MCMUA – HHW Events for dates as well as a listing of acceptable materials.
Permanent HHW Facility — Morris County operates a permanent Household Hazardous Waste Facility, available by appointment only by calling 973-829-8006. For a listing of acceptable materials, see MCMUA – HHW Facility.
Propane Tank Disposal — Local Walmart stores permit the drop-off of used tanks

Unwanted, unused or expired medications should be properly disposed of for several reasons. When thrown out with the trash or flushed down the toilet, medications have the potential to contaminate our environment, and particularly our water supply. Water treatment does not necessarily remove all drug residues from our drinking water. Medications kept around the house or thrown in the trash bin can inadvertently end up being ingested by children, grandchildren or pets.The safest and most responsible way to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired medications is to take them to a collection site specifically set up for this purpose.

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National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day – The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. To locate a collection site and date for this annual event, see http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html.
Project Medicine Drop – Secured drop boxes have been placed in the headquarters of local police departments. Consumers from anywhere in New Jersey can visit the boxes seven days a week, to drop off unneeded and expired medications. For drop box locations, see http://www.nj.gov/oag/ca/meddrop/.
Syringes – For proper disposal of used syringes, register for the needle exchange program at the front desk of any hospital.

Grass — Cut It and Leave It

Grass clippings are a major part of New Jersey’s municipal solid waste stream. Like other highly recyclable materials, recycling grass clippings can help reduce the amount of waste for disposal. As a Mountain Lakes resident, you are already helping to reduce the amount of waste you generate by recycling your newspapers, metal cans, plastic bottles, glass jars and junk mail. You can also easily recycle the grass clippings you generate each time you mow your lawn — and save time and money while doing it. Remember, Morris County no longer allows grass clippings to be disposed of with the regular garbage. Landfilling grass clippings is a waste of money, landfill space and nutrients contained in the clippings themselves.So what can you do? Just leave your clippings on the lawn when you mow. In fact, studies show that homeowners who leave clippings on the lawn actually reduce their total annual mowing by 20-25%. Grass clippings provide a natural and healthy fertilizer for a growing lawn. You’ll spend less on chemical fertilizers since clippings left on the lawn recycle nutrients back into the soil.

To maintain your lawn properly, avoid mowing more than the top third of the growing grass. Done consistently, this will result in an attractive, neatly trimmed lawn because the small clippings disappear when they filter down to the soil. Most New Jersey lawns thrive when mowed to about 2 to 3 inches, especially in the summer. The taller grass will shade the soil, cool roots and prevent weeds, resulting in a healthier lawn.

Mulching mowers or mulching attachments on regular mowers chop clippings into fine pieces which slip easily down to the soil. A study conducted by the University of Connecticut found that the nitrogen from grass clippings showed up in the growing grass within two weeks, promoting thick green growth and a strong root system. By the end of the third year of the study, researchers estimated that about a third of the nitrogen found in grass came from previously recycled clippings. Annually, this adds nearly 2 pounds of nitrogen to each thousand square feet of lawn.

Backyard Composting

Yard waste can be recycled back to the soil. A significant volume of our trash (18% yard waste and 8% food scraps) can be kept out of the waste stream through composting. Compost is a dark, crumbly and earthy smelling form of decomposing organic matter. The decomposition and recycling of organic wastes is an essential part of soil building and healthy plant growth in forests, meadows and in your own home garden.

Composting is the most practical and convenient way to handle your yard wastes. Compost improves the soil and plants growing in it. Use it to enrich flower and vegetable gardens, improve the soil around trees and shrubs, and enrich soils in houseplants and planter boxes. Chipped woody waste makes excellent mulch or path material. By composting, you return organic matter to the soil in a usable form. Organic matter in the soil helps to break up heavy clay soils, adds water and nutrient-holding capacity to sandy soils, and adds essential nutrients to any soil. Improving the soil is the first step toward improving the health of your plants.

Anything that once was alive can be composted. Yard wastes such as fallen leaves, grass clippings, weeds, and spent flower and vegetable plants make excellent compost. Kitchen scraps from raw vegetables also make great compost. Do not compost meat scraps of any sort, diseased or insect-ridden plants, weeds with seeds, dog and cat feces, or unchopped woody waste. Meat, bones and fatty foods (cheese, salad dressing, etc.) should be placed in the trash.