Berkeley Heights hosts free paper shredding Oct. 10

Union County residents can shred sensitive documents for free at the Berkeley Heights Municipal Building parking lot, 29 Park Ave., on Saturday, Oct. 10. It is the last shredding event of the 2026 season in Berkeley Heights.

The county announced the final round of October recycling events on Wednesday, Sept. 23, according to a press release from the Union County Board of County Commissioners. Paper shredding, scrap metal recycling and household hazardous waste disposal are all free for county residents.

Board President Joseph C. Bodek said the programs help residents "clear out unwanted materials and dispose of them properly" before the season ends.

Paper shredding: what to know

The Berkeley Heights event runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, or until the trucks reach capacity. A second shredding date is set for Friday, Oct. 23, at John Russell Wheeler Park, 234 W. Stimpson Ave., Linden. For GPS directions to the Linden site, use 248 W. Stimpson Ave.

Residents may bring up to four bags or boxes per vehicle, and each container must weigh 10 pounds or less. Only confidential documents are accepted. Remove bindings and large clips before arriving. Staples are fine. Pre-shredded, damp or wet paper will not be accepted.

The program is for residents only, not businesses.

Hazardous waste drop-off

The final household hazardous waste event is Sunday, Oct. 25, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Union County Vocational-Technical Schools' West Hall/Police Academy parking lot, 1776 Raritan Road, Scotch Plains.

Accepted items include oil-based paints, motor oil and filters, gasoline, propane tanks, pool chemicals, pesticides and fluorescent bulbs. Latex paint, medical sharps and pressurized welding gas cylinders are not accepted. The county advises drying leftover latex paint with cat litter or sawdust and putting the hardened material in regular trash.

Scrap metal recycling

Two scrap metal dates remain: Thursday, Oct. 1, and Saturday, Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to noon. Residents can use either of two locations on either date: the Emergency Services Complex, 151 Kenilworth Blvd., Cranford, or the Rahway River Park Service Yard, 3 Parkway Drive, Rahway.

Accepted items include refrigerators and freezers with doors removed, bicycles, microwaves, washers, dryers and metal fencing.

Drive-up only

All events are contact-free. Residents stay in their vehicles while staff unloads materials from the trunk. The programs are funded through Recycling Enhancement Act grants from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

For the full schedule, call the Union County Recycling Hotline at 908-654-9889.