← Back to Departments Overview

Zero Waste Initiative

This resource will take you to a new site. Please click on the button below to access:
Zero Waste Initiative

Project Description

As the economic, social, and environmental costs of waste management continue to increase, the City needs to transform how it thinks about waste by aiming to achieve Zero Waste. The concept of Zero Waste goes beyond recycling and composting at the end of a product's lifecycle to focus on discarded wastes as resources and how to best manage materials in ways that preserve value, minimize environmental impacts, and conserve natural resources. The City of Hoboken seeks to employ innovative waste management strategies to improve quality of life and achieve Zero Waste with equitable outcomes.

Goals of the Zero Waste Plan include:

  • Rethink how Hoboken manages waste to employ a materials management approach.
  • Reduce solid waste volume, including preventing food waste (i.e., source reduction).
  • Reuse and rescue surplus materials and food to provide to those in need.
  • Recycle comingled, paper, and food scraps.
  • Mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with waste management to further Hoboken’s Climate Action Plan.
  • Lower the costs of waste management.

What is Zero Waste?

In 2015, the US Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution that outlined a definition of Zero Waste and a set of Zero Waste principles that recognizes a Hierarchy of Material Management as follows:

  • Extended Producer Responsibility and Product Redesign
  • Reduce Waste, Toxicity, Consumption, and Packaging
  • Repair, Reuse and Donate
  • Recycle
  • Compost
  • Down Cycle and Beneficial Reuse
  • Waste-Based Energy as disposal
  • Landfill Waste as disposal

Current Waste Collection in Hoboken

The City collects waste for household, commercial, and institutional properties alike, with no fees or varying collection requirements for commercial properties or businesses. Certain large commercial properties and institutional properties supplement municipal collection and disposal services with private hauling and disposal at their properties.

Municipal (household, commercial, and institutional) solid waste type 10 per N.J.A.C.7:26-2.13(g) includes waste originating in the community consisting of household waste from private residences, commercial waste which originates in wholesale, retail or service establishments, such as, restaurants, stores, markets, theaters, hotels and warehouses, and institutional waste material originated in schools, hospitals, research institutions and public buildings. Solid waste type 10 (i.e., garbage) is collected three times per week citywide and six times per week in the limited business area. The limited business area includes Washington Street, Newark Street, 1st Street, 14th Street, and Hudson Place. Select bulky waste type 13 including furniture is collected on the same schedule. See www.hobokennj.gov/waste.

Comingled recycling including aluminum, glass, and plastics #1, 2, 5 is collected once per week citywide. Paper recycling including cardboard is collected once per week citywide and cardboard is collected six times per week in the limited business area. See www.hobokennj.gov/recycling.

The City offers a free residential compost drop off program for organic recycling, which began with 1 drop off site in 2019, expanded to 4 in 2020, and expanded to 12 in 2021. See www.hobokennj/gov/compost.

Contact Info

Hours

Project Description

As the economic, social, and environmental costs of waste management continue to increase, the City needs to transform how it thinks about waste by aiming to achieve Zero Waste. The concept of Zero Waste goes beyond recycling and composting at the end of a product's lifecycle to focus on discarded wastes as resources and how to best manage materials in ways that preserve value, minimize environmental impacts, and conserve natural resources. The City of Hoboken seeks to employ innovative waste management strategies to improve quality of life and achieve Zero Waste with equitable outcomes.

Goals of the Zero Waste Plan include:

  • Rethink how Hoboken manages waste to employ a materials management approach.
  • Reduce solid waste volume, including preventing food waste (i.e., source reduction).
  • Reuse and rescue surplus materials and food to provide to those in need.
  • Recycle comingled, paper, and food scraps.
  • Mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with waste management to further Hoboken’s Climate Action Plan.
  • Lower the costs of waste management.

What is Zero Waste?

In 2015, the US Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution that outlined a definition of Zero Waste and a set of Zero Waste principles that recognizes a Hierarchy of Material Management as follows:

  • Extended Producer Responsibility and Product Redesign
  • Reduce Waste, Toxicity, Consumption, and Packaging
  • Repair, Reuse and Donate
  • Recycle
  • Compost
  • Down Cycle and Beneficial Reuse
  • Waste-Based Energy as disposal
  • Landfill Waste as disposal

Current Waste Collection in Hoboken

The City collects waste for household, commercial, and institutional properties alike, with no fees or varying collection requirements for commercial properties or businesses. Certain large commercial properties and institutional properties supplement municipal collection and disposal services with private hauling and disposal at their properties.

Municipal (household, commercial, and institutional) solid waste type 10 per N.J.A.C.7:26-2.13(g) includes waste originating in the community consisting of household waste from private residences, commercial waste which originates in wholesale, retail or service establishments, such as, restaurants, stores, markets, theaters, hotels and warehouses, and institutional waste material originated in schools, hospitals, research institutions and public buildings. Solid waste type 10 (i.e., garbage) is collected three times per week citywide and six times per week in the limited business area. The limited business area includes Washington Street, Newark Street, 1st Street, 14th Street, and Hudson Place. Select bulky waste type 13 including furniture is collected on the same schedule. See www.hobokennj.gov/waste.

Comingled recycling including aluminum, glass, and plastics #1, 2, 5 is collected once per week citywide. Paper recycling including cardboard is collected once per week citywide and cardboard is collected six times per week in the limited business area. See www.hobokennj.gov/recycling.

The City offers a free residential compost drop off program for organic recycling, which began with 1 drop off site in 2019, expanded to 4 in 2020, and expanded to 12 in 2021. See www.hobokennj/gov/compost.

Waste Audit

The City will complete a waste audit, also known as a waste characterization study, to understand the composition of Hoboken’s waste streams from household, commercial, and institutional sources. The data gathered in the waste audit will inform the development of policies, programs, and services to be recommended in the Zero Waste Plan.

The waste audit will collect samples of waste and sort those samples into multiple material categories to produce statistically representative and generalizable information about what is in the City’s waste and in what quantities. This effort will provide the baseline against which to compare future waste volumes and diversion rates and provide insight into evolving waste streams.

The Waste Audit will be conducted by professionals from the City’s consulting firm on Monday, September 19, 2022through Friday, September 23, 2022, at 200 Harrison Street (the former PSE&G substation property currently owned by the City). Sorting will occur Monday through Friday, with site set up Saturday and break down Friday. The audit schedule is below.

A typical sample includes approximately 20 bags of waste and weighs 200-250 lbs. The final sample size will be 30-40 for a total of 6,000 lbs. to 10,000 lbs. sorted by the end of the week.

Waste will be delivered to the site, stored in a container, sorted, and then disposed of in a container. The container will be hauled from the site when full. Rodent bait stations have been placed around the site perimeter and will be serviced regularly before, during, and after the waste sorting process.  

Please email recycling@hobokennj.gov with any questions.

Survey

This survey is for residents and businesses in the City of Hoboken to provide feedback on waste collection. The feedback from this survey will help inform the City's Zero Waste plan which seeks to improve Hoboken’s overall waste management system.

Survey #1

Survey #1 is now closed.

Survey #2 - Zero Waste Recommendations

Find Survey #2 here.

knowledge base: faqs



Does the Shade Tree Commission have a list of trees that they recommend for planting? View the approved list of tree species.

Who should trim the tree in front of my house? Please contact David Calamoneri.

I know of a tree that I believe is dying or is dangerous, who should I contact? Please contact David Calamoneri.

How do I become a volunteer for the Shade Tree Commission? Please contact Peter Bakarich III.

How do I apply to be a commissioner on the Shade Tree Commission? Submit an application for appointment to citizen advisory boards and commissions.

When does the Hoboken Shade Tree commission meet? Click here to view the meeting dates for 2015.

What are the benefits and reasons for planting trees in Hoboken? Read about 13 Reasons to plant trees.

How can I find out info on the tree(s) on my Street? View the Hoboken Tree Inventory.

No items found.