Don’t Do It! Here Are 9 Things You Legally CAN’T Throw Away In NJ
So, how's the holiday clean-up coming along?
Are all the decorations back in the garage or attic? Did you strip the tree of the ornaments? What about all the extra boxes you've, no doubt, acquired over the last month or so? Are they piling up?
If you haven't stripped your home of all holiday decor yet, chances are you're getting close to the breaking point. Just a few scrolls on social media will show you how much people are itching to clear everything out in an effort to streamline their homes again. I get it, though, eventually all the decorations make the house feel cluttered rather than cozy, ya know?
Holiday fun and gifts usually translates to A LOT more trash. That's particularly true this time of year when you have no more use for all the boxes you now have sitting in your home that the family wrapped all of the presents in. Before you break them down to, hopefully, put them in the recycling bin, you should probably go over what you legally can and can't throw away here in the Garden State.
For example, did you get a new laptop for Christmas? Don't even think about tossing the old one in the trash. You can't do that.
Did you remodel or spruce up the house before the big dinner and still have the paint cans sitting in the backyard? You can't throw those out in the garbage either. It's illegal.
Check out the list of 9 things it's illegal for you to just toss in the garbage here in New Jersey:
1.) Car Batteries
There's so much that could go wrong if you were to throw out a car battery. For one, they're mostly lithium-based. You wouldn't want an entire landfill to catch on fire because a spark was ignited from one, would you?
2.) Computer Monitors
Both computers and their monitors can potentially leak toxic chemicals into the ground if disposed of willy-nilly.
3.) Computers themselves
See above.
4.) Drywall
5.) Mercury Oxide Batteries
6.) Motor Oil
7.) Nicad Batteries
A NiCad battery is a rechargeable battery made of nickel and cadmium. They're essentially banned now because they're allegedly an environmental hazard according to Wikipedia.
8.) TVs
For one, there's SOOOO much plastic in a TV. That should be enough reason for you to NOT just toss it into the garbage.
9.) Yard Waste
Most towns prohibit yard waste from being put into trash bags and thrown out with the rest of the garbage. Usually, yard waste is picked up by the municipality on a designated day during the season.
Source: Earth911.com