Recycling
Make a Difference
Make a difference! Help do your part to preserve the environment for you and your children. All it takes is a few moments to separate recyclable materials from your trash.
Single Stream Recycling
Waste Management and Lower Macungie Township have implemented a processing change for recyclables. The change (affecting only those households involved in Township contracted services) has provided for the recycling of more items in a timely manner. Residents can co-mingle all recyclables and place them in the recycling carts.
Recycling Rules & Regulations
Waste Management is the sanitation contractor for Lower Macungie Township and collects all of the recyclables for those households involved in the township's contract. Single stream recycling provides for the recycling of more items in a timely manner.
Township supplied recycling carts can contain:
- Aluminum and bi-metal beverage cans
- Cardboard boxes (broken down, flattened and placed inside the recycling cart)
- Clear, green and brown glass food containers
- Junk mail and envelopes
- Magazines and catalogs
- Newspapers and inserts
- Plastic soda bottles, salad dressing, etc. (PETE) (Number "1" in the chasing arrow logo)
- Plastic milk and water bottles, shampoo/conditioner bottles, yogurt cups, etc (HDPE) (Number "2" in the chasing arrow logo)
- Ketchup and syrup bottles (PP) (Number "5" in the chasing arrow logo)
- Steel cans (tin)
- Telephone books
Residents are required to commingle all recyclables and place them in the recycling carts. Only recyclable materials as noted in the previous list can be placed in the township supplied cart. Other types of bins and containers are not acceptable and could result in your recyclables not being collected.
Material Preparation
The recyclable materials must be properly prepared before they are placed in the bins:
- All recyclables shall be drained and free of food and other foreign materials
- All cans, glass and plastic bottles must be rinsed. Lids must be removed from glass jars.
- Plastic containers should be crushed to save space in your cart
- The only glass items acceptable are food and beverage containers
- Light bulbs, window glass, ceramics and dishes are not acceptable
- Newspaper, junk mail, magazines and telephone books shall be placed in the cart since the lid will protect items from getting wet
- Cardboard boxes must be broken down and flattened and placed inside the cart; cardboard not prepared as noted can contaminate the waste stream and may affect collection
- Excess cardboard can be considered a "bulk item" collection, and residents shall request a bulk item collection by calling Public Works
Waste Management will collect the recyclable materials at curbside every week. They have the right to deny collection of any bin that does not meet the above regulations. They may place a tag on any bin not collected, detailing why it was not collected.
Extra recycle carts are available for purchase through the township if one bin is not enough for the amount of recycling normally generated within a single household. The original cart is the property of Lower Macungie Township. The original cart should remain with the address in the event of a move.
Additional Recycling Locations
Many recyclables can also be taken to:
Allentown Recycling Center
One alternate recycling location is the Allentown Recycling Center at 15th and Martin Luther King Boulevard in Allentown. There is no charge and they are open 24/7/365. They accept:
- Aluminum foil
- Cans
- Clothing, drapes, etc.
- Corrugated (brown) cardboard
- Glass bottles
- Gray cardboard (paperboard)
- Hard and soft cover books
- Magazines
- Metal items
- Mixed color paper
- Newspapers
- Phone books
- Pie plates
- Plastic bottles (numbers 1 through 7)
Contact the Allentown Recycling Center by calling 610-437-8729.
Waste Management Transfer Station
The Waste Management Transfer Station at 1725 Brookside Road, Macungie accepts cardboard, plastic, cans and glass. Their hours of operation are weekdays 6:30 am to 4 pm, and they can be contacted by calling 610-366-7356.
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Public Works
Physical Address
5536 Indian Creek Road
Macungie, PA 18062
Phone: 610-966-4343, ext. 117