Over the past five years, the Borough has maintained a contract with the same recycling center, which is set to expire on December 31, 2025. Because recycling is a core service for our community, the Borough conducted an extensive Request for Proposals (RFP) process to competitively select a new provider. After thorough review, Cougle’s Recycling, Inc. was awarded the contract for offering the best overall combination of service quality, value to residents, and cost efficiency. The new agreement was approved at the November Council meeting and will take effect on January 1, 2026.

While most of the program will stay the same, there are a few small but important updates residents should start preparing for now.

What’s changing:

• Flexible packaging (such as chip bags, pouches, wrappers, etc.) will no longer be accepted in your recycling.
• Recycling must be placed loose in your container. Bags of any type, including trash and grocery bags, will not be collected. While this has always been a rule, our staff will now enforce it at pickup to ensure compliance, as the new contractor will refuse bagged materials.

Not sure what belongs in your recycling bin? Click here to view a graphic outlining what is and isn’t accepted at our new recycling center.

Get ahead of the change:
Now is the perfect time to start adjusting your recycling habits. Our sanitation crew is already working to enforce the changes so everything runs smoothly once the contract takes effect. Remove any recyclables from trash bags, grocery bags, or other single-use bags, and make sure flexible packaging like chip bags, pouches, or wrappers do not go in your recycling containers. Place all other recyclables loose in your container so they can be processed efficiently.

Sharing these tips with family, friends, and neighbors will help everyone be ready for the transition. By making these small changes now, you’ll ensure a smoother start to the new program and help maximize the impact of our community recycling efforts.

Thank you for helping us make our recycling program more effective and efficient. We will continue to provide reminders and helpful tips through social media, our website, email blasts, and the quarterly newsletter to keep everyone informed and prepared for the change. Your cooperation and attention to these small adjustments make a big difference for our community.