Beginning in the New Year, January 1, 2021. Morton Borough will temporarily stop curbside recycling pick-up until further notice.
The decision to halt recycling pick-up was made by the Morton Council in response to the skyrocketing costs projected for 2021. This projected increase would translate into charging households 3x’s more than the current rate for recycling pick-up. Although the Borough is committed to an environmentally sustainable community, this upsurge in cost was deemed a hardship for its residents.
Please make note of the following changes and resources.
Residential Curbside Trash Pick-up:
- Oct 1 – May 31 – Trash will be collected on Mondays (except holidays, then pickup is on Tuesday)
- June 1 – Sept 30 – Trash will be collected on Mondays and Thursdays (except holidays, then pickup is on the following Tuesday or Friday)
The weight of Trash cans should NOT EXCEED 45 lbs.
NO electronics, propane tanks or compressed gas containers, kerosene heaters or items containing freon and medical waste can be collected. These items must be recycled at select sites during the year. For a list of dates, as well as details of acceptable items, please visit the Delaware County website for details at https://www.delcopa.gov/recycle/index.html
Residential Recycling Drop-off:
Glass, cans and plastic bottles may be taken to the recycling drop-off igloos and bins located at:
- 500 Highland Avenue parking lot between the Morton-Rutledge Fire and Morton Police Departments.
Paper and cardboard may be taken to the following paper recycling drop off locations:
- American War Vets Post #118, 211 N. Morton Avenue
- Delaware County Intermediate Unit, 200 Yale Avenue
- Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 2130 Franklin Avenue
For Recycling and Disposal Guides, visit:
On Demand Recycling Services
- The Borough encourages all residents to visit Retrievr.com for disposal of clothes and electronics. Retrievr is a program that collects these items right from your door and recycles them at no cost.
Residential Bulk and Pick-up:
Only one bulk item can be collected per week per household. To make a request for pick-up, contact Republic Services at 610-265-6337.
Trash and Recycling FAQs:
Q: With the threat of climate change, why would the Borough stop recycling pick-up?
A: Morton Borough takes its responsibility towards the environment seriously but had to make a difficult choice. Due to rising costs for boroughs to continue their recycling programs, it would not be financially feasible to maintain recycling collection at this time. If we continued recycling pick-up, each household would pay three times more than they did in 2020. Morton Borough does not want to add this hardship, especially during a pandemic.
Q: Why would there be such a huge cost increase for curbside recycling pickup?
A: There are two major contributors to the rising costs that local governments are facing. First, the rate of exporting recyclable materials from the United States has drastically decreased. China, which until recently had been a large purchaser of recyclable material in the United States, has all but eliminated the import of recycled material.
Second, a great deal of recyclable material collected is co-mingled with garbage. Households are placing items in recycling that simply do not belong. This makes processing the material extremely difficult and sometimes not possible. During the sorting process, machines have to be stopped and manually cleared, causing backups and inefficiencies. Ineffective processing increases labor and decreases the amount of material sent out driving up the cost.
Q: For how long do I have to drop off my recycling on my own?
A: Morton Borough is continuing to research solutions with the goal of returning recycling curbside pick-ups in the near future.
Q: Why are there additional curbside trash pickups in the summer?
A: We have observed an increase in waste tonnage during the summer months and will therefore increase pick-ups.
Q: With recycling pick-up halted, will my taxes decrease?
A: No, trash and recycling pick-up is not a tax, it’s a bill. However, Morton residents could see a small saving in our trash collection bill.
Q: How do I know what items can be recycled and where to take them?
A: For comprehensive information on recycling option, visit https://www.delcopa.gov/recycle/index.html and https://earth911.com/.
Q: When can I drop off my recyclables at the Morton Borough designated locations?
A: Items may be dropped off at any time.
Q: Will there be leaf collection?
A: Yard Waste & Leaf Collection will be picked up curbside during regular trash pick-up days.
Morton Borough will continue to explore options that will allow us to return to recycling pick-up in the future. Until then, please visit http://mortonpa.org for up-to-date information, or contact Morton Borough at 610-543-4565 with any questions.
Respectfully yours,
MORTON BOROUGH COUNCIL