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 Initiative include:
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:
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, expanded to 12 in 2021, and 14 in 2024. See www.hobokennj/gov/compost.
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 Initiative include:
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:
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, expanded to 12 in 2021, and 14 in 2024. See www.hobokennj/gov/compost.
The Zero Waste Plan evaluates current operations to increase diversion, identify efficiencies, and reduce costs for the city. The Plan considers stakeholder and service user perspectives, as well as best practices to understand how these services are viewed and what improvements could be made.
Compiled into a detailed implementation strategy and timeline, the Zero Waste Plan provides a roadmap of evidence-based solutions that recognize the City’s significant current and potential growth and support its climate change plans while considering equity and environmental justice. Strategies cover education and outreach, amendments to the municipal cost, procurement personnel, equipment and facilities, and resources needed to deliver and monitor delivery of the Zero Waste Plan.
To achieve zero waste and move the city towards a more circular future, Hoboken must implement a series of actions to decrease the amount of waste sent to landfill. The plan offers 18 actions to achieve zero waste, focusing on four core categories:
1. Garbage and recycling;
2. Organics;
3. Reuse and repair; and,
4. Education and public space.
After a series of meetings and workshops with key stakeholders, including representatives from Hudson County Improvement Authority and various City departments, the Zero Waste Plan recommendations were refined to the actions shown below.
