NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ–Middlesex County Improvement Authority (MCIA) Division Manager Ed Windas announced that MCIA’s book recycling program accepted 28.2 tons of books in 2015, the largest amount in the history of the program.

Typically consisting of mixed papers and books, the total tonnage of recyclables topped the previous record year of 2012 by 6 tons.

The program has performed well since its inception at South Plainfield’s Grant Elementary School in 2006.

In total, the program has processed 160.3 tons of recyclables. Middlesex as a whole was rated the No. 1 recycling county in NJ for the second year in a row, and the book recycling program was no exception.

“Our book recycling program was one of the first in the state” said Windas, adding “We are always trying to set a higher bar, even for ourselves.”

Looking to build on the program’s success, Windas issued an open call for other local schools to join, stating “We’d love to recruit more in the coming year.”

For a school to participate in the program, they can request a specially marked dumpster for recyclables from the MCIA’s recycling division.

After refuse such as paper scraps and unused books are sorted into the dumpster, the container is hauled away to be processed.

This year saw two new participants in the program: Roosevelt Elementary School in New Brunswick and Von E. Mauger Middle School in Middlesex Borough. Other contributing members include Dunellen High School, Spotswood High School, and Plainsboro-West Windsor High School.

“It’s a free program, it’s great for the environment and educators might even utilize this as a teaching tool to highlight the importance of recycling,” said Middlesex County Freeholder Deputy Director Carol Bellante, an MCIA liaison.

The MCIA can be reached at 1-800-488-6242 for more information or to participate in the MCIA’s School Book Recycling Program. They can also be found online at www.mciauth.com and reached by email at [email protected]