This week, Maplewood residents will begin using single stream recycling. For consumers, single stream is a convenience. All recyclable materials are collected together, eliminating the need for time-consuming and tedious separation of bottles and cans from paper and plastic. 

Critics charge that the mix of materials can render significant portions of the materials unusable. However, it appears that an overall increase of recycling could offset the waste; New Jersey communities have reported a 30 percent increase in recycling use with single stream.

In April, 2008, United Kingdom environment minister Joan Ruddock released results of a study of the country’s single stream (which Brits charmingly call “commingled”) recycling that found almost ten percent of the recycled materials were unusable when recycled materials were mixed. Recycling advocacy Web site www.ecocycle.org lists a "dirty dozen" of contaminating materials that lower the value of recyclable materials.

In addition, some environmentalists have voiced concerns that single stream reduces the amount of organic trash that could be converted into compost.

Meanwhile, in the last few months, the value of recycled material has dropped dramatically. Municipalities that used to make a profit by selling their recycled materials—including Maplewood—may have to pay to get rid of it. On Maplewoodian.com, town administrator Joseph Manning estimated the 2009 cost for the town at $90,000. Currently, the town’s recycling program is funded by a trust with approximately $100,000 in it.