Operation and Maintenance of the Ocean County Recyclable Materials Processing Facility No. II

Ocean County Board of Commissioners is requesting competitive contracting proposals for operation and maintenance of the Ocean County Recyclable Materials Processing Facility No. II, with proposals due October 22, 2026 and a mandatory pre-proposal conference at the Northern Recycling Center in Lakewood.

The operator will manage single-stream recyclable materials processing at the Northern Recycling Center (Lakewood) and baling operations at the Southern Recycling Center (Stafford Township), handling approximately 25 tons per hour of mixed glass, ferrous and aluminum containers, plastics, old newspaper, corrugated cardboard, mixed paper, and non-recyclable residue from 33 municipalities across northern and southern Ocean County. The contract term is five years with an option to extend for an additional five years, commencing January 1, 2027.

The operator must submit a processing and marketing fee as a price per ton of in-county residential recyclable material covering all operational costs, including facility operation, maintenance, administration, residue disposal, and marketing. The operator receives 20 percent of net sales revenue from material sales while the County receives 80 percent. For in-county commercial and out-of-county recyclable material, the County charges a $10 administration fee per ton. The operator must provide a performance bond of $3 million and demonstrate financial capability with recent annual reports and tax filings. The operator assumes responsibility for the first $10,000 of facility improvement costs; the County covers costs exceeding that threshold.

The operator must supply all rolling stock — two front-end loaders, two skid-steer loaders, and two forklifts at Lakewood, and one skid-steer loader and one forklift at Stafford — and must purchase the existing spare parts inventory at fair market value on the first day of operations. The operator must pass a Performance Test at the Northern facility within 90 days of contract execution. Minimum operating hours are 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with extended Saturday hours 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. during summer months (Memorial Day through Labor Day). The County anticipates award by November 2026.