Mayor Bernie Platt, joined by other local officials, announced yesterday that the township will save $265,000 on the cost of municipal trash disposal over the next 14 months, thanks to its purchasing partnership with seven other Camden County municipalities.
Cherry Hill currently pays about $1.3 million in incinerator fees, Platt said, to dispose of 23,000 tons of solid waste. The township will now pay $52.50 per ton. Cherry Hill had been paying $65 per ton.
In total, the collective savings will be about $950,000 over the next 14 months for Voorhees, Haddon Township, Merchantville, Winslow, Somerdale, Gibbsboro and Collingswood, who joined Cherry Hill this year to seek a collective trash disposal contract.
The agreement, the township reports, is the largest of its kind in South Jersey. The collective purchasing involves about 175,000 residents, which make up a quarter of the county’s population, and 103 square miles.
“Throughout my tenure as mayor, I’ve made a commitment to the residents of this township that I would think progressively and do whatever was in my power to continue delivering high-quality services at the lowest possible prices,” Platt said.
Somerdale Mayor Gary Passanante said the measure will save the borough a penny on its tax rate.
“These are unprecedented discussions,” Passanante said. “We’re extremely proud and we thank Cherry Hill for taking a leadership role. We can accomplish much more together than we can apart.”
