NORRISTOWN PA – Attention, politicians and politician-wanna-bees. You already know Election Day is next Tuesday (Nov. 8, 2011). That should make “Election Sign Removal Day” next Wednesday (Nov. 9). And as you clean up, Montgomery County reminds you that your no-longer-needed campaign signs can be recycled rather than trashed.

The county’s Recycling Office said Wednesday (Nov. 2) it has partnered with ReCommunity Recycling in Philadelphia, Sullivan’s Scrap Metals in Lower Moreland, and the county Democratic and Republican committees to ensure those metal and plastic signs now dotting local streets and roads get a well-deserved second life as something usable.

“We want to connect candidates and home owners with drop-off points so that signs can be recycled instead of thrown in the trash,” Chris Kaasmann, the county’s recycling coordinator, said. Three such drop-offs are located at

• Pottstown Borough Hall, 100 High St., Pottstown PA;
• Collegeville Borough Hall, 491 E. Main St., Collegeville; and
• the Pennsburg Borough Garage, 76 W. 6th St., Pennsburg.

Collection points will operate from Nov. 9-23. After that, all signs and stakes will be delivered to ReCommunity and Sullivan’s for recycling. Small, corrugated and bag type plastic lawn signs are recyclable but should not be tossed into a standard curbside recycling bin. Similarly metal stakes should not be recycled curbside but can be recovered at a scrap metal facility.

Be forewarned: the recycling office will not collect or pick up signs. That’s a candidate’s job, or the duty of property owners, Kaasmann noted. Many area municipalities have decided to strictly enforce sign removal, too, because of past complaints about visual blight.

For more information on the program, call Kaasmann at 610-278-3618.

Photo from Google Images