OLD BRIDGE, N.J. — It’s not your typical case of dumping. A few days ago, pictures of several hundred pounds of pasta dumped in Old Bridge were posted on Facebook.

A township spokesperson told PIX11 News about 15 wheelbarrow loads of uncooked pasta were illegally dumped along a creek that winds through a residential neighborhood. They say police were called, and soon after, public works employees removed the mess.

“It’s a big waste,” said nearby pizza restaurant owner Joe Nemeth, who, like many others online, was caught off guard.

He said it’s more pasta than he goes through in a couple of weeks.

“A couple hundred dollars [worth of pasta], maybe close to a thousand, probably,” said Nemeth. “Three to four hundred pounds is a lot of pasta.”

Township resident Nina Jochnowitz heard about the pasta dump from neighbors and was the one who shared the pictures online. She says illegal bulk dumping has been a problem in the township.

“Because we don’t have [bulk] pickup, we have dumps,” said Jochnowitz. “The Department of Public Works did a great job cleaning it up. As soon as they found out or were informed that they could do it, they cleaned it up. They did a great job as always.”

Trash could be seen sitting in several parts of the creek, including tires. 

“What matters is it’s just one more person who dumped something,” said Jochnowitz.

The township said the illegal dumping is still under investigation.