[Adopted 1-14-1991 by Ord. No. 1991-1 (Ch. 20, Part 2, of the 1983 Code of Ordinances)]
A. 
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has enacted Act 101 of 1988 (the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 4000.101 et seq.
B. 
Each municipality has the authority and duty to assure proper and adequate transportation, collection and disposal of municipal solid waste which is generated or present within its boundaries and to adopt and implement programs for the collection and recycling of source-separated recyclable materials as provided in the Act.
C. 
New Freedom Borough believes that the reduction of the amount of solid waste and conservation of recyclable materials is an important public concern and is necessary to implement the requirements of Pennsylvania Act 101, the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act of 1988,[2] and the York County Solid Waste Management Plan. The separation and collection of used newspaper, paper, glass, plastics, cans and leaf waste for recycling from the residential, commercial and institutional establishments in this Borough will minimize the adverse environmental effects of landfilling by reducing the need for landfills and conserving existing landfill capacity, facilitate the implementation and operation of other forms of resource recovery called for by the York County Solid Waste Management Plan, conserve natural resources and hopefully help control the escalating costs of solid waste disposal generally.
[2]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 4000.101 et seq.
For the purpose of this article, the following terms and phrases of words shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context in which the word is used clearly indicates otherwise:
ALUMINUM
All food and beverage cans made of the lightweight, ductile and malleable metallic substances or elements commonly known as "aluminum." This description excludes aluminum foil, trays, plates and miscellaneous aluminum products.
[Added 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
COLLECTION POINT
The location where municipal waste, including recyclable materials, is placed for collection; if the property fronts on a public street, it shall be the front curbline or, if none, at the front property line; where there is no street upon which the property fronts, collection shall be made at the property line at the public alley upon which it fronts; but, where it fronts on both an alley and street, collection shall be made at either as the Borough Council may from time to time in its sole discretion decide; if the property has no frontage on a public street or alley, collection shall be made at a collection point approved by the Borough Council, contractor and the owner of the collection point.
COMMINGLED
Recyclable materials which have been segregated from regulated municipal waste but which have not been separated into different types of recyclable materials and which have been placed in a recycling container for the purpose of collection.
[Added 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
CORRUGATED PAPER
Layered paper or cardboard in which one or more layers is pressed into parallel grooves or ridges and which is normally used for wrapping, packing, shipping and/or the storage of dry materials.
[Added 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
GLASS
The hard, brittle and transparent or partially transparent substance produced by fusion of silica and silicates or sand containing soda and lime and/or other chemicals and substances usually or conveniently included in the manufacture of glass. For the purposes of this chapter, the term "glass" shall mean only those materials commonly known as "glass bottles or containers," including all food and beverage containers made of glass, whether clear or colored, of one gallon or less capacity. The term "glass" excludes containers of a greater capacity than one gallon, glass which is not in the form of unbroken bottles or containers, glass which is laminated, wired or mirrored, ceramics and crystal.
[Added 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
HIGH-GRADE OFFICE PAPER
Printed or unprinted sheets, shavings or cuttings of sulphite or sulphate ledger, bond, writing or other paper having similar fiber and filler content including, but not limited to, stationery, copy paper and computer paper. Treated, coated, padded and heavily printed stock is not included.
[Added 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
NEWSPRINT
Paper of the type commonly used for the printing of newspapers and newspaper advertising or other supplements, including glossy or coated paper of the type found in magazines and periodicals.
[Added 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
PERSON
Any individual, partnership, firm, corporation, association, institution, cooperative, enterprise, municipality, municipal authority, federal government or agency, state institution or agency or any other legal entity whatsoever which is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties. It shall also mean owner, lessee or occupant of a residential dwelling, commercial establishment or institutional establishment. In any provision of this article prescribing a fine, imprisonment or penalty, or any combination thereof, the term "person" shall include the officers and directors of any corporation or other legal entity having officers and directors.
PLASTICS
Organic, synthetic or processed materials that are thermoplasatic or thermosetting polymers of high molecular weight that can be molded, cast, extruded, drawn or laminated into objects, films or filaments.
[Added 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
RECYCLING
The separation, collection, recovery and sale or reuse of metals, glass, paper, leaves, brush, plastics and other materials which would otherwise be disposed of or processed as regulated municipal waste and the recovery of reusable materials other than a fuel for the creation of energy.
[Added 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
RECYCLING BIN
The plastic container provided by New Freedom Borough, or its collector, for the express purpose of storing recyclable materials for collection by the Borough's collector.
RECYCLING CONTAINER
For residential units, the term "recycling container" shall refer to the container supplied by the Borough or the contractor.
[Added 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
RESIDENCE
Any building or part of a building arranged or designed to be used, or in fact used, for continuous or periodic habitation by human beings in a single-family unit.
SCAVENGING
The uncontrolled or unauthorized removal of recyclable materials from the curbside.
[Added 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
STEEL AND BIMETALLIC CANS
The ferrous metal food or beverage containers commonly known as "tin cans."
[Added 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
There is hereby established in New Freedom Borough a mandatory source separation and collection program for recyclable materials.
[Amended 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
A. 
All residential, multifamily units, commercial, industrial institutional, and municipal establishments shall separate recyclable materials from municipal waste and shall commingle for recycling the following designated recyclable materials:
(1) 
Aluminum.
(2) 
Corrugated paper.
(3) 
Glass (clear and colored).
(4) 
High-grade office paper;
(5) 
Newsprint.
(6) 
Plastics labeled #1 through #7.
(7) 
Steel and bimetallic cans.
B. 
Recyclable materials from all properties required to recycle hereunder shall be prepared for collection by the person(s) responsible to do so hereunder, as follows:
(1) 
The caps and lids from glass containers shall be removed and disposed of or recycled, as may be permitted by this chapter. The caps and lids on plastic containers may be left on such containers.
(2) 
All containers shall be rinsed free of food waste and other contaminants.
(3) 
All recyclable materials shall be placed in recycling bins.
(4) 
No other municipal waste, refuse or covered device shall be placed in a recycling bin.
C. 
Collection points.
(1) 
Recyclable materials from residences shall, except as provided in § 183-29, be placed for collection at the collection point by the persons responsible for separation pursuant to § 183-20A.
(2) 
Placement at the collection point shall not be earlier than 5:00 p.m., prevailing time, on the evening immediately preceding a scheduled collection day, nor later than 6:00 a.m., prevailing time, on the scheduled collection day.
D. 
For multifamily dwelling properties, in lieu of requiring each residential unit within a multifamily dwelling building or buildings to utilize a separate recycling bin, the owner, landlord or agent of owner or landlord may establish a centralized location and system for collection of recyclable materials. Such collection system must include suitable containers for collection and sorting of recyclable materials, easily accessible locations of such containers for both residents and the collector and written instructions to all occupants concerning the requirement to recycle and the use and location of the collection system. Owners, landlords and agents of the same who comply with this Subsection D shall not be liable for violations of the individual occupants of the multifamily dwelling property.
E. 
For all nonresidential properties, those persons responsible to separate and dispose of recyclable materials hereunder shall be exempt from the requirements of Subsection A of § 183-20 above if they have otherwise provided for the recycling of materials which they are required by this section to recycle and provided that, by January 15 of each year, such person(s) complete and submit evidence of the arrangement and amount of recyclable materials collected thereunder during the previous year to the Borough on the form provided by the Borough.
[1]
Editor's Note: Former §§ 183-21, Separation and disposal of recyclable materials by multifamily dwelling properties, and 183-22, Separation and disposal of recyclable materials by commercial, institutional and municipal establishments, were repealed 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8.
[Amended 8-14-1995 by Ord. No. 1995-9]
All persons shall separate leaves generated at their residences and at the commercial, municipal or institutional establishments which they occupy from other municipal waste and store such material until the authorized collection. Leaves will not be collected by the trash haulers during the regular weekly pickups. This section shall not prevent any person from otherwise utilizing leaf waste for compost, mulch or other legal agricultural, horticultural, gardening or landscape purposes. Such material shall be placed at such locations and times for collection as specified below or as the Borough Council may publicly announce from time to time.
A. 
Leaf waste shall be collected, by the Borough, at the curbside on the last Monday of October, each Monday in November and the first Monday of December unless otherwise specified by Borough Council.
[Amended 8-26-1996 by Ord. No. 1996-10]
B. 
All persons who reside in residential dwellings and all persons responsible for the management or operation of multifamily dwellings, all commercial, municipal and institutional establishments who gather waste shall source separate all leaf wastes and place them for collection in the fall of the year in a pile or row in the street outside of traffic lanes, approximately one foot from the edge of any existing curbing, in such a manner as will allow safe passage of vehicles and proper stormwater drainage. All leaf waste shall be deposited along the curbing prior to 7:00 a.m. on the specified Mondays. If the leaf waste is mixed or combined with other debris, the leaf waste will not be picked up.
C. 
A vacuum truck will vacuum the leaves from the curbside. Leaf waste will not be picked up in plastic bags nor any container. The leaf waste shall be placed loose along the curbing.
D. 
Tree limbs, not to exceed eight inches in diameter, shall be collected by the Borough at curbside on the second and fourth Tuesdays in April, May, June, September, and October. All tree limbs must be curbside by 7:00 a.m. of the day designated for pickup.
[Amended 8-26-1996 by Ord. No. 1996-10; 12-12-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-8]
E. 
Christmas trees shall be collected curbside by the Borough during the second and third weeks of January. All Christmas trees must be free of ornaments and tinsel. Christmas trees shall not be collected by the trash haulers.
[Amended 8-26-1996 by Ord. No. 1996-10]
F. 
The stated times of collection for tree limbs, leaf waste and Christmas trees at the designated pickup location at times designated by the Borough are the only times that they can be left at the designated collection point. It shall be unlawful, and punishable by the penalties stated in this article, for anyone to deposit any trash, garbage, leaf waste, yard waste, limbs, trees or any other items for discard on any Borough property.
[Amended 8-26-1996 by Ord. No. 1996-10]
Municipal waste, including recyclable materials from residences, recyclable materials from commercial, municipal and institutional establishments and leaf waste shall be collected with such frequency and on such schedule as Borough Council shall publicly announce from time to time.
New Freedom Borough may enter into a collection contract with a collector for collection of all or part of recyclable materials from the Borough.
No person other than the Borough or its contracted collector shall collect or pick up or cause to be collected or picked up any recyclable material from residences or recyclable materials from commercial, municipal and institutional establishments that has been placed at the collection point. Each such collection or pickup in violation hereof shall constitute a separate and distinct offense punishable as hereinafter provided.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for:
(1) 
Any person to violate or to cause or to assist in the violation of any provision of this article or any provision of Pennsylvania Act 101 concerning recycling;
(2) 
Any person to place or to cause to be placed any material other than those designated herein in a recycling bin;
(3) 
Any person to hinder, to obstruct, to prevent or to interfere with the Borough or its contracted collector in the performance of any duty under this article or in the enforcement of this article.
(4) 
Any person to cause or to allow their pets to cause recyclable materials from residences, or recyclable materials from commercial, municipal and industrial establishments, to be scattered or spilled from recycling bins or bundles that have been placed for collection;
(5) 
Theft of Borough recycling bins;
(6) 
Willful damage to and/or unauthorized use of recycling bins;
(7) 
Unauthorized collection of recyclables as provided in § 183-26 of this article.
B. 
All unlawful conduct set forth in this section shall constitute a public nuisance.
The Borough or, at the direction of the Borough, the designated collector collecting solid waste generated within the Borough may refuse to collect solid waste from any person who has clearly failed to separate recyclables designated under an applicable section of this article.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, any person who is required to separate at the source any recyclable material from residences, or recyclable materials from commercial, municipal and institutional establishments, may donate or sell any recyclable materials from residences, or recyclable materials from commercial, municipal and institutional establishments, to any other person; provided, however, that such materials shall not be placed at the collection point and that the person receiving such material does recycle it and does not under any circumstances collect the donated or sold recyclable material from the collection point. The contents of recycling bins, bundles of newsprint and high-grade office paper and leaf waste which have been timely placed at the collection point are deemed to be containing recyclable materials intended for the Borough contracted collector.
Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to interfere with or in any way modify the provisions of any existing contract which is consistent with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and in force in the Borough on the effective date of this article.
The persons responsible for separation pursuant to §§ 183-20 and 183-22 shall replace any lost or damaged recycling bins.
Any person who fails to comply with any provision of this article shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $600 and costs of prosecution and, in default of payment thereof, shall be imprisoned not more than 30 days. Each continuing day of violation of this article shall constitute a separate offense.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I).