[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Commissioners of the Township of Springfield 12-12-1973 by Ord. No. 628. Amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Garbage, rubbish and refuse — See Ch. 40.
Peddling and soliciting — See Ch. 62.
Abandoned refrigerators — See Ch. 73.
Sewers — See Ch. 81.
Streets and sidewalks — See Ch. 92.
Abandoned vehicles and junkyards — See Ch. 105.
A. 
Word usage. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words used in plural numbers include the singular number, the words used in the singular number include the plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory.
B. 
Definitions. For the purpose of this chapter, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivatives shall have the meanings given herein:
AIRCRAFT
Any contrivance now known or hereafter invented, used or designated for navigation or for flight in the air. The word "aircraft" shall include helicopters and lighter-than-air dirigibles and balloons.
AUTHORIZED PRIVATE RECEPTACLE
A litter storage and collection receptacle as authorized by Springfield Township and the National Sanitation Foundation.
COMMERCIAL HANDBILL
Any printed or written matter, any sample or device, dodger, circular, leaflet, pamphlet, paper booklet or any other printed or otherwise reproduced original or copies of any matter or literature:
(1) 
Which advertises for sale any merchandise, product, commodity or thing.
(2) 
Which directs attention to any business or mercantile or commercial establishment, or other activity, for the purpose of either directly or indirectly promoting the interest thereof by sales.
(3) 
Which directs attention to or advertises any meeting, theatrical performance, exhibition or event of any kind for which an admission fee is charged for the purpose of private gain or profit; but the terms of this subsection shall not apply where an admission fee is charged or a collection is taken up for the purpose of defraying the expenses incident to such meeting, theatrical performance, exhibition or event of any kind, when either of the same is held, given or takes place in connection with the dissemination of information which is not restricted under the ordinary rules of decency, good morals, public peace, safety and good order; provided that nothing contained in this subsection shall be deemed to authorize the holding, giving or taking place of any meeting, theatrical performance, exhibition or event of any kind without a license where such license is or may be required by any law of Pennsylvania or under any ordinance of Springfield Township.
(4) 
Which, while containing reading matter other than advertising matter, it predominantly and essentially an advertisement and is distributed or circulated for advertising purposes or for the private benefit and gain of any person so engaged as advertiser or distributor.
GARBAGE
Putrescible animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food.
LITTER
Garbage, refuse and rubbish, as defined herein, and all other waste material which, if thrown or deposited as herein prohibited, tends to create a danger to the public health, safety and welfare.
NEWSPAPER
Any newspaper of general circulation as defined by general law, any newspaper duly entered with the Post Office Department of the United States in accordance with federal statute or regulations and any newspaper filed and recorded with a recording officer as provided by general law; and, in addition thereto, any periodical or current magazine regularly published with not less than four issues per year and sold to the public.
NONCOMMERCIAL HANDBILL
Any printed or written matter, any sample or device, dodger, circular, leaflet, pamphlet, newspaper, magazine, paper booklet or any other printed or otherwise reproduced original or copies of any matter or literature not included in the aforesaid definitions of "commercial handbills" or "newspaper."
PARK
A park, playground, recreation center or any other public area in the township owned or used by the township and devoted to active or passive recreation.
PERSON
Any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company or organization of any kind.
PRIVATE PREMISES
Any dwelling, house, building or other structure designed to be used wholly or in part for private residential purposes, whether inhabited or temporarily or continuously uninhabited or vacant, including any yard, grounds, walks, driveway, park, steps, vestibule or mailbox belonging or appurtenant to such dwelling, house, building or other structure.
PUBLIC PLACE
Any and all streets, sidewalks, boulevards, alleys or other public ways, and any and all public parks, squares, spaces, grounds and buildings.
REFUSE
All putrescible and nonputrescible solid waste (except body waste), including garbage, rubbish, ashes, street cleanings, dead animals, abandoned automobiles and solid market and industrial wastes.
RUBBISH
Nonputrescible solid wastes consisting of both combustible and noncombustible waste, such as paper, wrappings, cigarettes, cardboard, tin cans, grass, leaves, yard clippings, wood, glass, bedding, crockery and similar materials.
TOWNSHIP
The Township of Springfield, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
VEHICLE
Every device in, upon or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, including devices used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in or upon any street, sidewalk or public place within the township, except in public receptacles or in authorized private receptacles for collection.
Persons placing litter in public receptacles or in authorized private receptacles shall do so in such a manner as to prevent it from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, sidewalk or other public place or upon public property.
No person shall sweep into or deposit in any gutter, street or other public place within the township the accumulation of litter from a building or lot or from any public or private sidewalk or driveway. Persons owning or occupying property shall keep the sidewalk in front of their premises free of litter.
No person owning or occupying a place of business shall sweep into or deposit in any gutter, street or other public place within the township the accumulation of litter from any building or lot or from any public or private sidewalk or driveway. Persons owning or occupying places of business within the township shall keep the sidewalk in front of their business premises free of litter.
No person while a driver or passenger in a vehicle shall throw or deposit litter upon any street or other public place within the township or upon private property.
No person shall drive or move any truck or other vehicle within the township unless such vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any load, contents or litter from being blown or deposited upon any street, alley or other public place. Nor shall any person drive or move any vehicle or track within the township, the wheels or tires of which carry onto or deposit in any street, alley or other public place mud, dirt, sticky substances, litter or foreign matter of any kind.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any park within the township, except in public receptacles and in such a manner that the litter will be prevented from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any part of the park or upon any street or other public place. Where public receptacles are not provided, all such litter shall be carried away from the park by the person responsible for its presence and properly disposed of elsewhere as provided herein.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any pond, stream or any other body of water in a park or elsewhere within the township.
No person shall throw or deposit litter in any storm or sanitary sewer, including rights-of-way.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or upon any sidewalk, street or other public place within the township. Nor shall any person hand out or distribute or sell any commercial handbill in any public place; provided, however, that it shall not be unlawful on any sidewalk, street or other public place within the township for any person to hand out or distribute, without charge to the receiver thereof, any noncommercial handbill to any person willing to accept it.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or upon any vehicle; provided, however, that is shall not be unlawful in any public place for a person to hand out or distribute, without charge to the receiver thereof, a noncommercial handbill to any occupant of a vehicle who is willing to accept it.
No person shall throw or deposit any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or upon any private premises which are temporarily or continuously uninhabited or vacant.
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any commercial or noncommercial handbill upon any premises if requested by anyone thereon not to do so or if there is placed on said premises in a conspicuous position near the entrance thereof a sign bearing the words "No Trespassing," "No Peddlers or Agents," "No Advertisements" or any similar notice indicating in any manner that the occupants of said premises do not desire to be molested or have their right of privacy disturbed or to have any such handbills left upon such premises.
A. 
No person shall throw, deposit or distribute any commercial or noncommercial handbill in or upon private premises which are inhabited, except by handing or transmitting any such handbill directly to the owner, occupant or other person then present in or upon such private premises; provided, however, that in case of inhabited private premises which are not posted, as provided in this chapter, such person, unless requested by anyone upon such premises not to do so, may place or deposit any such handbill in or upon such inhabited private premises if such handbill is so placed or deposited as to secure or prevent such handbill from being blown or drifted about such premises or sidewalks, streets or other public places, and except that mailboxes may not be so used when so prohibited by federal postal law or regulations.
B. 
Exception for mail and newspapers. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the distribution of mail by the United States nor to newspapers, as defined herein, except that newspapers shall be placed on private property in such a manner as to prevent their being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, sidewalk or other public place or upon private property.
No person in an aircraft shall throw out, drop or deposit within the township any litter, handbill or any other object.
No person shall post or affix any notice, poster or other paper or device, calculated to attract the attention of the public, to any lamppost, public utility pole or shade tree or upon any public structure or building, except as may be authorized or required by law.
No person shall throw or deposit litter on any occupied private property within the township, whether owned by such person or not, except that the owner or person in control of private property may maintain authorized private receptacles for collection in such a manner that litter will be prevented from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, sidewalk or other public place or upon any private property.
The owner or person in control of any private property shall at all times maintain the premises free of litter; provided, however, that this section shall not prohibit the storage of litter in authorized private receptacles for collection.
A. 
Notice to remove. Springfield Township is hereby authorized and empowered to notify the owner of any open or vacant private property within the township, or the agent of such owner, to properly dispose of litter located on such owner's property which is dangerous to public health, safety or welfare. Such notice shall be by certified mail, addressed to said owner at his last known address.
B. 
Action upon noncompliance. Upon the failure, neglect or refusal of any owner or agent so notified to properly dispose of litter dangerous to the public health, safety or welfare within five days after receipt of written notice provided for in Subsection A above, the owner shall be cited for violation in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.
[Amended 7-13-1988 by Ord. No. 756]
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter, upon conviction thereof in a summary proceeding, shall be sentenced to pay a fine not to exceed $1,000, which fine may be collected by a suit brought in the name of the township before any District Justice in like manner as debts of like amount may be used for by existing laws.