[Adopted 11-12-1991 by Ord. No. 1,032 as Ch. 181 of the 1991 Code; amended in its entirety 9-21-2009 by Ord. No. 14-09, effective 10-11-2009]
The purpose of this article is to foster and promote the interests on the public health and safety by establishing the means and procedures of recycling designated materials in the Borough of Lincoln Park. The Borough of Lincoln Park does hereby accept the state policy directive of achieving at least a fifty-percent recycling rate of municipal solid waste by 2015. The Borough shall monitor its level of recycling and solid waste disposal and strive to achieve the recycling of 50% of the municipal solid waste generated within its borders.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
BOROUGH
The Borough of Lincoln Park, the Mayor and governing body of Lincoln Park, or their designees.
COMMERCIAL SOLID WASTE
Any garbage, refuse, rubbish and trash resulting or originating from any commercial user, premises or activity.
COMMERCIAL USER
Any nonresidential building use or establishment, including but not limited to those used for retail, wholesale, dining, office, professional, shipping and receiving, mechanical, manufacturing and cafeteria purposes.
COMMINGLED
A combining of nonputrescible source-separated recyclable materials for the purpose of recycling.
DESIGNATED RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
Those materials designated within the Morris County District Solid Waste Management Plan to be source separated for the purpose of recycling. These materials include:
A. 
ALUMINUM CANSCans made from aluminum that was manufactured to hold a serving of beverage. Specifically omitted from this definition are aluminum foil and aluminum pie plates.
B. 
CORRUGATED CARDBOARDShipping containers made with a Kraft paper linerboard and corrugated medium.
C. 
GLASS BOTTLES AND JARSBottles and jars made from glass, including clear, brown and green glass. A bottle is defined as a receptacle having a narrow neck and a mouth that can be corked or capped. A jar is defined as a wide-mouthed container that can be capped. Caps and lids are not included. Specifically omitted from this definition are drinking glasses, windows, mirrors, light bulbs, and anything made of Pyrex or ceramic.
D. 
MIXED PAPERVarious categories of recyclable paper, including but not limited to white and colored paper used in printers, photocopiers and fax machines, white and colored ledger paper, carbonless copy paper, construction paper, undeliverable mail, mailed promotional letters/advertisements/circulars, magazines, catalogues, envelopes, and soft-cover books.
E. 
NEWSPAPERA publication containing news, information and advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called newsprint. Newspaper may include glossy inserts which come with the paper.
F. 
OIL-CONTAMINATED SOILNonhazardous soil that contains petroleum hydrocarbons (gasoline, diesel, kerosene, jet fuel, No. 4 and No. 6 heating oils and certain other refinery products including coal tar). This type of soil shall be determined to be nonhazardous in accordance with the standards set forth in N.J.A.C. 7:26.
G. 
PLASTIC BOTTLES (CODED 1 AND 2)Plastic bottles coded to indicate that they are comprised of the specific types of plastic compounds (polymers) known as polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) or high-density polyethylene (HPDE). A bottle is defined as a receptacle having a narrow neck and a mouth that can be corked or capped. Caps and lids are not included. Any item made of plastic that is not a bottle is specifically omitted from this definition. Empty bottles which contained hazardous materials, such as motor oil, antifreeze, etc., should not be recycled.
H. 
STEEL (TIN) CANSAn air-tight container for the distribution or storage of goods, composed of thin, usually ferrous, metal. Examples are soup cans and tuna fish cans.
I. 
LEAVESVegetative materials, typically generated in the autumn when they fall from trees and then are raked from residents' and/or commercial lawns.
J. 
GRASS CLIPPINGSVegetative material generated when grass (lawns) is cut.
K. 
BRUSHBranches, woody plants and other similar vegetative material. Leaves and grass do not constitute brush.
L. 
NATURAL WOOD WASTELogs, stumps, branches and other wood tree parts. Dimensional lumber is omitted from inclusion in this definition.
M. 
USED MOTOR OILMotor oil from motor vehicles, lawn mowers, boats, etc., which has served its intended useful purpose.
N. 
LEAD-ACID BATTERIESStorage batteries in which the electrodes are grids of lead containing lead oxides that change in composition during charging and discharging, and the electrolyte is dilute sulfuric acid. These include starting batteries such as car batteries that deliver a short burst of high power to start the engine. In addition, they may include deep cell batteries found on boats or campers used to power accessories like trolling motors, winches or lights.
O. 
HAZARDOUS DRY CELL BATTERIESRechargeable batteries, such as nickel-cadmium, nickel-iron, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion, small sealed lead acid, etc. These are often used as substitutes for nonrechargeable batteries in standard sizes such as AAA, AA, C, D and 9V. Rechargeable batteries are commonly found in cordless tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers, cameras, remote controls, toys, etc. Also included in this definition are nonrechargeable batteries that are hazardous as defined by the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA),[1] regardless of the RCRA exclusion of household waste from the definition of hazardous waste pursuant to 40 CFR 261.4(b). Nonrechargeable hazardous batteries include older alkaline and carbon zinc batteries, as well as silver oxide, mercury and magnesium button-type batteries, etc. It should be noted that domestically manufactured alkaline and carbon zinc nonrechargeable batteries made after circa 1994 eliminated mercury content to the point that they should not be considered RCRA hazardous and therefore are not included in this material category.
P. 
WHOLE TIRESTires that are whole, not chipped into small pieces. Tires are allowed to be recycled and/or incinerated for energy recovery.
Q. 
METAL APPLIANCESAppliances composed predominantly of metal, and may include stoves, washing machines and dryers, for example, if the appliance is predominantly metal. Also included are air conditioners, refrigerators and dehumidifiers if they are predominantly metal. If these appliances on the latter list contain refrigerants that are prohibited by the Clean Air Act from being knowingly vented, the refrigerant must be recovered accordingly.
R. 
ELECTRONIC WASTE(To be included in those instances where a recycling program has been, or will be, established for these materials. Additionally, the following definition may be changed to reflect individual municipal program requirements.) A computer central processing unit and associated hardware, including keyboard, modem, printers, scanners and fax machines, a cathode ray tube, a cathode ray tube device, flat panel display or similar video display devices with a screen that is greater than four inches measured diagonally and that contains one or more circuit boards, including a television and cell phones.
GARBAGE
Any animal or vegetable waste solids resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking or consumption of foods, not including human waste.
GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Any person and/or firm engaged in a business of service, construction, repairing, refurbishing or remodeling of buildings, the demolition of buildings or the care and maintenance of buildings or grounds.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
Wastes presenting a danger to the health and safety of the public by reason of their pathological, explosive, radiological or toxic characteristics.
INSTITUTIONAL SOLID WASTE
Any garbage, refuse, rubbish and trash resulting or originating from any institutional user, premises or activity.
MULTIFAMILY DWELLING
Any building, structure, or complex of buildings in which three or more dwelling units are owner-occupied or rented or leased, or offered for rent or lease, for residential purposes (see N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.13a) and shall include hotels, motels, or other guest houses serving transient or seasonal guests as those terms are defined under Subsection (j) of Section 3 of the Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law, N.J.S.A. 55:13A-1 et seq.
MUNICIPAL RECYCLING COORDINATOR
The person or persons appointed by the Borough governing body to fulfill the requirements of the Morris County Solid Waste Management Plan and the New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act[2] and those rules and regulations promulgated therefor.
MUNICIPAL RECYCLING ENFORCEMENT COORDINATOR
The person or persons named by the Borough governing body who shall fulfill the responsibilities with respect to recycling enforcement coordination detailed in the March 2007 Morris County Solid Waste Management Plan Amendment Section 8.6.
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE STREAM
All solid waste generated at residential, commercial and institutional establishments within the municipality of the Borough of Lincoln Park which is not bulk waste or construction or demolition debris.
RECYCLABLE MATERIAL
Those materials which would otherwise become solid waste and which may be collected, separated or processed and returned to the economic mainstream in the form of raw materials or products.
REFUSE and TRASH
Combustibles such as paper, wood, plastics and yard debris and noncombustibles such as metal, glass, ceramics and stone.
RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE
Any garbage, refuse, rubbish and trash resulting or originating from any residential user, premises or activity.
RESIDENTIAL USER
Any person who owns, leases and/or occupies any residential dwelling unit within the Borough of Lincoln Park, including but not limited to those in multifamily (apartment complexes and condominiums) and/or single-family buildings.
SCAVENGER
Any unauthorized or unlicensed person, firm or corporation that collects, picks up or causes to be collected or picked up any recyclables placed at the curb or in the Borough Recycling Center.
SCRAP METALS
All metals, except aluminum, including but not limited to steel, iron, brass and copper, in the form of pipes, appliances, tire rims or bicycles.
SOLID WASTE CONTRACTOR
A person or firm engaged in the business of solid waste collection and/or disposal, properly authorized by the State Department of Environmental Protection.[3]
SOURCE-SEPARATED RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
Recyclable materials which are separated at the point of generation by the generator thereof from solid waste for the purposes of recycling.
SOURCE SEPARATION
The process by which recyclable materials are separated at the point of generation by the generator thereof from solid waste for the purpose of recycling.
SPECIAL MATERIALS
Bulky materials or other solid waste such as broken concrete, sod, dirt and building materials not generated by a general contractor or which cannot be stored in a standard solid waste container but can be collected by a standard collection vehicle.
STANDARD SOLID WASTE CONTAINER
A standard watertight vessel designed and constructed for the storage of garbage, refuse, rubbish and trash made of metal or plastic with a tight-fitting lid or cover and handles for unloading. Standard solid waste containers shall not have a volume larger than 32 gallons and shall not weigh more than 50 pounds when placed at the curb for collection; alternatively, tightly sealed plastic disposal bags are acceptable, provided that such bags are capable of containing up to 50 pounds of refuse when lifted.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq.
[2]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq.
[3]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
A. 
Mandatory source separation. It shall be mandatory for all persons who are owners, tenants, or occupants of residential and nonresidential premises, which shall include but not be limited to retail and other commercial locations, as well as government, school and other institutional locations located with the Borough of Lincoln Park, to separate designated recyclable materials from all solid waste. Designated recyclable materials shall be deposited separate and apart from other solid waste generated by the owners, tenants, or occupants of such premises. Designated recyclable materials shall be collected or disposed in a manner and on such days and times as may be hereinafter established by regulations promulgated by the Borough of Lincoln Park.
(1) 
Exemptions. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.16d, the governing body of the Borough of Lincoln Park may exempt persons occupying commercial or institutional premises within its municipal boundaries from the source separation requirements of this article. To be eligible for an exemption from this article, a commercial or institutional generator of solid waste shall file an application for exemption with the Municipal Recycling Coordinator on forms to be provided for this purpose. The forms shall include, at a minimum, the following information: the name of the commercial or institutional entity; the street address location and block and lot designation; the name, official title and phone number of the person making application on behalf of the commercial or institutional entity; the name, address and official contact person and telephone number of the facility which provides the service of recycling those designated recyclable materials; and a certification that the designated recyclable materials will be recycled and that, at least on an annual basis, said recycling service provider or commercial/institutional generator shall provide written documentation to the Municipal Recycling Coordinator of the total number of tons collected and recycled for each designated material.
B. 
Residential users. The owner of any residential property in the Borough shall be responsible for compliance with this article. For multifamily units, the management or owner is responsible for setting up and maintaining the recycling system, including collection of designated recyclable materials in accordance with this article. Violations and penalty notices will be directed to the owner or management, in those instances where the violator is not easily identifiable. The management shall issue notification and collection rules to new tenants when they arrive and every six months thereafter. The designated recyclable materials stated herein must be separated from other solid waste and must conform to the following regulations:
(1) 
Mixed paper/curbside news. Mixed newspaper or curbside news shall consist of newspaper, magazines, junk mail, telephone books, paperback books, corrugated cardboard, chipboard, office paper, school paper and brown paper bags. Items are to be placed in clearly marked containers or bundled and deposited at curbside in accordance with the schedule adopted and advertised by the Borough or deposited at the Borough Recycling Center.
(2) 
Commingled container contents. Acceptable containers include aluminum cans, steel cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and the following plastics:
(a) 
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Commonly found on plastic pipes, outdoor furniture, shrink-wrap, water bottles, salad dressings and liquid detergent containers.
(b) 
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE). Commonly found on dry-cleaning bags, produce bags, trash can liners and food storage containers.
(c) 
Polypropylene (PP). Commonly found on packing peanuts, cups, plastic tableware, meat trays, and take-away food clamshell containers.
(d) 
Other. Any plastic other than plastic bottles, PVC, LDPE and PP. Commonly found on certain kinds of food containers, Tupperware and Nalgene bottles.
(3) 
All containers should be rinsed and flattened if possible. Items are to be placed in clearly marked containers and deposited at curbside in accordance with the schedule adopted and advertised by the Borough or deposited at the Borough Recycling Center.
(4) 
Used motor oil shall be placed into clean, watertight containers with a tight-fitting cap and deposited at the used oil collection site in the Borough Recycling Center or in any designated commercial used oil collection site. A maximum of five gallons may be deposited at any one time.
(5) 
Whole tires.
(a) 
All tires are to be deposited in the Borough Recycling Center, except as may be permitted by this subsection.
(b) 
Tires generated in the ordinary course of business by commercial or institutional users will be charged by the Borough Recycling Center upon payment of a fee per tire to be established by the Borough Administrator.
(c) 
All deliveries shall be accompanied by a written certification from the commercial or institutional user setting forth the authority of the person making the delivery and further certifying that the tires were removed from service in the ordinary course of business in the Borough of Lincoln Park.
(6) 
Lead-acid batteries and hazardous dry cell batteries. All lead-acid batteries and hazardous dry cell batteries are to be deposited in the Borough Recycling Center.
(7) 
Leaves, brush and grass clippings.
[Amended 12-17-2012 by Ord. No. 27-12, effective 1-6-2013]
(a) 
Leaves.
[Amended 10-7-2019 by Ord. No. 11-19, effective 10-28-2019; 10-7-2019 by Ord. No. 14-19, effective 10-28-2019]
[1] 
Upon request at Borough Hall, the Borough shall provide each property owner with one bundle of biodegradable leaf bags free of charge annually or once per calendar year. Thereafter, and in the event a property owner requires an additional bundle of biodegradable leaf bags, the property owner shall pay the Borough of Lincoln Park the current market price (the cost may vary year to year) of the bundle of leaf bags that the Borough pays its vendor rounded up to the nearest whole dollar. A property owner shall be limited to purchase one additional bundle of biodegradable leaf bags. In the event that a property owner requires additional bags, the property owner shall be obligated to purchase the bags from an outside source.
[Amended 4-3-2023 by Ord. No. 10-23, effective 4-23-2023]
[2] 
The biodegradable leaf bags shall be available for pickup at the Lincoln Park Department of Finance located at 34 Chapel Hill Road, Lincoln Park, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
[3] 
Chapter 34, Fees, of the Code of the Borough of Lincoln Park to set forth that the fee for a bundle of biodegradable leaf bags shall be the current market price rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
[Amended 4-3-2023 by Ord. No. 10-23, effective 4-23-2023]
(b) 
Brush. The Borough of Lincoln Park Department of Public Works and Utilities and/or a contracted vendor will collect residential brush and branches during the spring and/or fall of each year in accordance with an annually advertised schedule. All brush and branches (not to exceed three inches in diameter) must be cut and tied into manageable bunches, not to exceed six feet in length, or placed in clearly labeled garbage barrel(s)/container(s).[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
(c) 
Grass clippings and vegetative waste. The Borough of Lincoln Park Department of Public Works and Utilities will collect grass and vegetative waste in either biodegradable brown paper lawn and leaf bags or in clearly labeled garbage containers not exceeding 50 pounds in weight. Grass clippings and vegetative waste may also be deposited by Lincoln Park residents in designated areas of the Borough Recycling Center any time of the year. Landscapers and other commercial entities are specifically prohibited from depositing grass clippings, leaves, brush and other organic waste at the Borough Recycling Center.
(8) 
Scrap metal. Metal and metal appliances may be deposited in designated areas of the Borough Recycling Center or may be picked up by the Borough through special arrangements with the Recycling Coordinator or his designee.
(9) 
Special materials. All special materials shall not be deposited in the Borough Recycling Center.
C. 
Commercial users.
(1) 
All commercial users, whether for profit or nonprofit, and all public and private institutional users shall be required to comply with the provisions of this article. All commercial users shall source separate all designated materials [newspapers, corrugated cardboard, mixed paper, plastic bottles (Coded 1 and 2), used motor oil, glass bottles and jars, aluminum cans, oil-contaminated soil, steel (tin) cans, leaves, brush, natural wood waste, whole tires, lead-acid batteries and hazardous dry cell batteries] for recycling. It shall be the responsibility of the commercial and/or institutional user to establish its own program for the collection, transportation and marketing of the designated recyclable materials. Documentation of the tonnage of materials recycled is to be submitted to the Borough in accordance with § 395-26.
(2) 
Recycling program for commercial and/or institutional users can be arranged with private haulers or vendors. The Borough Recycling Coordinator or his designee will be available to assist these establishments in complying with this requirement. It is the responsibility of the commercial or institutional user to determine and notify the Borough, in writing, that its hauler, contractor and/or vendor is properly licensed and insured and, in the case of waste oil haulers, that such haulers have all necessary New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection permits and/or licenses.
D. 
Multi-generator recycling responsibilities. In the case of residential, industrial, commercial and institutional multi-generator buildings and projects, such as apartments, townhouses and condominium associations, office buildings and shopping centers, the management, waste generator, and building owners shall be responsible for compliance with this article.
E. 
The hours of operation of the Borough Recycling Center are posted at the gate to the Recycling Center and shall be published annually in the official newspaper. No person, firm, corporation or institution shall be permitted to utilize the Recycling Center except during regularly scheduled hours of operation.
A. 
On or before April 1 of each year, all commercial, institutional and multifamily residential users not using municipal recycling collection facilities shall submit to the Borough Recycling Coordinator or his designee recycling documentation relating to and evidencing the total amounts of recyclables collected the previous year.
B. 
The Municipal Recycling Coordinator or his designee will compile all recycling documentation and report to the County or State Office of Recycling.
C. 
No person, firm, corporation or institution shall utilize the Borough Recycling Center without first signing and completing all requisite forms at the sign-in station.
Any recyclable materials placed at curbside or in the Borough Recycling Center in accordance with this article are the property of the Borough of Lincoln Park and/or its authorized agent. No person, firm, corporation or institution shall collect, pick up or cause to be collected or picked up any recyclables placed at curbside, unless authorized to do so by the Borough of Lincoln Park.
A. 
Any person, firm, corporation or institution who or which is an owner, lessee or occupant of premises subject to this article may donate or sell recyclable materials to any person, partnership, corporation or organization (whether operating for profit or not for profit), so long as the person, firm, corporation or institution receiving such recyclable materials submits documentation to the Municipal Recycling Coordinator as described in § 395-26.
B. 
This article is in no way intended to prohibit the collection of recyclable materials through recycling drives by charitable organizations within Lincoln Park. Such organizations may conduct such drives if:
(1) 
They are conducted on days other than those designated for collection by the Borough of Lincoln Park or its designee.
(2) 
The organization first secures permission from the Recycling Coordinator or his designee.
(3) 
The organization submits documentation to the Recycling Coordinator within 30 days after completion of the drive listing the recyclable material collected, the tonnage and place of disposal.
The Code Enforcement Officer, the Department of Health, the Recycling Coordinator, the Recycling Enforcement Coordinator and the Morris County Office of Health Management are hereby individually and severally empowered to enforce the provisions of this article.
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
A. 
No person, firm, corporation or institution shall combine designated recyclable materials with other solid waste or fail to separate designated recyclable materials for recycling.
B. 
No solid waste contractor shall be permitted to collect solid waste that contains visible signs of designated recyclable materials, remove for disposal those bags and/or containers of solid waste which visibly display a warning notice, sticker or some other device indicating that the bag and/or container contains designated recyclable materials or collect recyclables placed at curbside for recycling pickup unless authorized to do so by the Borough of Lincoln Park.
C. 
It shall be the responsibility of the person, firm, corporation or institution whose solid waste was not removed, because it contained recyclables, to properly segregate the uncollected waste for proper recycling. No person, firm, corporation or institution shall suffer or permit any such solid waste to remain at curbside longer than 12 hours after the end of the collection day.
D. 
All recyclable materials shall be deposited at the Borough Recycling Center as required herein and separated.
E. 
Special materials shall not be accepted at the Borough Recycling Center.
F. 
All persons, firms, corporations or institutions who or which are the owners, lessors or occupants of any premises within the Borough of Lincoln Park shall be required to source separate all designated materials from all other solid waste, in accordance with this article.
G. 
Leaves, grass and brush shall be banned from disposal at the transfer station.
A. 
Any person, firm, corporation, occupant, or entity that violates or fails to comply with any provisions of this article or any of the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder shall, upon conviction thereof, be subject to a penalty as provided in § 1-2 of this Code. Fines levied and collected pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be immediately deposited into the Municipal Recycling Trust Fund (or equivalent). Moneys in the Municipal Recycling Trust Fund shall be used for the expenses of the municipal recycling program.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. II).
B. 
Each and every day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense.