[Adopted 5-7-1991 by Ord. No. 9-1991 (Ch. XI, Part 5, of the 1970 Code of Ordinances)]
A. 
Reduction of the amount of solid waste and conservation of recyclable materials is an important public concern by reason of the growing problem of solid waste disposal and its impact on our environment; and
B. 
Recycling conserves valuable material resources and energy, promotes greater efficiency in the regional economy, and provides local employment; and
C. 
Recycling will reduce the overall amount of solid waste presently generated, and thus reduce storage, collection, transportation and disposal costs.
For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section.
BOROUGH
Borough of Vandergrift.
COMMERCIAL ENTITY
All commercial, governmental or institutional establishments and all community activities.
LEAF WASTE
Leaves, garden residues, shrubbery and tree trimmings, and similar material, but not including grass clippings.
MULTIFAMILY HOUSING PROPERTIES
Any property having four or more dwelling units per structure.
PERSON(S)
Owners, lessees and occupants of residences, commercial, municipal and institutional establishments.
RECYCLABLES
Materials having an economic value in the secondary materials market. The following materials have such economic value: aluminum; steel and bimetallic cans (with the exception of aerosol and paint cans); clear, green and amber (brown) glass containers; newsprint; plastic; high-grade office paper; and corrugated paper.
RESIDENCES
Any occupied single-family or multifamily dwellings having up to four dwelling units per structure, for which the Borough provides municipal waste collection service.
The Borough of Vandergrift hereby establishes a recycling program for the mandatory separation and collection of aluminum, steel and bimetallic cans (with the exception of aerosol and paint cans), and clear, green and amber (brown) glass, and the separation, collection and composting of leaf waste from residences and all commercial, municipal and institutional establishments located in the Borough for which waste collection is provided by the Borough or any other collector. Collection of the recyclable materials shall be made at least once per month by the Borough, its designated agent or any other collector authorized by the Borough from residences or from commercial, municipal and institutional establishments.
A. 
Residences within Vandergrift Borough shall, at a minimum, separate recyclable aluminum, steel and bimetallic cans (with the exception of aerosol and paint cans), and clear, green and amber (brown) glass containers from other municipal waste generated at their homes, apartments and other residential establishments and shall prepare the same for collection in accordance with the instructions to be provided by the Borough or, under subcontract, by its designated agent. These materials shall be stored, commingled in a recycling container and shall be placed no more than five feet from the curbside to be collected at times designated by the Borough or its agent. Items designated as recyclables shall not be placed in the same container as or otherwise mixed with other forms of solid waste for collection, removal or disposal. Nothing herein is intended to discourage or prohibit residents from separating for collection any additional recyclables as defined in this article. The Borough reserves the right to include additional recyclables.
B. 
Persons shall separate leaf waste from other municipal waste generated at their homes, apartments and other residential establishments until collection at times designated by the Borough or its agent, unless those residents have otherwise provided for the composting of leaf waste, a method approved and accepted by the agency responsible for that determination.
C. 
The Borough of Vandergrift shall allow an owner, landlord or agent of an owner or landlord of a multifamily rental housing property with four or more units to comply with its responsibilities under Section 1501 of Act No. 1988-101[1] by establishing a collection system for recyclable materials at each property. The collection system must include suitable containers for collecting and sorting materials, easily accessible locations for the containers, and written instructions to the occupants concerning the use and availability of the collection system at least once every six months. Owners, landlords and agents of owners or landlords who comply with this act shall not be liable for the noncompliance of occupants of their buildings.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 4000.1501.
D. 
High-grade office paper, aluminum, corrugated paper, leaf waste and such other materials as may be designated by the Borough, generated at commercial, municipal, institutional establishments and from community activities attended by 200 persons or more per day, shall be separated and stored until collection. These establishments who have otherwise provided for the recycling of high-grade office paper, aluminum, corrugated paper, leaf waste and other materials as may be designated by the Borough may be exempt from the requirements of this subsection, provided written documentation of the total number of tons recycled in a calendar year is submitted no later than the 15th day of January of the following year to the Borough.
E. 
The Borough or its agent is empowered to designate the time and days of the month on which recyclables shall be collected and removed from a particular area.
F. 
All rigid recycling containers supplied by Vandergrift Borough to the residences shall be and remain the property of the Borough. The container shall remain with the residence, and it shall not move with the resident, owner or renter of any Borough dwelling.
G. 
Each person(s) shall cause such recyclable container(s) to be placed and remain for collection no earlier than 12 hours prior to the scheduled collection time of recyclable materials as established by the Borough.
A. 
From the time of placement of recyclable items at the curb for collection in accordance with the terms hereof, such items shall be and become the property of the Borough or its authorized agent. It shall be a violation of this article for any person unauthorized by the Borough to collect or pick up any such items. Any and each collection in violation hereof from one or more locations shall constitute a separate and distinct offense punishable as hereinafter provided.
B. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to collect, remove or dispose of solid waste which contains designated recyclables combined with other forms of solid waste.
Notwithstanding any provisions of this article, any person having ownership of the same may sell or donate recyclables to any person, partnership or corporation, whether operating for profit or not for profit; provided, however, that such materials may not be placed for collection at nor collected from the curbside, and that records indicating the weight of said recyclables are provided to the Borough so as to be included in the Borough's recycling effort.
The Council of the Borough shall have the authority to impose and collect, for the use of the Borough, a fee or charge to cover all or part of the expenses of the collection and disposal of the recyclable materials. This charge, to be designated as the "recyclable collection charge," shall be fixed by resolution of the Council of the Borough as soon as practicable after enactment of this article and may be changed from time to time by resolution of the Council of the Borough. The recyclable collection charge shall be imposed at an annual rate and shall be billed and payable in advance, on a quarterly basis, each bill to be rendered to the owner of the premises and/or, under special conditions, to the tenant as determined by the Council of the Borough.
Any person who violates or fails to comply with any provision of this article or any regulation promulgated pursuant thereto shall, upon conviction thereof, be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $100 or more than $600 and cost of prosecution and, in default of payment of fine and costs, to undergo imprisonment for not more than 30 days, provided that each violation of any provision of this article and each day the same is continued shall be deemed a separate offense.