[Adopted as Ord. No. 122-1990 (Ch. 15, Art. II, Div. 3, of
the 1979 Code); amended in its entirety 7-28-2016 by Ord. No. 45-2016]
The 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 the
environment. The collection of all types of paper, glass, cans, plastics,
yard waste, and other recyclables as defined herein for recycling
from residences and/or businesses and institutions and other commercial
ventures, and community activities in the City of Scranton will serve
the general public interest by:
A.
Reducing the volume of municipal solid waste which must be disposed,
thereby reducing storage, collection, transportation and disposal
costs of said waste and
B.
Preserving valuable natural resources and landfill space; and save
energy, and will result in a financial benefit to the residents and
taxpayers of the City of Scranton by reason of the avoided costs realized
by volume reduction via recycling. Collection regulations and fees
must be established to implement the program, facilitate the accomplishment
of its objectives and to encourage the fullest possible citizen participation
in the program.
Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following
words and phrases used throughout this article shall have the following
meanings:
The Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction
Act of 1988.
All products made of aluminum including aluminum cans, foil,
wrappers, containers for prepared dinners or other foods, screen frames
and lawn chairs, as well as similar types of aluminum products.
This refers to the City of Scranton.
This includes a business or institution located in the City.
Any special event held in the City with over 200 people in
attendance. This includes festivals, picnics, sporting events, parades
and similar activities.
This refers to Lackawanna County.
Stones, dirt, demolition material, broken concrete, cinder
blocks and other similar material.
Putrescible animal, fish, fowl, fruit or vegetable waste
incident to and resulting from the use, preparation, cooking and consumption
of food.
All products made from silica or sand, soda ash and limestone,
the product being transparent or translucent and being made for packaging
or bottling of various matter and all other material commonly known
as glass excluding, however, blue and flat glass commonly known as
window glass which are not currently recyclable.
Leaves, brush, branches, and any yard trimmings including
grass clippings. Leaf and yard waste does not include shipping pallets
or other wood waste, such as trimmings from wood manufacturing.
All products made of metal, with the exception of recyclable
aluminum and steel/bi metal cans which are recyclable at the curb,
including washers, dryers, refrigerators, stoves, hot water heaters,
tire rims, springs, bicycles, or scrap metal.
All garbage and refuse normally placed by persons for regular
collection by the City of Scranton.
Paper of the type commonly referred to as newsprint and distributed
at stated intervals, usually daily or weekly, having printed news
and articles and containing advertisements and other matters of public
interest. Magazines, catalogs, phone books, and glossy inserts, along
with other periodicals may currently be recycled with newspaper.
Includes a lessee as well as an owner of a residence, and
includes a person, firm or corporation which owns residence.
Any item made from a synthetic resin material derived from
oil, natural gas and comprised of organic polymers which can be molded
into a variety of products such as bottles, jars, other types of rigid
items, as well as plastic films and other products. Types of plastics
may include, but are not limited to, polyester, polyethylene, PVC,
and polystyrene. Plastic bottles, jars, and tubs are currently recyclable
in the City of Scranton.
All uncontaminated paper such as used newspaper, magazines,
phone books, cardboard boxes, mixed paper, school paper, unwanted
mail and brown paper bags and other paper which market conditions
deem recyclable.
Material having an economic value in the secondary materials
market. The following materials have such economic value currently:
aluminum cans foil containers, steel and bi metal cans, glass bottles
and jars, office paper, newspaper, magazines and catalogs, brown paper
bags, phone books, other types of paper products including mixed paper;
plastic and glass bottles and jars and tubs, leaf and yard waste,
and other items as market conditions dictate.
Any single-family or other residential dwelling or municipal
establishment from which the City of Scranton collects municipal solid
waste or recyclables.
Ashes, non-recyclable plastic material, ceramics, window
glass, and flat glass, non-putrescible solid waste, nonrecyclable
building and construction material, contaminated paper and other similar
materials.
The City of Scranton hereby establishes and operates a Source
Separation - Resource Recovery Program for the mandatory separation
and collection of recyclables and yard waste as defined herein from
all residences in the City for which municipal solid waste collection
is provided by the City of Scranton. Collection of the materials to
be recycled shall be made biweekly by the City of Scranton or their
designated agent for recycling purposes.
The Mayor and Council of the City of Scranton are hereby authorized
and empowered to establish and promulgate regulations on the manner,
days, and times of collections of recyclable materials, and the preparation,
handling, location and time of placement of such materials for collection.
These may change from time to time depending on labor and vehicle
availability.
The occupant or owner of any building within the City of Scranton
who shall place for disposal, removal or collection the following
named items shall do so in strict conformity with the following regulations:
A.
Commingled containers, bottles, and jars, paper products and yard
waste. These items shall be kept separate from other refuse and shall
be collected by the City or subcontract by its designated agent. Individual
household units shall separate and prepare for collection these materials
in the following manner: mixed paper including newspaper, office paper,
magazines, catalogs, and phone books shall be kept free of food and
other contaminants and placed in paper recycling bins provided by
the City; comingled containers shall be emptied, cleaned and separated
into the commingled container provided by the City, and separated
from paper products and yard waste. Recyclable items are to be collected
at times and days designated by the City on a biweekly basis throughout
the year.
B.
Paper products and commingled containers, leaf and yard waste. As
defined in this article shall not be placed in the same garbage can
as or otherwise mixed with other forms of solid waste for collection,
removal or disposal.
C.
Brush, leaf and yard waste. Branches shall be tied in bundles not
to exceed four feet in length and of a size and weight to be handled
by one person on collection crews. Yard waste, brush and leaves may
also be placed in large brown leaf and yard waste collection bags
which may be purchased at many commercial locations throughout the
area. The City collects yard debris for recycling from April through
November along with Christmas trees during the holiday season as advertised
in the newspaper or on the City website. Brush, leaves and yard waste
should be placed curbside for collection at designated collection
times. Brush, leaves, and yard waste may also be disposed of by individual
home owners and businesses at the Lackawanna County Recycling Center
compost site.
D.
Large nonmetal items. Items such as furniture, rugs, mattresses,
and other large items shall be placed at curbside on the day designated
for collection of such items, and placed out with regular trash collection.
The City will not collect electronics at curbside since these items
are banned from Pennsylvania landfills. Electronics may be taken to
Lackawanna Recycling Center by the individual homeowner or to another
authorized recycler. The City will not collect tires from individual
residences. These items may be recycled during the Lackawanna County
tire recycling collections, or taken to various other authorized recyclers
or garages.
E.
Receptacle requirements. Recyclables must be placed in a designated
recycling container/receptacle. Recycling containers are available
at the Department of Public Works facility during regular business
hours at no cost to City residents.
All recyclables as defined by this article and placed for collection
by the City under the provisions of this article and any other City
regulations shall, from time of placement at the curb, become the
property of the City. This article forbids scavenging of recyclables
once they are placed at the curb and are the property of the City.
Any scavenging of recyclables can be subject to the penalties and
fines included in this article.
It shall be a violation of this article, for any person, firm
or corporation, other than the City of Scranton or one authorized
by the City of Scranton, to collect recyclables or yard debris, placed
by a resident for collection by the City. Each unauthorized collection
in violation hereof from one or more residence on one calendar day
shall constitute a separate and distinct offense punishable as provided
by the fee structure in this article.
Any resident may donate or sell newspaper, glass, cans, bottles
and other recyclables to any person, firm or corporation, whether
operating for profit or not, provided that the receiving person, firm
or corporation shall collect such donated recyclable materials from
the collection point of a residence. Once at the curb, recyclables
are the property of the City of Scranton.
A.
Each commercial establishment, business, institution or municipal
entity or building located within the City of Scranton shall employ
or contract with its own private hauler for the collection and disposal
of garbage, trash, recyclables, tires, white goods, appliances and
yard waste and any other items generated at the establishment for
each calendar year.
B.
All private trash haulers operating within the City are required
by this article to offer recycling to each commercial, municipal,
business or institutional customer in accordance with the items required
under Act 101[1] that is corrugated cardboard, office paper, aluminum cans
and leaf waste. Nothing in this article shall prohibit private haulers
from offering additional recyclables to customers and they are encouraged
to do so.
[1]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 4000.101 et seq.
C.
Each commercial establishment, business or municipal entity or institution
must recycle at least once each month.
D.
Each commercial establishment, business, municipal entity and institution
in the City shall at a minimum, recycle items required by the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania under Act 101, or specified by any subsequent Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania, or Federal government, mandate or law covering commercial
recycling. The items to be recycled currently include corrugated cardboard,
office paper, and aluminum cans, as well as any leaf waste if these
items are generated by the establishment. Any commercial establishment,
business or institution which is collected by the City, may recycle
any items collected from its residential customers in addition to
those required under Act 101 as delineated above.
E.
As a business, each landlord must provide for trash disposal and
recycling for the tenants in their buildings. Recyclables collected
must conform to this article and the requirements of Act 101 namely
corrugated cardboard, office paper, aluminum cans and leaf waste if
any is generated. Landlords are encouraged to recycle additional items
if feasible.
F.
Landlords must offer recycling in multi-family residential units.
They must recycle all items that the City requires for residential
recycling programs.
G.
Each commercial establishment, business, municipal, institution or
landlord of a multi family or multi-business or office complex located
in the City must return to the City an annual recycling report during
the first quarter of each calendar year listing the amounts recycled
during the previous calendar year. These reports must include weight
slips or report totals signed by the hauler or recycling center. These
totals will be used by the City in reporting to the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania for the required annual report and for Act 101, Section
904[2] performance grant purposes.
[2]
Editor's Note: See 53 P.S. § 4000.904.
H.
A commercial establishment, business or institution may haul or drop
off their own recycling at a recycling center provided they receive
a weight slip which should be provided to the City yearly during the
first quarter of each year.
I.
All community activities and special events held in the City must
recycle the same items as are required of commercial establishments
if these items are generated during the event. Special events may
include festivals, parades, sporting events, carnivals, picnics, and
other similar events.
It shall be unlawful for any persons to combine any recyclables
with trash for the purpose of collection and disposal. The City requires
that all recyclables collected should be marketed at a recycling facility
rather than disposed of as solid waste.
No persons shall place or deposit litter, trash or waste in
public receptacles or other person's private residential or commercial,
business or institutional refuse receptacles except in such a manner
as to prevent it from being scattered or carried by the elements to
any street, sidewalk or other public places or private premises.
It shall be unlawful for any persons to dispose of their appliances,
ashes, garbage, recyclables, refuse, rubbish, tires, white goods,
and yard waste in an area owned or controlled by another person, commercial
unit, business, institution, or the City.
It shall be unlawful for any persons bringing appliances, ashes,
garbage, recyclables, refuse, rubbish, tires, white goods, and yard
waste generated outside of the City of Scranton into the City.
Any persons found to be in violation of an sections of this
article shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $300. Each day that
violation continues after notice of violation has been served shall
be deemed a separate offense.
