[Ord. #86-490]
This chapter shall be known and cited as "The Mandatory Recycling Ordinance."
[Ord. #86-490; Ord. #86-494, § 2; Ord. #91-601, § 1; Ord. #93-656, § 1]
The following words and phrases shall have the following meanings:
a. 
GLASS – Shall mean all glass bottles and jars.
b. 
ALUMINUM – Shall mean all aluminum beverage containers.
c. 
PLASTIC – Shall mean all plastic bottles, including milk, water, cider, soda, alcohol, juice, detergent, fabric softener, bleach, windshield washer fluid and household cleaner bottles.
d. 
STEEL – Shall mean tin-plated and bi-metal food and beverage cans.
e. 
PAPER – Shall mean corrugated cardboard, newspapers, including inserts; envelopes (no cellophane windows); junk mail; paperback books; magazines; catalogs; telephone books; brown paper bags.
f. 
TEXTILES – Shall mean any old clean clothing, drapes, curtains, sheets, towels, belts, handbags and any clean cloth.
g. 
BATTERIES – Shall mean flashlight, camera, toy, radio, watch and hearing aid batteries.
h. 
RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY – Shall mean all single family and multiple family dwellings or structures in the Township of Branchburg, including townhouses, condominiums and apartments.
[Ord. #86-490; Ord. #89-570, § 1; Ord. #91-601, § 2; Ord. #93-656, § 2]
There is hereby established a program for the mandatory separation of glass, aluminum, plastic, steel, paper, textiles and batteries.
[Ord. #86-490; Ord. #89-570, § 2; Ord. #86-494, § 3; Ord. #86-512, § 1; Ord. #89-570, § 3; Ord. #91-601, § 3; Ord. #93-656, § 3; Ord. No. 2015-1290 § 1]
The owner, lessee, or occupant of any residential establishment within the Township of Branchburg shall separate and place for collection in a 20 gallon bucket supplied by Somerset County the following named items in conformity with the following regulations:
a. 
Glass, bottles, all plastic bottles and containers (#1-#7), steel, bimetal and aluminum cans shall be rinsed thoroughly and placed inside recycling bucket. This includes glass bottles (all colors) and glass jars (all colors).
b. 
Newspapers shall be secured in separate bundles not to exceed 35 pounds, tied with string and placed on top or beside recycling bucket. This includes inserts that come with newspapers including comics, glossy coupons, TV/magazine sections and colored food/store ads.
c. 
Other Paper/Junk mail including all envelopes; paperback books; magazines; catalogs; telephone books; writing/school paper; copy paper; hardcover books (with covers removed); store fliers with mailing labels; office paper, non-metallic gift wrap; and greeting cards which shall be placed inside or beside the recycling bucket.
d. 
Corrugated cardboard, chipboard (cereal, cookie, pasta, cake, cracker, gift, shoe, shirt and any retail boxes) and pizza boxes including brown bags; tissue boxes; paper towel rolls; must be cut into two foot by two foot squares and tied with string or twine and placed beside the recycling bucket.
e. 
Alkaline Batteries should be disposed of in regular trash; button cells should be brought to Somerset County Household Hazardous Waste Days.
The owner, operator, or occupant of any business, professional, commercial or institutional establishment shall recycle waste stream material, including but not limited to paper, glass, aluminum, leaves, used motor oil, stumps, logs and tree parts, tires, white goods and light iron, wood scraps, other aluminum and non-ferrous scrap, concrete, asphalt and masonry/paving material, etc. and shall contract for their removal at their expense with an approved market.
[Ord. #86-490; Ord. #89-570, S4; Ord. #91-601, § 4; Ord. #93-656, § 4]
The collection, removal and disposal of glass, aluminum, plastic, steel, paper, textiles and batteries shall be supervised by the Township of Branchburg or its designated agent, who shall establish the time, method and routes of services.
All items required herein shall be placed between the curb and sidewalk where they shall be readily accessible to the collector after 6:00 p.m. the day immediately preceding and prior to 6:00 a.m. of the day of collection.
[Ord. #86-490; Ord. No. 2015-1290 § 2]
It shall be a violation of this chapter for any person unauthorized by the Township of Branchburg to collect or pick up or cause to be collected or picked up any such items when placed at the curb and designated for collection. Any and each such collection in violation hereof from one or more residences shall constitute a separate and distinct offense punishable as hereinafter provided.
[Ord. #86-490; Ord. #86-494, § 4; Ord. No. 2015-1290 § 3]
It shall be a violation of this section for any owner, lessee or occupant of any residential, commercial or institutional property in the Township of Branchburg to put leaves into or cause to be put into the solid waste collection system of the township. All leaves shall be separated from newspapers, aluminum cans, glass and other solid waste produced or accumulating at such properties and all leaves shall be disposed of, removed or collected in conformity with the following regulations:
a. 
The Township of Branchburg shall publish each fall an estimated schedule indicating a start and finish date for leaf pick up for all residential properties in the Township.
b. 
The owners, lessees or occupants of any residential properties, according to the schedule of collection, shall place all leaves for disposal in the street near the curb approximately 10 feet from any storm water inlets.
c. 
Twigs, sticks or branches shall be removed from any leaves set out for collection.
d. 
The township shall collect all leaves set out for collection from residential properties according to this section.
e. 
The owner, lessee or occupant of any commercial or institutional properties within the township shall be responsible for disposal of leaves, produced or accumulating at such properties, at a site designated by or approved by the County of Somerset.
f. 
Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the owner, lessee or occupant of any residential, commercial or institutional properties from mulching or composting of leaves as an alternate or supplement to the disposal of leaves by other methods provided for in this section.
[Ord. #91-626, S3; Ord. #2002-874, § 1; Ord. #2006-1017, § 1]
The owner or occupant of any property, or employee or contractor of such owner or occupant engaged to provide lawn care or landscaping services, shall not sweep, rake, blow or otherwise place any grass clippings in the street. The grass clippings must either be mulched and left in place, or placed in a trash can, bucket, bag or other vessel to prevent it from spilling or blowing out into the street and coming into contact with storm water, or removed from the site and properly disposed of at the municipal recycling center or other recycling center that accepts grass clippings.
[Ord. #86-494, § 5; Ord. #89-570, § 5; Ord. #91-601, § 5; Ord. #91-614, § 1; Ord. #91-626, § 2]
The supervisor of the department of public works and recycling coordinator are hereby authorized and directed to enforce this chapter. The supervisor of public works and recycling coordinator are authorized and directed to promulgate reasonable regulations as to the manner, days and times for the collection of newspapers, aluminum cans, glass, plastic, steel and leaves in accordance with the terms hereof and any other matters required to implement this chapter. The township committee may change, modify, repeal or amend any portion of said rules and regulations at any time.
[Ord. #94-668, § 2]
All commercial, industrial and institutional sectors are required to prepare waste reduction audits and waste reduction plans according to the following schedule:
a. 
For any establishment with 500 or more employees, a waste audit and reduction plan must be prepared and submitted to the Township of Branchburg and County of Somerset by December 31, 1993.
b. 
For any establishment with 250 to 500 employees, a waste audit and reduction plan must be prepared and submitted to the Township of Branchburg and County of Somerset by December 31, 1994.
c. 
For any establishment with 100 to 250 employees, a waste audit and reduction plan must be prepared and submitted to the Township of Branchburg and County of Somerset by December 31, 1995.
[Ord. #94-668, § 2]
The waste reduction plan shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
a. 
The plan must indicate how the use of heavy metals will be eliminated from products and packaging.
b. 
The plan must indicate how the use of double packaging, except where required for the integrity, health and safety of the products, will be eliminated.
[Ord. #94-668, § 2]
All commercial, industrial and institutional establishments with 100 or more employees must submit a plan to the Township of Branchburg and County of Somerset which outlines how source separation and recycling shall be accomplished within the establishment. The plan shall include, but not be limited to the following:
a. 
The manner in which the designated recyclables will be source separated from the waste stream.
b. 
The name of the market vendor for each designated recyclable commodity.
[Ord. #86-490; Ord. #86-494, § 4; Ord. #91-626, § 3; Ord. #94-668, § 1]
Any person, firm or corporation that violates or neglects to comply with any provision of this chapter or any regulation promulgated pursuant thereto shall, upon conviction thereof, be punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.