[Adopted 12-11-2023 by Ord. No. 23-61]
The purpose of this article is to establish requirements for the proper handling of yard waste in Township of Bloomfield (the Township), so as to protect public health, safety and welfare, and to prescribe penalties for the failure to comply.
For the purpose of this article, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meanings stated herein unless their use in the text of this chapter clearly demonstrates a different meaning. When consistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words used in the plural number include the singular number, and words used in the singular number include the plural number. The word "shall" is always mandatory and not merely directory.
CONTAINERIZED
The placement of yard waste in a biodegradable bag such as to prevent the yard waste from spilling or blowing out into the street and coming into contact with stormwater.
PERSON
Any individual, corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, or political subdivision of this state subject to municipal authority.
STREET
Any street, avenue, boulevard, road, parkway, viaduct, drive, or other way, which is an existing state, county, or municipal roadway, and includes the land between the street lines, whether improved or unimproved, and may comprise pavement, shoulders, gutters, curbs, sidewalks, parking areas, and other areas within the street lines.
YARD WASTE
Leaves and grass clippings.
A. 
The owner or occupant of any property, or any employee or contractor of such owner or occupant engaged to provide lawn care or landscaping services, shall not sweep, rake, blow or otherwise place yard waste, unless the yard waste is containerized, in the street. If yard waste that is not containerized is placed in the street, the party responsible for placement of yard waste must remove the yard waste from the street or said party shall be deemed in violation of this article. Under a "Cut It and Leave It" program, the Township now encourages you to cut your grass and leave it on the lawn to help fertilize it and retain moisture. This process is also known as "grasscycling," meaning natural recycling of grass clippings.
(1) 
Grasscycling:
(a) 
Lowers your need to fertilize by up to 30%;
(b) 
It reduces the trucking and resulting fuel use and pollution for collecting the bags;
(c) 
Renders and maintains a healthier lawn; and
(d) 
Eliminates the need to purchase and fill biodegradable bags for grass.
(2) 
For more information, visit the Township grasscycling page.
B. 
Biodegradable bag collection.
[Amended 5-20-2024 by Ord. No. 24-32]
(1) 
The Township regulations require that brush, branches, yard raking and other vegetative matter be placed in biodegradable bags only for collection by the Township. Pickups will be made on the same day as recycling pickups.
(2) 
Leaves shall be placed in biodegradable bags only for curbside pickup by the Township during the periods of:
(a) 
March 15 through May 15.
(b) 
October 15 through December 31.
(c) 
No bags containing leaves shall be picked up outside of those periods.
(3) 
Christmas trees will be picked up beginning on January 1 and will end on January 31. No Christmas trees shall be placed at curbside outside of this period. Christmas trees placed at curbs will not be picked up unless all decorations, ornaments, lights, tinsel, etc., are completely removed.
(4) 
Grass clippings will be picked up beginning May 1 and will end on October 31. Grass clippings bags will be limited to three bags per pick up per household. Additional bags will be the homeowner's responsibility to remove from the curbside within 24 hours of the pickup day.
(5) 
Leaves and grass clippings shall be placed into separate biodegradable bags and shall not be comingled.
(6) 
Soft vegetative waste collection will resume in the spring.
A. 
Any person, firm or organization found guilty of violating a provision of this article shall, upon conviction, forfeit and pay a fine of $75 for the first offense, $150 for the second offense and, for the third and any subsequent offenses, shall be subject to one or more of the following: a minimum fine of $250 but not exceeding $1,250, a term of imprisonment not exceeding 90 days or a period of community service not exceeding 90 days. In addition to the foregoing penalties, where a container includes designated recycling material mixed with solid waste, the container will not be collected.
B. 
Fines levied and collected pursuant to the provisions of this article shall be immediately deposited into the Municipal Recycling Trust Fund (or equivalent).