[Adopted 5-28-2003 by Ord. No. 1840]
The following words, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except in those instances where the context clearly indicates otherwise.
ASHES
The residue from the burning of wood, coal, coke and other combustible materials for the purposes of heating and cooking. It shall not include the cinders produced in steam-generating plants.
COMMERCIAL SOLID WASTE
All refuse generated from sources within Ridley Township which are not included in the definitions of residential or residential/commercial solid waste.
GARBAGE
The animal and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of foods. It shall not include more than a minimum amount of free liquids. It shall not include food-processing waste from canneries, packing plants or similar industries, nor large quantities of condemned food products.
PERSON
A natural person, firm, association, corporation or housing authority.
REFUSE
Garbage, ashes and rubbish as herein defined.
RESIDENTIAL/COMMERCIAL SOLID WASTE
Refuse generated from individually owned townhouses and condominiums or a building or group of buildings having a common ownership and containing or comprising multiple-family dwelling units of seven or more units.
RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE
Refuse generated from single-family dwelling units, including individually owned townhouses and condominiums, or generated from a building or group of buildings having a common ownership and containing multiple-family dwelling units not exceeding six units in number.
RUBBISH
All waste materials not included in garbage and ashes, except building rubbish from building construction or reconstruction, street refuse, industrial refuse, dead animals, abandoned machinery or vehicles or parts thereof and such other waste materials as are not commonly produced in homes, stores and institutions.
A. 
All ashes and rubbish accumulated in any single-family or two-family house, apartment or condominium consisting of six or fewer units or dwellings in the Township of Ridley shall be collected, conveyed and disposed of by the Township, and the cost of such service shall be paid for as provided in the schedule of fees set forth in § 253-46 hereof by the person owning the building or buildings from which the ashes and rubbish have been accumulated.
B. 
All garbage accumulated in any single-family or two-family house, apartment or condominium consisting of six or fewer units or dwellings in the Township of Ridley shall be collected, conveyed and disposed of by the Township.
C. 
It shall be unlawful for any person to collect and dispose of any refuse within the Township of Ridley except as provided in this article.
D. 
By reason of the great amount of refuse being accumulated by shopping centers, supermarkets, manufacturing plants, hotels, restaurants and apartments or condominiums consisting of more than six units, the collection of which would unduly burden the facilities of the Township, all shopping centers, supermarkets, manufacturing plants, hotels, restaurants and apartment or condominiums consisting of more than six units shall dispose of their own refuse in watertight vehicles provided with tight covers and so operated as to prevent offensive odors escaping therefrom and refuse from being blown, dropped or spilled. It shall be unlawful for any such shopping centers, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants and apartments or condominiums consisting of more than six units to dispose of any such refuse within the Township of Ridley.
E. 
By reason of the great expense imposed by Delaware County on disposal of commercial solid waste, the collection of which would unduly burden the facilities and financial resources of the Township, all commercial establishments shall dispose of their own refuse in watertight vehicles provided with tight covers and so operated as to prevent offensive odors escaping therefrom and refuse from being blown, dropped or spilled. It shall be unlawful for any such commercial unit to dispose of any such refuse within the Township of Ridley.
F. 
Within 30 days of the effective date of this article, all owners and tenants in possession of commercial or industrial property within the Township and generating commercial solid waste, as that term is defined in § 253-42 of the Code, shall notify the Township Manager, in writing, of the name and address of the commercial trash collector responsible for the collection and removal of their commercial solid waste.
A. 
Separation of refuse. Garbage, ashes and rubbish shall each be placed in separate containers.
B. 
Preparation of refuse.
(1) 
All garbage, before being placed in garbage cans for collections, shall be drained of all free liquids and may be wrapped in paper.
(2) 
All rubbish shall be drained of liquid before being deposited for collection.
(3) 
All cans and bottles which have contained food shall be thoroughly rinsed and drained before being deposited for collection.
(4) 
Tree trimmings, hedge clippings and similar material shall be cut to a length not to exceed two feet and securely tied in bundles not more than two feet thick before being deposited for collection.
C. 
Refuse containers.
(1) 
Garbage.
(a) 
Garbage receptacles shall be made of metal and must be watertight and shall be provided with a tight-fitting cover.
(b) 
In all single-family or two-family dwellings, no garbage receptacle shall have a capacity of more than 20 gallons.
(c) 
In all multiple dwellings, apartments or condominiums consisting of six or fewer units and jointly owned buildings that house more than two families, each garbage receptacle shall be of sufficient capacity to service not less than three nor more than eight families and of a type commonly known as a "dumpster," the specification of which is on file in the office of the Township Secretary.
(d) 
All receptacles shall be kept in a sanitary condition, in view of their use, and shall be thoroughly cleansed by the occupant or janitor of the premises within three hours after the garbage is removed by the collector.
(2) 
Ashes. The provisions of this Subsection C pertaining to garbage shall apply to ashes.
(3) 
Rubbish. All rubbish receptacles shall be of such type as shall securely contain their contents.
(4) 
All refuse receptacles shall be maintained in good condition and shall not have ragged or sharp edges. Refusal to comply with this provision will result in refusal to collect the refuse.
(5) 
The Secretary of the Township is hereby directed to send a copy of this Subsection C by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to each owner of multiple dwellings, apartment houses, condominiums and jointly owned buildings that house more than two families; the copy of this Subsection C being notice to comply with the provisions hereof within 30 days.
(6) 
All cans, containers, receptacles and dumpsters used for commercial solid waste shall have a permanent label affixed thereto with the words "commercial waste" printed on said label. The Township shall provide said labels to all owners and tenants in possession of commercial and industrial property generating commercial solid waste, as that term is defined by § 253-42 of the Code.
D. 
Storage of refuse.
(1) 
No person shall place any refuse in any street or highway, alley or other public place or upon any private property, whether owned by such person or not, within the Township, except that the same shall be in receptacles, as above defined, for collection, or except by an express approval granted by the Board of Township Commissioners. As to the requirements for refuse containers commonly known as "dumpsters," it shall be mandatory that dumpsters by placed in an enclosed area and surrounded by either a cyclone fence with plastic slats or, in the alternative, a wall consisting of a minimum of eight-inch block and/or masonry construction at a height of not less than six feet and not more than eight feet, with walls enclosing three sides of the dumpster, with a gate being placed on the front portion of the fence or wall of a type and size which shall allow for the movement of dumpsters in and out of the enclosed area for loading and unloading. All dumpsters shall be located at least three feet from any property line and shall not encroach within the area known as the "front building line."
(2) 
Any unauthorized accumulation of refuse is deemed to be a nuisance and is hereby prohibited. Failure to remove any existing accumulation of refuse within five days of written notice of said accumulation of refuse shall be deemed a violation of the provisions of this article. In addition, the Township shall have the power and authority to collect said refuse and remove it, in default of which the Township may cause the same to be done and collect the cost thereof, together with a penalty of 10% of said costs, in the manner provided by law for the collection of municipal claims or by action of assumpsit without the filing of a municipal claim.
(3) 
It shall be unlawful for any person, other than the occupants of the premises upon which the refuse receptacles are stored or the collector, to remove covers or any of the contents of refuse receptacles.
E. 
Points of collection. Refuse receptacles shall be placed for collection at ground level on the property, not within the right-of-way of a street, highway or alley, and accessible to and not more than 10 feet from the side of the highway, street or alley from which collection is made, provided that receptacles may be placed for collection at other than ground level and at a distance of more that 10 feet when approved by the Health and Sanitation Committee of the Township Commissioners and upon an additional payment for the extra service, such charge to be agreed upon by the said Committee and the landowner. All such payments must be made by check, made payable to the Township of Ridley.
A. 
Frequency of collection. Refuse shall be collected at least once a week. Stores, shopping centers, supermarkets, manufacturing plants, hotels, restaurants and apartments or condominiums consisting of more than six units, which are required to dispose of their refuse, must dispose of the same at least once a week and, where necessary to protect the public health and safety, the Health and Sanitation Committee of the Township may require that more frequent collections be made.
B. 
Limitation of quantity.
(1) 
It is the intent of this article that the reasonable accumulation of refuse of each family for the collection period will be collected at the standard charge. The Health and Sanitation Committee of the Township may refuse to collect unreasonable accumulations of refuse, or in its discretion, may make additional charges for such amounts.
(2) 
It is the intent of this article that stores, shopping centers, supermarkets, manufacturing plants, hotels, restaurants and apartments or condominiums consisting of more than six units shall privately contract for the collection of and have collected their accumulation of refuse at reasonable times so that there shall not be an undue or unreasonable amount accumulated prior to collection.
C. 
Special refuse problems.
(1) 
Contagious-disease refuse. The removal of wearing apparel, bedding or other refuse from homes or other places where highly infectious or contagious diseases have prevailed should be performed under the supervision and direction of the Health Officer. Such refuse shall not be placed in containers for regular collection.
(2) 
Flammable or other explosive refuse. Highly flammable or other explosive materials should not be placed in containers for regular collection but shall be disposed of as directed by the Chairman of the Health and Sanitation Committee, at the expense of the owner or possessor thereof.
(3) 
All garbage receptacles shall have prominently displayed thereon the occupant's or owner's house address, including apartment numbers and/or letters of the premises upon which the refuse receptacles are stored.
(4) 
It shall be unlawful for the owner or occupant of any premises within the Township of Ridley to leave garbage receptacles at the points of collection as defined herein in excess of 12 hours before or after the refuse has been collected. Where it is impossible to determine to a certainty the start of the twelve-hour period prior to collection, such period is deemed to begin at 6:00 p.m. local time on the day before the date of pickup. Where it is impossible to determine to a certainty the end of the twelve-hour period after collection, such period is deemed to end at 12:00 midnight local time on the date of pickup.
(5) 
In all multiple dwellings, apartment houses, condominiums and jointly owned buildings that consist of more than three units, each premises must have a storage facility adjacent to the building to store the refuse receptacles, and such refuse receptacles must be stored therein when not at the point of collection.
(6) 
Both the owner and the occupant may be held jointly or singularly liable for any violation of the regulations provided for by Subsections C(3), (4) and (5).
(7) 
Broken glass, syringes, needles and other sharp objects must be disposed of in suitable closed containers before being placed in normal trash in order to prevent exposure to the general public and the trash collectors in particular.
[Added 4-25-2007 by Ord. No. 1920]
A. 
The basic fee for the collection and disposal of ashes, garbage and rubbish shall be determined as provided by the Annual Budget Ordinance adopted by the Board of Township Commissioners. If such fee shall remain unpaid by the first day of June of any year, a penalty of 10% shall be added to the face amount of such fee. Each month thereafter, lawful interest in the amount of 10% per annum shall be added to the face amount of the fee. In the event that the fee shall not be paid within six months from the date that the same is payable, the fee, penalty and interest shall constitute a lien against the property charged, and the amount thereof may be recovered by due process of law in all respects to the recovery of municipal liens.
B. 
The owner of record of a residence building, or lessee of the residence building who is obligated by the lease agreement to pay the refuse collection charge, and who is a person over 65 years of age and/or a widowed person who qualified for the Pennsylvania Property Tax Refund for the previous year may request a refund of $25 for the year 2006 and annually thereafter, unless otherwise determined. The proof of approved qualification by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania must be submitted at the time of refund application.
[Added 12-27-2005 by Ord. No. 1895]
Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this article shall, upon summary conviction before any District Justice, pay a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $1,000 and the costs of prosecution. In default of the fine and costs, the violator may be sentenced to the county jail for a term of not more that 30 days. Each and every day in which a person, firm or corporation shall be in violation of this article shall constitute a separate offense.