This article shall be known and may be cited
as the "Recycling Ordinance of the City of Northfield."
The words, terms and phrases used in this article
shall have the following meanings:
ALUMINUM CANS
All aluminum beverage containers and all aluminum pet food
or other containers.
CARDBOARD or CORRUGATED PAPER
Clean, heavy box materials commonly known as "cardboard boxes"
and similar heavy paper packaging containers that are free of plastic,
foam and other contaminants, also including food packaging boxes and
other commercial packaging that is free of food contaminants, plastic,
wax and foam materials that would make it undesirable for recycling
purposes. All cardboard and packaging must be opened and flattened
for ease of handling.
GLASS CONTAINERS
Bottles and jars made of clear, green or brown glass. Expressly
excluded are noncontainer glass, plate glass, blue glass and porcelain
and ceramic products.
INSTITUTIONAL ESTABLISHMENTS
Those facilities that house or serve groups of people, including
but not limited to hospitals, schools, nursing homes, libraries and
government offices.
PAPER
Newsprint and other forms of paper and paper products such
as magazines, telephone books, catalogs, white office paper, computer
paper, etc., excluding those soiled (i.e., containing carbon, adhesive
or plastic) or unfit due to health and/or sanitary reasons. Newspapers
shall also be deemed soiled if they have been exposed to substances
rendering them unusable for recycling (i.e., water).
PERSON
Every owner, lessee and occupant of a residence, commercial
or institutional establishment within the boundaries of the City of
Northfield.
PLASTICS
Plastic soda, juice and liquor bottles; plastic laundry and
dish detergent bottles; and plastic bleach bottles. In addition, any
plastic bottles or containers that have the recycling symbol or the
initials "PETE" or "HDPE" stamped on the container.
RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
Those materials which would otherwise become municipal solid
waste, and which may be collected, separated or processed and returned
to the economic mainstream in the form of raw materials or products.
RESIDENCE
Any occupied single-family or multifamily dwelling having
up to four dwelling units per structure from which a municipal or
private hauler collects solid waste.
SOLID WASTE
Garbage, refuse and other discarded solid material normally
collected by municipal or private haulers.
There is hereby established a program for the
mandatory separation of the following recyclable materials from the
municipal solid waste stream by all persons within the City of Northfield,
hereinafter referred to as the "municipality":
[Amended 9-9-2008 by Ord. No. 11-2008; 5-12-2020 by Ord. No. 8-2020]
A. Purpose. A section to establish a yard waste collection and disposal
program in the City of Northfield, so as to protect public health,
safety and welfare, and to prescribe penalties for the failure to
comply.
B. Definitions. For the purpose of this section, 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 not inconsistent 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 trash can, bucket, bag or
other vessel, 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
jurisdiction.
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.
C. Yard waste collection.
(1) Sweeping, raking, blowing or otherwise placing yard waste that is
not containerized at the curb or along the street is strictly prohibited.
(2) Placement of such yard waste at the curb or along the street that
is not containerized is a violation of this section.
(3) All persons within the municipality shall separate leaves and grass
from other solid waste generated at their premises and, unless the
leaves are stored or recycled for composting or mulching on the premises,
place the containerized leaves and grass at their curb according to
the recycling date and guidelines established by the collection service
program known as the Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA).
(4) Leaves and grass may be placed in biodegradable leaf bags for easier
handling, bags that can be composted, bags that are treated to resist
moisture, or place leaves and grass in labeled yard waste trash cans.
Plastic bags are a prohibited use.
(5) All commercial lawn services will dispose of leaves collected within
the municipality at a designated and permitted composting facility
within Atlantic County and submit the total amount collected in the
prior calendar year.
D. Enforcement. The provisions of this section shall be enforced by
the Police Department or Zoning Office.
E. Provisions. Any ordinance or parts of ordinances that are inconsistent
with this section are hereby repealed/amended to conform with definition.
F. Violations and penalties. Any person(s) who is found to be in violation
of the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine not to
exceed $2,000.
G. Severability. Each section, subsection, sentence, clause and phrase
of this section is declared to be independent section, subsection,
sentence, clause and phrase, and the finding or holding of any such
portion of this section to be unconstitutional, void, or ineffective
for any cause, or reason, shall not affect any other portion of this
section.
Any person may donate or sell recyclable materials
to individuals or organizations authorized by the municipality in
its recycling regulations. These materials may either be delivered
to the individual's or organization's site or they may be placed at
the curb for collection by said individual or organization on days
in the municipality's recycling regulations. Said individuals or organizations
may not collect recyclable materials on or within the 24 hours immediately
preceding a regularly schedule curbside collection day and shall,
prior to June 1 of each year, provide written documentation to the
municipality of the total amount of material recycled during the preceding
calendar year.
It shall be a violation of this article for any unauthorized person or organization to collect, pick up or cause to be collected or picked up within the boundaries of the municipality any of the recyclable materials designated in §
315-3 of this article. Each such collection in violation of this article shall constitute a separate and distinct offense punishable as hereinafter provided.
In accordance with the New Jersey Statewide
Mandatory Source Separate and Recycling Act of 1987 (N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.32
et seq.), proposals for new developments of 50 or more single-family
units and/or five multifamily units and/or 100 square feet or more
of commercial or industrial space must incorporate provisions in the
site plan for recycling. Master plans must be updated for recycling
every three years and must incorporate a recycling plan element into
the Municipal Master Plan.
The penalty for violation of any provision of this article shall be as set forth in Chapter
1, General Provisions, §
1-15.