Hackensack, NJ — Mandatory Multifamily Recycling + 4+ Unit Reporting + Bergen County HHW Resources
Hackensack multifamily recycling compliance:
New Jersey's
Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act,
N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. (SSRA)
establishes the statewide mandatory recycling framework.
Hackensack implements local recycling requirements through City Code Chapter 93, which assigns responsibilities to
owners, agents of owners, managing agents, superintendents and occupants.
Properties must maintain appropriate refuse/recycling systems and keep designated recyclable materials
separate from ordinary solid waste.
[1][2][11]
For multifamily communities containing
four (4) or more dwelling units, Hackensack imposes additional
annual recycling-program registration and monthly recycling-reporting requirements.
[2]
New Jersey separately regulates covered electronic devices, while Bergen County Utilities Authority
provides qualifying Bergen County residents with scheduled household hazardous-waste events.
These programs should be treated as
separate resident/special-material pathways—not as substitutes for the property's ordinary trash and recycling system.
[4][7]
Statewide legal foundation: New Jersey's Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act (SSRA) (P.L.1987, c.102) establishes the State's mandatory recycling framework. The Act requires county recycling planning and municipal recycling-program implementation centered on source separation and recovery of designated recyclable materials. [11]
Municipal implementation — N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.16: each municipality must establish and implement a municipal recycling program. For Hackensack multifamily properties, the statewide SSRA is therefore the legal foundation, while Hackensack Chapter 93 supplies the more specific local operating, management, registration, reporting, collection and enforcement requirements. [2][12]
4+ unit properties: the statewide Act does not replace Hackensack's separate requirement that qualifying multifamily properties register their recycling program annually and submit monthly recycling reports. Those City requirements remain part of the property's local compliance obligations. [2]
Private collection: use of a private refuse or recycling provider does not make source separation optional. Management should maintain the lawful downstream recycling pathway and the records needed to support Hackensack's applicable registration and reporting requirements.
Important limitation: the SSRA does not create one universal apartment recycling-container layout, one statewide accepted-material bin, or a universal daily recycling pickup requirement. Hackensack's Code, applicable Bergen County requirements, NJDEP rules and the property's authorized collection system remain important to day-to-day operations.
Why Hackensack Requires Extra Attention From Multifamily Property Managers
More than resident participation:
Hackensack Chapter 93 does not place recycling responsibility solely on residents.
Owners, managing agents and superintendents have independent obligations under the City's waste and recycling framework.
[2]
4+ unit properties:
Hackensack requires qualifying multifamily properties to
register annually and report recycling activity monthly.
[2]
Private collection:
The Code permits qualifying properties to use private collection arrangements subject to applicable licensing,
recycling and reporting requirements.
Management should document the property's actual downstream recycling pathway rather than treating a City office
or municipal facility as an overflow destination unless the City expressly authorizes that use.
[2]
- City Department: Hackensack Department of Public Works — Sanitation & Recycling [1]
- Sanitation / Recycling Office: 120 East Broadway, Hackensack, NJ [1]
- Important facility distinction: The current City page identifies this location as the Sanitation and Recycling Office. Do not characterize 120 East Broadway as a general public recycling center or electronics drop-off facility unless current City guidance expressly establishes that service. [1]
- Property-manager priority: Confirm the property's unit count, collection arrangement, registration status, reporting process, bulk procedure, white-goods procedure and C&D responsibilities. [2]
Chapter 93 — Mandatory Recycling & Property-Management Duties
New Jersey statewide baseline:
The Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act,
N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. establishes New Jersey's statewide recycling framework.
Municipal recycling programs implement that framework locally.
[11][12]
Hackensack mandatory separation:
Hackensack requires designated recyclable materials to remain separated from ordinary garbage and refuse.
[2]
Management responsibility:
Chapter 93 imposes duties on owners, agents of owners, managing agents and superintendents.
A person with management responsibility is not automatically relieved of those duties merely because an occupant
or another person also has recycling responsibilities.
[2]
Receptacles and collection system:
Management should maintain sufficient suitable receptacles and a workable property collection system that allows
required recyclables to remain separated from refuse.
[2]
No single-layout rule:
Chapter 93 should not be characterized as universally requiring a recycling bin immediately beside every trash chute
or mandating one specific recycling-room design. The compliance objective is a workable lawful system that maintains
required source separation and proper collection.
Critical 4+ Unit Requirement: Registration + Monthly Recycling Reports
State + local hierarchy:
The SSRA establishes the statewide mandatory-recycling framework, but Hackensack adds
municipality-specific administrative duties for qualifying multifamily properties.
[2][11]
Annual registration:
Owners or authorized agents of multifamily dwellings containing
four (4) or more dwelling units
must register the recycling program with Hackensack
on or before January 10 each year.
[2]
New 4+ unit property:
A newly constructed qualifying multifamily property must register within
45 days after issuance of the certificate of occupancy.
[2]
Monthly reporting:
Qualifying multifamily properties must submit a recycling report by the
10th day of each month
covering recycling activity during the preceding month.
[2]
Supporting documentation:
The City may require documentation supporting reported recycling tonnage and program activity.
Property managers should therefore retain recycling-provider records, weight information, invoices,
receipts and other available documentation supporting the monthly report.
[2]
Hackensack Recycling Enforcement & Penalties
Written-notice enforcement structure:
Hackensack Chapter 93 provides an escalating penalty schedule following written notice of noncompliance.
[2]
First violation: $100
Second violation: $250
Third violation: $500, plus possible recycling-program community service of up to
25 man-hours
Fourth and subsequent violations: $1,000, plus possible recycling-program community service
and/or imprisonment for up to 90 days.
[2]
Daily violations:
Hackensack expressly provides that
each day a violation continues constitutes a separate violation.
[2]
Collection consequence:
The City's sanitation operation may also refuse collection service to a person or property that fails to comply
with applicable Chapter 93 requirements.
[2]
Designated Recyclables: Separate Material From Collection Method
Hackensack recyclable-material categories include:
newspaper, corrugated cardboard, commingled glass/tin/aluminum/#1 and #2 plastic containers,
mixed paper, electronic waste, grass clippings, motor oil, household batteries,
certain rechargeable batteries, fluorescent bulbs and leaves.
[2]
Important property-manager distinction:
designation as a recyclable material does
not mean every item belongs in the same resident recycling bin.
Ordinary paper and container recyclables may be handled through the property's approved recycling stream,
while materials such as
electronics, motor oil, batteries and fluorescent lamps
require their applicable lawful special-material pathway.
Management should match resident instructions to the
actual materials accepted by the property's authorized recycling collector or processor.
Electronics: New Jersey Requirements + Current Collection-Site Verification
Hackensack Code:
electronic waste is included within the City's recyclable-material framework.
[2]
New Jersey law:
specified covered electronic devices—including qualifying televisions, computers and other covered equipment—
are subject to New Jersey's electronic-waste requirements and statutory disposal restrictions.
[4][6]
Current-site verification:
Do not represent the Hackensack Sanitation/Recycling Office at 120 East Broadway as a NJDEP-listed electronics
collection site unless the current NJDEP directory or City guidance expressly lists it.
Residents and management should use the
current NJDEP E-Waste Collection Site Directory
to verify an eligible collection location and its accepted devices before transporting electronics.
[5]
Property-generated electronics:
A consumer/resident collection site should not automatically be treated as a commercial property-management
disposal destination. Management should confirm generator eligibility and applicable downstream recycling requirements.
Recycling Overflow: Management Capacity Issue — Not a DPW “Plan B”
Overflow procedure:
Residents should follow the property's approved recycling process rather than transporting apartment-community
cardboard, bottles or cans to 120 East Broadway unless current City instructions expressly authorize public drop-off.
[1]
Property-manager action:
recurring recycling overflow should trigger review of container capacity, collection frequency, resident participation,
contamination levels and the property's contracted recycling service.
Flattened cardboard and ordinary recyclable containers should be prepared and collected according to the City's rules
and the property's actual municipal/private collection arrangement.
[1][2]
Household Hazardous Waste: BCUA Resident Events — Not a Property Disposal Program
Bergen County resident program:
Bergen County Utilities Authority operates scheduled Household Hazardous Waste collection events for
Bergen County residents and household-generated hazardous waste from
private residences.
[7]
These events should therefore be treated as a
resident education/referral resource,
not as a disposal destination for property-management operations, maintenance departments, contractors,
National Doorstep or other commercial/property-generated hazardous waste.
[7]
Remaining 2026 BCUA HHW events:
Mahwah — Campgaw Reservation:
Saturday, September 19, 2026
Paramus — Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Road:
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Moonachie — BCUA, 98 Empire Boulevard:
Saturday, November 14, 2026
Published hours:
9:00 AM–3:00 PM, rain or shine.
[8]
Always verify the current schedule, identification requirements and accepted-material list before attending.
Tires & Electronics: Separate From BCUA HHW
Do not place tires into the BCUA HHW program.
BCUA's HHW guidance identifies automobile tires as outside the HHW collection stream and directs residents
to separate tire-collection programs/events.
[9]
BCUA likewise treats electronics through separate electronics-recycling programs rather than as ordinary HHW.
[9]
Property managers should keep
HHW, tires, electronics and ordinary apartment recycling as separate operational pathways.
Bulk Trash: Hackensack Multifamily Limits
Properties containing up to four dwelling units:
Hackensack's Code limits qualifying larger/heavier household items to
two (2) separate items
on the established collection date.
[2]
Apartment buildings, garden apartments, condominiums and other habitable dwellings containing more than four units:
the Code establishes a limit of
ten (10) qualifying items total,
with multipiece items counted separately toward the limit.
[2]
Property-manager action:
designate the approved bulk location and resident procedure, coordinate collection with the applicable provider,
and prevent bulk material from blocking ordinary refuse/recycling access.
White Goods & Appliances: Separate Scheduled Procedure
White goods:
Hackensack maintains a separate procedure for qualifying metal items and appliances.
[1][2]
Current City/Code guidance establishes a
$10 fee per qualifying item
and requires collection to be scheduled through the applicable City procedure.
[1][2]
Appliances and white goods should therefore
not be placed into ordinary apartment recycling containers, doorstep bags or unscheduled bulk piles.
Management should provide residents with the property-approved white-goods procedure.
Renovations & Construction Debris: Private Recycling + CO Documentation
Construction and demolition debris:
Hackensack Chapter 93 requires qualifying C&D debris to be
recycled privately.
[2]
Certificate-of-occupancy documentation:
proof of appropriate C&D recycling must be provided to the
Building and Land Use Department before issuance of the applicable certificate of occupancy.
[2]
Property managers overseeing renovations, unit turns or capital projects should place C&D recycling/disposal
requirements in contractor scopes and retain weight tickets, facility receipts and other disposal documentation.
C&D debris is
not an ordinary doorstep trash or recycling material.
Private Collection: Document the Downstream Recycling Pathway
Private collection is permitted:
Hackensack allows qualifying property owners to contract with properly authorized private refuse/recycling providers
subject to applicable City and State requirements.
Private collection does not remove the property from New Jersey's statewide source-separation framework
or Hackensack's applicable recycling, registration and reporting duties.
[2][11]
For properties using private collectors, management should document:
• who collects the material;
• which materials the provider accepts;
• the lawful downstream recycling destination;
• service frequency and container capacity; and
• tonnage or other records needed for Hackensack's reporting requirements.
A private-haul apartment property should not assume that City curbside procedures or resident-only programs
automatically apply to its commercial/property collection stream.
Paper Shredding & Special Recycling Events
BCUA publishes separate schedules for paper shredding, electronics, tire collection and other special recycling programs.
These programs should be reviewed individually because
eligibility, accepted materials, dates, limits and locations differ by program.
Residents should consult current BCUA and Hackensack information before attending an event.
[10]
Property Manager Compliance Checklist — Hackensack Multifamily
- ☑ Apply the New Jersey statewide SSRA baseline: treat N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. as the statewide mandatory source-separation and recycling framework, then apply Hackensack Chapter 93, applicable Bergen County requirements, NJDEP rules and the property's actual municipal/private collection arrangement. [11][12]
- ☑ Confirm unit count: determine whether the property contains four or more dwelling units and therefore falls under Hackensack's annual registration/monthly reporting provisions. [2]
- ☑ Complete annual registration: qualifying 4+ unit properties should maintain procedures to meet the January 10 annual registration deadline. [2]
- ☑ File monthly recycling reports: qualifying properties should maintain tonnage/provider records supporting reports due by the 10th of each month. [2]
- ☑ Document the collection model: identify municipal vs. private trash/recycling collection and retain current service-provider information.
- ☑ Maintain sufficient receptacles: ensure the property has practical capacity for refuse and the applicable recycling streams. [2]
- ☑ Match resident instructions to the actual downstream recycling system: do not use a generic material list if the property's recycler accepts a different preparation or collection method.
- ☑ Separate special materials: electronics, motor oil, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, HHW, tires, appliances and C&D require separate authorized pathways.
- ☑ Manage bulk correctly: apply the applicable two-item or ten-item limit based on building size and collection eligibility. [2]
- ☑ Schedule white goods: use the City's applicable fee/appointment process rather than placing appliances into ordinary bulk or recycling. [1][2]
- ☑ Control renovation waste: require contractors to recycle qualifying C&D privately and retain documentation needed for Building/Land Use review. [2]
- ☑ Maintain compliance records: retain service agreements, invoices, monthly reports, registration records, resident instructions, photographs of collection areas and significant corrective-action records.
How National Doorstep Fits the Hackensack Compliance Workflow
National Doorstep operates upstream from curbside and off-site hauling.
Our porters move authorized resident-setout trash and recycling from apartment doors to
property-designated collection containers or collection points on private property,
subject to ownership or authorized management approval.
National Doorstep does not replace or interfere with the property's municipal or privately
contracted off-site waste/recycling hauler.
In Hackensack apartment and high-rise communities, National Doorstep can support management's implementation
of the property recycling program by standardizing resident set-out procedures, supporting separation between
approved trash and recycling streams consistent with the applicable New Jersey SSRA and Hackensack Chapter 93,
reducing contamination and documenting doorstep service activity.
Reporting boundary:
Hackensack's annual registration and monthly recycling-report obligations remain property-management compliance
responsibilities. National Doorstep service should be integrated with the downstream recycler/hauler records needed
to support those filings.
Special-material boundary:
Electronics, appliances, motor oil, batteries, fluorescent lamps, HHW, tires, construction debris and other
restricted/special materials remain outside the ordinary doorstep trash/recycling stream unless management establishes
a separate lawful and specifically authorized handling procedure.
National Doorstep does not characterize resident-only municipal, NJDEP-listed consumer or BCUA special-waste programs
as National Doorstep disposal destinations.
CTA:
Request a Free Compliance Audit for your Hackensack Property
Compliance note: This page is an operational resource for Hackensack multifamily owners and property managers and is not legal advice or a City determination. Recycling requirements, forms, collection procedures, service-provider arrangements, accepted materials and special-event schedules can change. Confirm the current New Jersey SSRA framework and current requirements with the City of Hackensack, NJDEP, BCUA and the property's applicable collection/recycling provider before changing the property's program.
EEAT / AUTHORITATIVE ORDINANCE & POLICY SOURCES: [1] City of Hackensack — Public Works, Sanitation & Recycling (current City sanitation/recycling guidance; collection preparation; white goods; City contacts) | [2] City of Hackensack Code — Chapter 93, Article II Collection & Recycling (management duties; 4+ unit registration and monthly reports; private collection; receptacles; bulk; white goods; C&D; enforcement and penalties) | [3] Hackensack Code — Recyclable Materials / Chapter 93 Definitions and Requirements | [4] New Jersey DEP — Electronic Waste Program (covered electronic devices and statewide e-waste requirements) | [5] New Jersey DEP — Current E-Waste Collection Site Directory (verify current location, eligibility and accepted equipment before transport) | [6] New Jersey Electronic Waste Management Act — P.L. 2008, c.130 | [7] Bergen County Utilities Authority — Household Hazardous Waste (Bergen County resident/private-residence eligibility) | [8] BCUA — 2026 Household Hazardous Waste Collections (Moonachie, Paramus and Mahwah schedule; published event hours) | [9] BCUA — HHW Unacceptable Materials (tires and electronics handled through separate programs) | [10] Bergen County Utilities Authority — Recycling & Special Event Resources | [11] New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act — N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. / P.L.1987, c.102 | [12] New Jersey Legislature — N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.16 Municipal Recycling System (municipal recycling-program implementation)
Hackensack and central Bergen County property owners and community managers: New Jersey requires source separation and recycling under the Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act, N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. (SSRA) . The SSRA establishes the statewide recycling framework; the Bergen County recycling plan identifies County-designated materials, and each municipality implements local recycling ordinances, collection procedures and enforcement requirements.
Inside the City of Hackensack, Chapter 93 imposes responsibilities directly on owners, agents of owners, managing agents, superintendents and occupants. Multifamily dwellings containing four (4) or more units have additional annual registration and monthly recycling-reporting requirements.
National Doorstep's valet trash and doorstep recycling service is designed to support property-management implementation of the property's approved trash and recycling system, resident education, contamination control and onsite collection procedures. Property ownership or authorized management remains responsible for municipal filings, legal compliance and the property's municipal or privately contracted off-site hauling arrangements.
- New Jersey statewide SSRA: N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. establishes the statewide mandatory source-separation and recycling framework. County plans and municipal recycling programs implement that framework locally.
- Hackensack 4+ unit compliance: annual recycling-program registration is due on or before January 10 and monthly recycling reports are due by the 10th day of the following month.
- Private-haul distinction: City collection rules and privately collected multifamily recycling are not identical. Managers should document which system applies.
- County baseline: Bergen County designates required recyclable materials, but municipalities may add materials or impose additional management, reporting, development and enforcement rules.
- Special streams: appliances, heavy iron, electronics, motor oil, batteries, yard waste and C&D may be recyclable without belonging in the property's ordinary resident recycling container.
- Compliance support: National Doorstep can support resident education, onsite collection workflows and documentation while the owner/manager retains regulatory and downstream-hauling responsibilities.
New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation & Recycling Act — SSRA
Statewide legal foundation: New Jersey's N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. — Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act (P.L.1987, c.102) establishes New Jersey's mandatory recycling framework. It provides the statewide foundation for county recycling planning and municipal source-separation and recycling programs.
Municipal implementation — N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.16: each municipality must establish and implement a municipal recycling program. The municipal program operates within the applicable district recycling framework and supplies the local collection and source-separation requirements for designated recyclable materials.
Hackensack multifamily significance: the SSRA is the statewide baseline, but it does not replace Hackensack Chapter 93. Hackensack's owner/manager duties, 4+ unit annual registration, monthly recycling reporting, private-collection rules, bulk/white-goods procedures, C&D requirements and enforcement provisions remain separate local compliance obligations.
Central Bergen County significance: Fort Lee, Teaneck, Englewood, Paramus, Garfield, Lodi, Maywood, Ridgefield Park, River Edge and other Bergen County municipalities operate under the same statewide SSRA framework but may impose different multifamily thresholds, reporting duties, development requirements, accepted-material procedures and penalties.
Important limitation: the SSRA does not create one universal apartment recycling-container design, one statewide commingled-bin list, or a universal daily recycling pickup requirement. Property managers should apply the SSRA together with the Bergen County recycling plan, the applicable municipal ordinance, NJDEP rules and the property's authorized collection system.
Property-manager compliance shortcut:
Start with the New Jersey SSRA. Apply N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. as the statewide recycling framework, then apply Bergen County and the municipality-specific requirements.
Hackensack 4+ units? Verify annual registration, monthly recycling reporting, collection arrangement, container capacity and required supporting documentation.
City collection? Follow Hackensack's City collection preparation, scheduling, bulk, white-goods and dumpster rules.
Private collection? Confirm the collector/provider, approved recycling destination, accepted materials and documentation required for municipal recycling reporting.
Outside Hackensack? Apply the specific municipality's recycling ordinance rather than importing Hackensack's requirements or another Bergen County municipality's penalties.
At a Glance: New Jersey SSRA → Hackensack / Bergen County Requirements
City of Hackensack
- Mandatory recycling: Chapter 93 requires recyclable materials to remain separated from garbage, refuse and trash.
- Management responsibility: owners, agents of owners, managing agents and superintendents have independent duties under the ordinance.
- 4+ units: annual recycling registration by January 10 plus monthly recycling reporting.
- New 4+ unit properties: registration is required within 45 days after issuance of the certificate of occupancy.
- Private collection: property owners may use qualifying private collectors; recyclables must still reach an approved recycling pathway and applicable reporting requirements remain.
- Enforcement: City sanitation service may be refused for noncompliance and §93-11 establishes escalating penalties.
-
Key Hackensack links:
Hackensack Code — Chapter 93, Article II
Hackensack Public Works — Sanitation & Recycling
Bergen County Baseline
- Statewide SSRA: N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. establishes New Jersey's mandatory source-separation and recycling framework.
- Municipal implementation: N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.16 requires each municipality to establish and implement a municipal recycling program within the applicable district recycling framework.
- County designation: Bergen County requires recycling of designated residential, commercial, institutional and industrial materials.
- Residential baseline: corrugated cardboard, newspaper, glass containers, aluminum containers, heavy iron, leaves, white goods/light iron, steel containers, other paper/magazines/junk mail, grass clippings, PETE #1 and HDPE #2 plastic containers, and concrete/asphalt/brick/block.
- Municipal variation: municipalities may require additional recyclable materials.
- 70 municipalities: BCUA reports that all seventy Bergen County municipalities operate curbside residential recycling programs.
- Municipal depots: many municipalities also operate depots for specifically authorized traditional or special recyclable materials. Eligibility and accepted materials must be confirmed locally.
- Important: County designation for recycling does not mean every material belongs in one apartment recycling container.
-
BCUA links:
BCUA — What to Recycle in Bergen County
BCUA — Recycling & Source Reduction
BCUA — Recycling Enforcement
Hackensack 4+ Unit Multifamily Compliance Requirements
- State + local hierarchy: the New Jersey SSRA establishes the statewide mandatory-recycling framework, while Hackensack §93-5 adds the City's property-specific 4+ unit registration and monthly reporting duties.
- Annual registration: owners or duly authorized agents of multifamily dwellings containing four or more units must register for the City's recycling program on or before January 10 each year.
- Responsible contact: the registration must identify a contact person or registered agent responsible for the multifamily dwelling.
- New properties: newly established qualifying multifamily dwellings must register within 45 days after issuance of the certificate of occupancy.
- Monthly recycling report: the property must submit a recycling report to the Department of Sanitation by the 10th day of each month for the preceding month.
- Documentation: when required, the owner/agent must provide documentation and verification supporting the registration and monthly recycling-tonnage report.
- Collection-system assistance: §93-5 provides that where a qualifying multifamily property is unable to secure a collection system for designated recyclables, the municipality will assist in arranging such service.
Central Bergen County — Multifamily Property Manager Information
The municipalities below share the Bergen County recycling baseline but impose different property-management, collection, development and enforcement requirements. Do not use one municipality's rules or penalties as a substitute for another's.
Swipe or scroll horizontally. The municipality column remains fixed.
| Municipality | Multifamily / Owner Duty | Reporting / Development Trigger | Property-Manager Operating Notes | Penalty / Enforcement Note | Official Code / Resource |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hackensack | Chapter 93 assigns duties to owners, owner agents, managing agents and superintendents. Properties must maintain sufficient suitable receptacles and keep recyclables separate from refuse. | 4+ units: annual recycling registration by January 10 and monthly recycling reporting by the 10th. New qualifying properties register within 45 days after CO. |
City collection: follow City preparation/set-out rules.
Private collection: document the collector and lawful downstream recycling pathway. C&D: must be recycled privately and proof provided to Building and Land Use before applicable CO. White goods: $10 per-item City fee plus scheduled pickup/sticker where City service applies. Bulk: up to 4-unit properties have a two-item larger/heavier rubbish limit; properties with more than four residential units have a 10-item limit under §93-7. |
After written notice:
• 1st: $100 • 2nd: $250 • 3rd: $500 + possible up to 25 man-hours recycling community service • 4th/subsequent: $1,000 + possible community service and/or up to 90 days jail Each continuing day is a separate violation. City sanitation service may also be refused. |
Hackensack Chapter 93
Hackensack DPW |
| Fort Lee | Owners, lessees and occupants must separate materials designated under §356-23. Multiunit residential properties may use other lawful recycling-disposition methods so long as recyclables are not disposed of as solid waste. | Development proposals are referred under the Borough's recycling/planning provisions. Property management should confirm current approved recycling layout and collection arrangement. |
White goods require special arrangements before curb placement.
Construction/demolition debris and listed noncollectible materials remain owner/contractor responsibility. Do not place designated special materials into ordinary valet recycling merely because the Code lists them as recyclable. |
Article V:
• up to $25 first offense • up to $100 subsequent offenses Separate §356-30 unauthorized-collection offense: up to $500 and/or 90 days in county jail. |
Fort Lee Article V Recycling |
| Teaneck | Owners/operators of multifamily dwellings, including condominium/co-op associations, must establish a recycling program and keep designated recyclables separate from municipal solid waste. |
When a multifamily property uses private recycling arrangements:
• notify the Township Manager; • submit market slips/documentation no later than January 10 and July 10; • identify hauler, material, recycling center, tonnage and disposal dates. |
Maintain private-hauler and recycling-center records sufficient to support the required twice-yearly filing.
Keep white goods and other separately handled materials outside the ordinary resident stream unless specifically accepted. |
No more than two warning notices before enforcement.
Each day constitutes a separate violation. §19-40 incorporates the Township's §1-6 general penalty. |
Teaneck Article IV Recycling |
| Englewood |
All solid-waste generators must source-separate recyclable materials.
For residential premises containing four units or more, the owner must provide appropriate recycling containers in locations approved by the Director of Public Works. |
Premises subject to applicable private collection rules must provide required private-collector information to the Recycling Coordinator annually in January and report qualifying collector changes within 30 days. |
Distinguish property-owner duties from separate private recyclable-collector registration/reporting obligations.
Outdoor dumpsters/refuse containers are also subject to covering and leakage-control rules. |
Englewood has multiple penalty provisions depending on the violation. Ordinary recycling violations should not be represented as automatically subject to the City's separate enhanced $2,500–$10,000 provisions applicable to specified offenses. | Englewood Chapter 364 |
| Paramus | Owners, lessees and occupants must source-separate recyclable materials required by Article III. |
Proposals for new developments containing
25 or more multifamily units
must incorporate recycling provisions.
Condominiums must provide a separate collection method and submit recycling plans to the Borough Recycling Coordinator. |
Confirm whether the property uses Borough collection or a private arrangement before applying residential curbside instructions.
Keep special materials outside the ordinary doorstep/container stream unless expressly accepted. |
After written warning, ordinary Article III violations:
• $25 first • $50 second • $100 third • up to $500 thereafter §379-21 commercial-user violations use a separate schedule. |
Paramus Article III
Paramus §379-25 |
| Garfield | Chapter 249 establishes mandatory source separation of designated recyclable materials. | A new multifamily housing development containing three or more dwelling units that requires subdivision or site-plan approval must include an indoor or outdoor recycling area meeting §275-10. |
Recycling areas must be sized for anticipated usage and developed in consultation with the Municipal Recycling Coordinator.
C&D recycling and documentation should be handled separately from ordinary resident recycling. |
Chapter 249 violations may, upon conviction, result in:
• fine up to $2,000 • imprisonment up to 90 days • and/or community service up to 90 days |
Garfield Chapter 249
Garfield §275-10 |
| Lodi |
Lodi defines multifamily dwelling broadly beginning at
three or more dwelling units.
For multifamily units, the management or owner is expressly responsible for setting up and maintaining the recycling system. |
Management must issue recycling notification and collection rules to
new tenants when they arrive and every six months during occupancy.
For new multifamily housing where the municipality does not provide the required service, the owner must supply a hauling contract before CO; contract changes/updates must be reported to the Recycling Coordinator within 30 days. |
This is one of the strongest resident-education requirements in the central Bergen market.
Violations/penalty notices may be directed to ownership or management when the individual violator cannot readily be identified. Multifamily/commercial dumpsters are also subject to separate Lodi location/screening requirements. |
Verify the current Lodi penalty section when preparing enforcement-specific property materials. Do not import Hackensack, Teaneck or Garfield penalties. |
Lodi Article II Recycling
Lodi Multifamily / Commercial Dumpsters |
| Maywood | Maywood's mandatory recycling ordinance places source-separation obligations on owners, lessees and occupants of residential properties. | The Borough's designated list is broad and includes ordinary container/paper recycling as well as special streams such as C&D debris, ferrous scrap, white goods, tires, waste motor oil, textiles and household-generated batteries. |
Property-manager priority:
do not interpret Maywood's broad designated-material list as one-container recycling.
Maintain separate property-approved handling pathways for appliances, tires, oil, batteries, C&D and other materials not accepted in the ordinary resident stream. |
Confirm the current Maywood enforcement/penalty section before publishing a property-specific fine amount. | Maywood Mandatory Recycling |
| Ridgefield Park | The owner, manager, superintendent or custodian of applicable multifamily dwellings must designate a special location inside or outside the building for storage of recyclables before collection. |
The storage area must comply with applicable Fire and Building Department codes.
Private garbage/trash/recycling contractors must supply annual documentation to the Municipal Recycling Coordinator showing recyclable tonnage and the market/destination to which recyclables were delivered. |
Management is responsible for avoiding excessive accumulations that could create a hazard and for
moving prepared recyclables to the required collection point under the Village program.
Residents remain responsible for separating recyclables and using the management-designated storage area. |
Use Ridgefield Park's own Article IV warning/penalty provisions rather than another municipality's schedule. | Ridgefield Park Article IV Recycling |
| River Edge | Apartment-house owners/managers must designate a special location for storage of specified paper/cardboard recyclables and notify the DPW Superintendent of the location; the location is subject to DPW and Fire Inspector approval. |
Multifamily housing developments requiring subdivision or site-plan approval must include an appropriately designed recycling area.
Site plans for proposed construction of 25 or more multifamily units require a recycling plan. Multifamily dwellings receiving Borough solid-waste collection or reimbursement must provide recycling-tonnage slips at least quarterly as a condition of continued service/reimbursement. |
Recycling areas should be clearly separated from refuse dumpsters, appropriately accessible,
signed and protected from conditions that could damage recyclable materials.
Verify whether the property receives direct Borough service, reimbursement or private collection. |
River Edge has municipality-specific enforcement provisions. Use the Borough Code rather than regional penalty assumptions. |
River Edge Article II Recycling
River Edge Multifamily Recycling Plan |
| Other Bergen County Municipalities | Local recycling ordinances implement the statewide N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. SSRA framework through the Bergen County recycling plan and may designate additional recyclable materials or impose additional owner/manager duties. |
Check for multifamily thresholds involving:
• onsite recycling areas; • private-hauler documentation; • tonnage reporting; • resident notification; • subdivision/site-plan approval; and • municipal service/reimbursement. |
Treat the BCUA list as the County baseline. Confirm the municipality's actual collection method and the property's downstream recycling-provider specifications. | Penalties vary materially by municipality. Do not characterize $2,000, jail, daily offenses or other enforcement consequences as countywide rules. | BCUA — Recycling Enforcement |
Hackensack Multifamily Operating Requirements
City collection vs. private collection:
Hackensack §93-9 expressly distinguishes locations using City collection services from locations using private collectors.
Where City collection applies, recyclables are prepared and collected according to Chapter 93 and City schedules.
Where private collection applies, recyclables must still be routed through an authorized recycling pathway. Private hauling does not remove the property from the statewide SSRA source-separation framework or Hackensack's applicable local registration/reporting requirements. Property management should maintain sufficient documentation to support applicable City reporting obligations.
Hackensack Designated Recyclables — Keep Special Streams Separate
Hackensack's Chapter 93 recyclable-material definition includes ordinary and special materials. The Code currently identifies categories including:
- newspapers;
- corrugated cardboard;
- commingled glass, tin, aluminum and Type 1 / Type 2 plastic bottles;
- junk mail / mixed paper;
- electronic waste;
- grass clippings;
- motor oil;
- dry-cell household batteries;
- small sealed lead-acid rechargeable batteries;
- fluorescent bulbs; and
- leaves.
Property-manager compliance boundary: designation as recyclable does not mean that electronics, motor oil, batteries, fluorescent lamps or other special materials belong in an ordinary resident valet-recycling bag or commingled apartment recycling container. Management should route each material through the collection or disposal method authorized for that stream.
Hackensack Bulk, White Goods & Renovation Waste
Bulk / Heavy Trash
- Single-family homes and multifamily properties with up to four units: larger/heavier household rubbish is limited to two separate items on the applicable collection date.
- Apartment buildings, garden apartments, condominiums and other habitable dwellings with more than four residential units: limited to 10 items total.
- Multipiece items count separately toward the 10-item limit.
White Goods
- Hackensack defines white goods to include large appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, washers, dryers and air conditioners, as well as specified large metal items.
- Where City white-goods collection applies, the current Code requires a $10 fee per item.
- Pickup is scheduled and a sticker is issued for the item.
- White goods should not be placed in the property's ordinary recycling or doorstep collection stream.
Construction & Demolition
- Hackensack §93-7 requires applicable construction and demolition debris to be recycled privately.
- Proof must be provided to the Building and Land Use Department before issuance of the applicable certificate of occupancy.
- Property managers should build C&D recycling and documentation into contractor scopes for renovations and capital projects.
Hackensack Fines & Enforcement — §93-11
- Service refusal: the Division of Sanitation may refuse service to a person who fails to comply with Chapter 93.
- First violation after written notice: $100 plus collection costs assessed by the court.
- Second violation: $250 plus court-assessed collection costs.
- Third violation: $500 plus court-assessed collection costs and possible recycling-program community service of up to 25 man-hours.
- Fourth and subsequent violations: $1,000 plus court-assessed collection costs and possible recycling-program community service up to 90 days and/or up to 90 days in jail.
- Daily violations: each day a violation or neglect is committed or permitted to continue constitutes a separate violation under §93-11.
Property Manager Compliance Checklist — Hackensack & Central Bergen County
Swipe or scroll horizontally. The first column remains fixed.
| Task | Property-Manager Action | Hackensack / Regional Qualification | Recommended Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☑ Apply NJ SSRA Baseline | Start with N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. as New Jersey's statewide source-separation and recycling framework. | Then apply the Bergen County recycling plan and the specific municipal ordinance. The SSRA does not make Hackensack, Fort Lee, Teaneck, Englewood, Paramus, Garfield, Lodi, Maywood, Ridgefield Park and River Edge operationally identical. | Keep the current State Act link with the applicable County and municipal recycling sources in the property's compliance file. |
| ☑ Confirm Municipality | Determine the municipality in which the community is physically located before applying recycling requirements, collection procedures or penalties. | The Bergen County material list is a baseline. Hackensack, Fort Lee, Teaneck, Englewood, Paramus, Garfield, Lodi, Maywood, Ridgefield Park and River Edge impose materially different requirements. | Maintain current links/PDFs of the municipal recycling ordinance and current DPW/recycling instructions. |
| ☑ Confirm Unit Count | Record the property's dwelling-unit count and compare it with local thresholds. |
Examples:
• Hackensack 4+ reporting/registration; • Englewood 4+ recycling containers; • Lodi multifamily definition begins at 3+; • Garfield 3+ new multifamily development/site-plan trigger; • Paramus 25+ new multifamily development trigger. |
Keep unit count, CO, site-plan approval and development documentation in the compliance file. |
| ☑ Hackensack Annual Registration | For qualifying Hackensack 4+ unit properties, complete annual recycling registration. | Deadline: January 10. New qualifying properties: within 45 days after CO. | Retain submitted registration and responsible-contact information. |
| ☑ Hackensack Monthly Reports | File required recycling report for the preceding month. | Due by the 10th day of each month. | Retain hauler tonnage, processor records, receipts, invoices or other supporting verification. |
| ☑ Determine Collection Model | Document whether the property receives municipal collection, private collection or another lawful arrangement. | Municipal curbside/set-out rules do not automatically control a privately collected multifamily site. | Keep current contracts, provider contacts, collection schedules and accepted-material specifications. |
| ☑ Map Recycling Streams |
Build a simple matrix:
material → resident instruction → onsite collection point → collector → downstream facility. |
Do not combine ordinary container recycling with special streams such as appliances, C&D, oil, batteries, electronics or yard waste unless the collector expressly authorizes it. | Retain written accepted-material specifications from the property's collector/recycler. |
| ☑ Containers & Capacity | Maintain sufficient suitable receptacles and service capacity for the property's approved system. | Hackensack City-serviced multiple dwellings may be required or approved to use City-compatible dumpsters. Those City-serviced dumpster requirements should not automatically be applied to privately hauled properties. | Maintain container maps, photographs and current service-frequency records. |
| ☑ Resident Education | Provide instructions matching the community's actual approved recycling stream. |
Lodi: multifamily management has an express duty to provide rules to new tenants
and every six months during occupancy.
Elsewhere, periodic communication is a recommended management practice unless the municipality establishes a specific cadence. |
Keep email copies, portal notices, handouts, signage and move-in materials. |
| ☑ Private-Haul Reporting | Determine whether the local ordinance requires notices, tonnage slips or private-hauler documentation. |
Examples:
• Teaneck: Jan. 10 / July 10 market-slip documentation; • Ridgefield Park: annual private-hauler tonnage/destination documentation; • River Edge: quarterly tonnage slips for qualifying Borough service/reimbursement; • Hackensack 4+: monthly recycling reporting. |
Keep weight tickets, tonnage summaries, facility receipts and submitted municipal reports. |
| ☑ Bulk / White Goods | Maintain separate resident procedures for furniture, appliances and bulky materials. | Hackensack uses separate heavy-trash and white-goods rules. Other municipalities may require scheduling, fees or special collection. | Retain current resident bulk instructions and collection-provider procedures. |
| ☑ C&D / Renovation Waste | Include recycling/disposal requirements in renovation and construction contracts. | Hackensack requires applicable C&D to be recycled privately with proof before applicable CO. Bergen County separately designates concrete/asphalt/brick/block for recycling. | Retain facility receipts, weight tickets, manifests and contractor certifications. |
| ☑ Special Waste | Keep HHW, electronics, oil, batteries, fluorescent lamps and similar special materials outside ordinary resident recycling unless specifically authorized. | Resident-only municipal or County special-waste programs should not automatically be treated as property-management or commercial disposal destinations. | Maintain current resident referral instructions and property-generated material procedures separately. |
| ☑ Enforcement Review | Use the actual municipality's penalty section when preparing compliance materials. | Do not use a generic “Bergen County $2,000 fine” statement. Penalties vary substantially between municipalities. | Keep the current local enforcement/penalty section bookmarked or saved. |
| ☑ National Doorstep Integration | Match doorstep resident recycling instructions to the materials accepted by the property's authorized recycling system. | National Doorstep operates onsite/upstream from off-site hauling and should not be characterized as replacing the municipal/private downstream hauler. | Maintain resident set-out instructions, service records and significant contamination/corrective-action documentation. |
Bergen County material-list warning:
Under New Jersey's statewide SSRA framework, the Bergen County plan identifies designated recyclable materials. BCUA's County-designated residential list includes ordinary container/paper materials and special categories such as heavy iron, white goods/light iron, leaves, grass and concrete/asphalt/brick/block.
These materials are required to be recycled through the proper pathway, but that does not mean all of them belong in an apartment's ordinary commingled recycling dumpster or doorstep recycling bag.
Property managers should map every designated material to its actual authorized collection, special pickup, contractor or recycling facility.
How National Doorstep Fits the Property's Recycling System
National Doorstep operates upstream from curbside and off-site hauling. Porters move authorized resident-setout trash and recycling from apartment doors to property-designated containers or collection points on private property under ownership or authorized management approval.
National Doorstep does not replace or interfere with the property's municipal or privately contracted downstream trash/recycling hauler.
The property's ordinary doorstep recycling stream should be limited to the materials accepted by its authorized collection/recycling system and structured to support source separation under the applicable New Jersey SSRA, Bergen County plan and municipal requirements.
Electronics, appliances, white goods, motor oil, batteries, fluorescent lamps, C&D debris, yard waste, HHW and other special materials remain subject to their own property-approved and legally authorized handling pathways.
Hackensack annual registration, monthly recycling reporting and other municipal filings remain ownership/authorized-management compliance responsibilities.
Need a fast multifamily recycling review in Hackensack or central Bergen County? Request a Free Compliance Audit for your Bergen County multifamily property . We can help management review resident set-out procedures, onsite container access, accepted-material instructions, contamination controls and supporting documentation while keeping municipal/private downstream hauling and regulatory filing responsibilities clearly separated.
EEAT / AUTHORITATIVE ORDINANCE & POLICY SOURCES:
[1] City of Hackensack — Chapter 93, Article II Collection and Recycling
(management duties; 4+ unit registration; monthly reports; private collection;
containers; bulk; white goods; C&D; penalties)
[2] City of Hackensack — Public Works, Sanitation & Recycling
[3] Bergen County Utilities Authority — What to Recycle in Bergen County
(County residential and commercial/institutional/industrial designated-material baseline)
[4] Bergen County Utilities Authority — Recycling & Source Reduction
(all 70 municipalities' curbside programs; municipal depots)
[5] Bergen County Utilities Authority — Recycling Enforcement
(County/local enforcement structure and municipal ordinance requirements)
[6] Borough of Fort Lee — Article V Recycling
[7] Township of Teaneck — Article IV Recycling
(multifamily program; private arrangements; Jan. 10 / July 10 documentation)
[8] City of Englewood — Chapter 364 Solid Waste and Recycling
(4+ unit recycling containers; private collection requirements)
[9] Borough of Paramus — Article III Recycling
(source separation; 25+ multifamily development trigger)
[10] Borough of Paramus — §379-25 Violations and Penalties
[11] City of Garfield — Chapter 249 Recycling
[12] City of Garfield — §275-10 Recycling Areas in Multifamily Housing Developments
[13] Borough of Lodi — Article II Recycling
(3+ unit multifamily definition; management responsibility; six-month resident notices;
new-development hauling contract)
[14] Borough of Maywood — Mandatory Recycling
[15] Village of Ridgefield Park — Article IV Recycling
(multifamily storage-area duties; private-hauler tonnage documentation)
[16] Borough of River Edge — Article II Recycling
(multifamily storage/recycling areas; tonnage conditions)
[17] Borough of River Edge — Multifamily Recycling Plan
(25+ unit development recycling-plan requirement)
[18] New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act —
N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq. / P.L.1987, c.102
[19] New Jersey Legislature — N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.16 Municipal Recycling System
(municipal implementation of recycling programs)
Interested in talking about how we can work together? Here's our contact info.
