Trash & Recycling in Clifton, NJ (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Clifton, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Clifton residents and businesses must keep enough garbage receptacles on hand to hold refuse between collections, keep them covered and non-overflowing, and set them at the curb no earlier than 5 p.m. the evening before pickup (6 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time), removing them within 12 hours after collection under Sections 261-9 and 261-10.
Clifton Trash Pickup Placement and Timing Rules
Some RestrictionsClifton Code §§ 261-9, 261-10A
§ 261-9. A sufficient number of such receptacles shall be provided to contain the garbage, refuse or other waste material usually accumulated between garbage collections in any dwelling, store or place of business in the City. No such receptacle shall be filled in such a manner as to permit the contents thereof to overflow, and every such receptacle shall, at all times, be kept covered and prot...
Bin Placement Rules
Clifton requires plastic bags or covered receptacles up to a 35-gallon capacity for household and business garbage, and requires them to sit at the side or rear of the house, store or building except during the curbside collection window set by Section 261-10. Receptacle rules run through Sections 261-8 and 261-10B.
Clifton Garbage Receptacle Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsClifton Code §§ 261-8, 261-10B
§ 261-8. Every one-family dwelling, two-family dwelling and every structure which contains three or more dwelling units, except garden apartments, and every store or place of business where garbage or refuse or other waste materials may accumulate shall have provided for the use of the occupants thereof plastic bags or receptacles of a maximum capacity of 35 gallons, with tight-fitting covers f...
Bulk Item Disposal
Clifton residents set large appliances, tree branches and fall leaves at the curb for pickup on the City's schedule rather than mixing them into regular trash. White goods need their doors removed and freon certified drained before collection, and leaf pickup runs roughly October 15 through December 20.
Clifton Curbside Rules for Bulk Items and Yard Debris
Some RestrictionsClifton Code § 261-15
(7) Leaves shall be raked to the curb by City residents for pickup on or about October 15 until December 20, as directed by the Superintendent of Public Works. ... (12) White goods shall be placed at the curb the night before pickup. Residents must remove all doors from freezers and refrigerators. Also, residents must have all freon removed by a certified technician for the following appliances...
Recycling Requirements
Clifton's curbside recycling program sets material-by-material packaging rules, container sizes from four to 32 gallons, and a strict set-out window: recyclables go out no earlier than 7 p.m. the night before collection and no later than 7 a.m. on collection day, under Section 261-15.
Clifton Curbside Recycling Program Requirements
Some RestrictionsClifton Code § 261-15
§ 261-15. B. (3) Aluminum cans shall be drained of all liquid, rinsed and crushed and placed in a reusable sturdy receptacle or container not less than four gallons or more than 32 gallons in size. Aluminum shall be kept separate from all other material. ... D. Recyclable materials to be collected by the City of Clifton, or agents thereof, shall be placed at the curb on those days specifically ...
Illegal Dumping
Clifton makes it unlawful for anyone to deposit, place or dump refuse, including garbage, offal, rubbish, paper, trash, stumps, junk or debris, on any land in the City. A conviction under Section 261-2 carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense.
Clifton Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsClifton Code § 261-2
§ 261-2. Dumping unlawful. It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit, place or dump, or to allow or permit the dumping, depositing or placing of any refuse upon any land in the City.
Yard Waste Collection
Clifton lets residents place uncontainerized leaves and grass clippings at the curb only during the seven days before an announced collection, and never within ten feet of a storm drain, with violators required to remove misplaced piles themselves.
Clifton Yard Waste Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsClifton Code § 233-23
§ 233-23. Yard waste collection. Sweeping, raking, blowing or otherwise placing yard waste that is not containerized at the curb or along the street is allowed during the seven days prior to a scheduled and announced collection, and shall not be placed closer than ten feet from any storm drain inlet. Placement of such yard waste at the curb or along the street at any other time or in any other ...
Dumpster Rules
Anyone offering a dumpster for use or hire in Clifton must register with the City Clerk and pay a $400 annual fee. Street-placed dumpsters can't sit within five feet of a neighbor's driveway, can't cover more than a third of the roadway, and can only stay put for 24 hours before and after construction.
Clifton Dumpster Registration and Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsClifton Code §§ 209-4, 209-6
§ 209-4. Registration required. No person shall offer or provide a dumpster for use or hire within the City of Clifton without having first registered with the City Clerk. ... § 209-6. Restrictions on location and placement. B. No dumpster shall be placed within five feet of an adjacent property owner's driveway. C. The width of the street or roadway to be used shall be limited in accordance wi...
Collection Schedule
Clifton requires garbage, ashes, dirt and other household refuse to be set out curbside on the days the City appoints for collection, but not before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (6:00 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time) the evening before pickup, and the cans must come back off the sidewalk within 12 hours after they're emptied.
Clifton Curbside Trash Placement Hours
Some RestrictionsClifton Code § 261-10
Every owner, tenant, lessee or occupant of any house, store, building or any part thereof shall, upon the days appointed by the proper authorities for the collection of garbage, ashes, dirt or other household refuse, place said receptacles containing such garbage, ashes, dirt or other household refuse upon the sidewalk area in front of his, her or their premises, as near the curb as the same ca...
Recycling Rules
Clifton runs a mandatory source-separation recycling program: every generator, resident or business must separate recyclables like newspapers, glass, aluminum, steel cans, cardboard, plastics, batteries, motor oil, yard waste and construction debris from municipal solid waste rather than throwing them in the regular trash, under Sections 261-13 and 261-15A.
Clifton Mandatory Recycling Separation Rules
Heavy RestrictionsClifton Code §§ 261-13, 261-15A
§ 261-13. Establishment. There is hereby established a program for the mandatory source separation of recyclable materials at the curb, and for the mandatory drop-off of other recyclable material not collected at the curb. Residents are responsible for transporting all recyclables not collected at the curb to the proper collection areas. ... § 261-15. A. Every generator in the City of Clifton s...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Clifton city rules.
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