Clifton, NJ Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Daily limit
- 1.5 cubic yards per resident
- Cost to residents
- Free while supply lasts
- Hours
- 7 days/week, dawn to dusk
- Location
- City Hall Complex, Clifton
- ID requirement
- Must show proof of residency
Summary
Clifton hands out free compost, mulch and topsoil to residents at the City Hall Complex whenever supply is available, seven days a week between dawn and dusk. Each resident is capped at one and a half cubic yards per day, and taking more or lacking proof of residency is itself a chapter violation.
Compost, mulch and topsoil shall be available at the Clifton City Hall Complex to any Clifton resident at no cost whenever such compost, mulch and topsoil is made available by the City of Clifton. Any Clifton resident wishing to make use of the free compost, mulch and/or topsoil shall be limited to 1 1/2 cubic yards per day. ... Compost, mulch and topsoil, when available, shall be offered to the public seven days per week, between the hours of dawn and dusk. ... Failure of an individual to have proof of residency in his or her possession or to exhibit the same to any authorized representative or employee of the City of Clifton shall constitute a violation of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4963532; v64 updated 2026-07-21; through 07-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 196, adopted May 20, 1997 by Ord. No. 5889-97, sets rules for the City's own distribution of compost, mulch and topsoil rather than regulating backyard composting bins. § 196-4 makes it a separate violation for a resident to fail to carry proof of residency or to refuse to show it to an authorized City representative or employee when picking up material, and § 196-5 separately makes taking more than the one-and-a-half-cubic-yard daily limit a violation in its own right, independent of the residency-proof rule.
The chapter cross-references Chapter 175 (Brush, Weeds, Uncut Grass and Debris), Chapter 261 (Garbage, Rubbish and Refuse), Chapter 296 (Landscapers) and Chapter 433 (Trees and Shrubbery) as related regulations, but none of those chapters impose a residential backyard-composting bin standard; Clifton's compost regulation is exclusively about the municipal giveaway program at City Hall.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 196, whether by exceeding the daily 1.5 cubic yard limit or by lacking proof of residency when requested, is punishable upon conviction by a fine up to $1,000, confinement up to 90 days, or both, per Clifton Code § 196-6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can Clifton residents pick up free compost or mulch?
How much free compost can I take at once in Clifton?
Do I need ID to get free mulch from the City in Clifton?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clifton
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Composting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Passaic County handle composting.