Bergenfield, NJ Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)

Section 344-52 of the Bergenfield Sanitary Code, Chapter 344, Article VIII, governs how garbage and refuse containers are stored on residential and rental property. In a one- or two-family dwelling the tenant buys and maintains the receptacles if the lease says so; otherwise the landlord or owner supplies them, and in a building of three or more units the landlord always supplies and maintains the containers. Receptacles have to stay somewhere on the premises that will not create a health nuisance, and if the property uses cans or non-roll-off dumpsters, the lids must be kept tightly closed.

For collection, containers go out between the curb and the sidewalk, or at whatever spot the Department of Public Works designates instead. The owner or tenant then has only 12 hours after pickup to bring the empty receptacle back off the curb; leaving it out longer is itself a violation. Storing trash where it can be seen from the street is banned outright: Section 344-52G bars keeping household refuse or any other items to be disposed of in plain view on the part of the property between the front of the house and the street.

Bulk items may sit outdoors for no more than a week, and paper bags or cardboard boxes are strictly prohibited as substitutes for a proper receptacle. A container that is badly broken or otherwise fails to meet these standards can simply be removed by the Borough. Enforcement runs through the Department of Public Works Superintendent, the Board of Health and the Health Officer, who share responsibility for administration under Article VIII.