Plainfield, NJ Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Section 13:6-3 of the Plainfield Municipal Code governs roll-off dumpsters and containers left on roadways or public property in the City of Plainfield, Union County. The trigger is size: a waste or refuse storage container of more than ten cubic yards. Anyone who parks or leaves one unattended on or along a street, sidewalk or public property needs written permission by permit from the Director of the Department of Public Works and Urban Development first.

Subsection (b) says consent stays valid for not more than thirty days and can be renewed by the appropriate official on application. Subsection (d)(1) sets the money: a nonrefundable $50 fee for each permit and a $250 deposit, with each dumpster allowed to remain on the street for no more than ten days. An additional $250 fee applies for each further ten day period if one is required. The two subsections print different time periods, so the term on the issued permit controls in practice.

The rest of subsection (d) lists the permit conditions. The licensed hauler must provide a certificate of insurance naming the City of Plainfield as an additional insured for not less than $300,000. The applicant gives the name, address and DEP license number of the collector and identifies the disposal site, and the application goes to the PMUA to confirm the hauler is licensed. Containers are for construction and demolition materials only, N.J. D.E.P. Type 13C; municipal solid waste, Type 10, and class A recyclable materials are barred entirely. The permittee keeps the sidewalk and gutter clean and unobstructed and pays for any damage to the street, shoulder, gutter or curb, and the deposit is held until repairs satisfy the Director.

Under subsection (c), a container on a roadway must carry yellow reflective diamond-shaped panels at least 18 inches by 18 inches, mounted at both ends facing oncoming traffic, and containers are cordoned off during daylight hours.