Hamilton, NJ Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Chapter 289, Littering, is Hamilton's core dumping ordinance. Section 289-2 bans sweeping, throwing, depositing or dumping litter on any occupied, open or vacant property, whether or not the dumper owns it, or in any street, sidewalk, park, other public place, or any pond, lake, stream or other body of water in the Township, except into public receptacles or authorized private receptacles for collection. Section 289-3 separately bars merchants and property occupants from sweeping accumulated litter into a gutter or street, and requires them to keep the sidewalk in front of their premises free of litter.

Section 289-5 targets vehicles that scatter loads or track mud, dirt or litter onto Township streets. Section 289-6 specifically targets cross-border dumping: no person may cart, remove, transport or collect litter from outside Hamilton and bring it into the Township for dumping, and any truck carrying litter transported into Hamilton cannot be parked or left standing on a street or public property for more than two hours. "Litter" is defined in Section 289-1 as garbage, refuse and rubbish and all other waste material that, if thrown or deposited as prohibited by the chapter, tends to create a danger to public health, safety and welfare, and "refuse" separately covers putrescible and nonputrescible solid wastes including dead animals and abandoned automobiles.