Clifton, NJ Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Curb set-out
- Not before 5 p.m. (6 p.m. DST) day before
- Removal deadline
- Within 12 hours after collection
- Overflow
- Receptacles must not overflow, stay covered
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine per day of violation
Summary
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.
§ 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 protected so as not to create a nuisance, and shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. ... § 261-10. A. 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 can be conveniently placed, not earlier than 5:00 p.m. the day before removal when Eastern Standard Time is in effect and not earlier than 6:00 p.m. when Daylight Saving Time is in effect, and shall remove the same from the sidewalk within 12 hours after the same are emptied.
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
Section 261-9 requires every dwelling, store or place of business to keep on hand a sufficient number of garbage receptacles to hold whatever accumulates between collections, and bars filling them so contents overflow; receptacles must stay covered, protected against creating a nuisance, and kept clean and sanitary at all times. The lessee or occupant supplies the receptacles for a one- or two-family dwelling, store or business, while the owner supplies them for any structure with three or more dwelling units. under Daylight Saving Time, and must come back off the sidewalk within 12 hours after they are emptied.
That timing rule was tightened by Ord. No. 6726-08 in 2008. Section 261-12 clarifies that this general collection article does not override the separate garden-apartment disposal rules in Sections 261-5 and 261-6, so garden apartment complexes follow their own dumpster-based system rather than the individual-receptacle timing in Section 261-10.
Violations & Fines
Failing to provide sufficient receptacles, letting them overflow, or leaving them at the curb outside the Section 261-10 window is punishable under Section 261-11 by a fine of up to $1,000. As with the dumping article, a separate offense is deemed committed on each day the violation occurs or continues, so a receptacle left out too long keeps accruing charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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