East Orange, NJ Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

City Code § 156-17A, adopted in Article II of Chapter 156 by Ordinance No. 10-2012, makes source separation mandatory for all owners, tenants or occupants of residential and nonresidential premises, expressly including retail and other commercial locations as well as government, school and institutional buildings within the City of East Orange. Designated recyclable materials must be kept separate from other solid waste and placed at the curb on the days and times the City establishes by regulation. Section 156-16 defines the designated recyclable materials by sector: residential generators must separate newspapers, mixed paper, old corrugated containers, glass food and beverage containers, aluminum beverage containers, leaves, used motor oil, white goods, lead acid batteries, plastics #1 and #2, steel/tin containers and ferrous scrap, with no de minimis exemption for amount or weight; commercial and institutional generators separate a similar list.

Section 156-17B allows the City's governing body to exempt commercial or institutional generators from source separation under N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.16(d) if they file an exemption application with the Municipal Recycling Coordinator documenting their own recycling arrangement, including an annual tonnage report. Article II is enforced by the Code Enforcement Official, Health Department, Police Department, Recycling Coordinator, Property Maintenance Official, Housing Officer and the Essex County Department of Health under § 156-29, who may sort through containers and open solid waste bags to detect recyclables. Violations of the recycling article carry a fine of not less than $250 nor more than $1,000 under § 156-30, deposited into the Municipal Recycling Trust Fund for the City's recycling and education programs.