Lakewood, NJ Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Township Code § 21-5.1(a) makes source separation mandatory Townshipwide: "It shall be mandatory for all persons who are owners, tenants, or occupants of residential and nonresidential premises, which shall include but not be limited to retail and other commercial locations, as well as government, schools and other institutional locations within the Township of Lakewood, to separate designated recyclable materials from all solid waste." Compliance duties differ by property type. Section 21-5.4 puts residential responsibility on the property owner, and for multifamily buildings specifically requires "the management or owner is responsible for setting up and maintaining the recycling system," including issuing "notification and collection rules to new tenants when they arrive and every six months during their occupancy." Section 21-5.6 covers commercial, institutional and industrial generators: they must arrange their own recycling collection unless the Township provides it, supply recycling receptacles anywhere they provide litter receptacles, and file an annual report to the Recycling Coordinator on the amount and type of material recycled and the vendor used; food service establishments face an added duty under § 21-5.6(d) to recycle grease and cooking oil.

New construction faces its own compliance gate: § 21-5.7 requires any subdivision or site plan application for three or more multifamily units, 50 or more single-family units, or 1,000 square feet or more of commercial, institutional or industrial development to include a recycling plan showing expected waste volumes and on-site recycling locations, and the developer must supply a signed hauling contract before the Township will issue a Certificate of Occupancy. A commercial or institutional property that already recycles independently may seek an exemption from the Municipal Recycling Coordinator under § 21-5.1(b), citing N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.16(d), but must file supporting documentation and provide annual tonnage certifications to keep it.