Monroe Township (Middlesex County), NJ Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Chapter 52 mandates source separation under § 52-1.5, which names residential dwelling owners, lessors, lessees and occupants alongside commercial establishments, industrial sites, office buildings, retail stores, restaurants, diners, taverns, catering facilities, hotels, motels, cinemas, theaters, financial institutions, warehouses, junk yards, nonprofit associations, educational institutions and governmental institutions. Section 52-1.1 states the purpose: separate collection of designated recyclables as mandated by New Jersey law and by the County of Middlesex.

Section 52-1.2 lists the designated recyclables from the County Plan: newspaper, aluminum cans, glass containers, corrugated cardboard from residential and commercial sources, steel cans, plastic containers, mixed paper, textiles, leaves, motor oil, brush, masonry/paving materials, rechargeable batteries, tires, white goods, electronics, fluorescent bulbs, plastic film and wood scrap. The Middlesex County Improvement Authority collects a narrower group: newspaper, glass containers, aluminum cans, corrugated cardboard, steel cans, plastic containers, mixed paper and textiles. Section 52-2.1 makes it unlawful to place any designated recyclable in a trash, rubbish or garbage receptacle bound for a landfill or resource recovery site.

Multifamily dwellings and business, industrial and institutional sites carry added duties under § 52-2.4. They must provide separate receptacles for each item or group of items the Township mandates, unless the Director of Recycling or the Recycling Coordinator grants written permission for an exemption. Having no receptacle is presumptive evidence of a violation, and the burden shifts to the alleged violator to prove compliance. Anyone who contracts with an approved hauler other than the Township or its designated recycling contractor must report tonnage to the Recycling Coordinator at least every three months.

The Director of Recycling oversees the program, and the Recycling Coordinator is the Enforcement Officer under § 52-4. Residents and local businesses can also use the Drop Off Center with proof of residency or a local business tie; tractor trailers and large commercial vehicles such as dump trucks are barred.