Clifton, NJ Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Section 261-13 establishes Clifton's residential recycling program as mandatory in two ways: mandatory curbside source-separation for the items the City collects at the curb, and mandatory drop-off, at the resident's own expense of transportation, for recyclable materials the City does not collect curbside. The City Manager, Superintendent of Public Works and Recycling Coordinator are authorized to set the manner, days and times of collection and the handling rules for each material. Section 261-15A lists what every generator must pull out of the solid waste stream: used newspapers, magazines, glass bottles and jars, aluminum, steel cans, ferrous and nonferrous metals, white goods, grass clippings, leaves, yard and tree materials, corrugated cardboard, plastic containers, antifreeze, motor oil, automotive batteries, construction and demolition debris, textiles and tires.

Generators must provide their own containers for temporary storage pending collection or drop-off, keep those containers clean and safe to handle, and locate them where they will not create a nuisance for neighbors or conflict with pedestrians or vehicles. Multifamily-dwelling generators using private haulers must report their recycled tonnage to the Municipal Recycling Coordinator by January 15 each year under Section 261-17, and the City must renotify all sectors of their recycling duties at least every six months under Section 261-16.