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

Township Code § 21-5.3(a) sets the timing window for recyclables: containers and brown paper bags must go "between the curb and the sidewalk" and cannot be placed "anytime after 5:00 p.m. of the day immediately preceding the day of collection, but no later than 6:00 a.m. of the day of collection." After pickup, the owner or occupant must remove containers from the curbside "by no later than 7:00 p.m. of the day of collection," and § 21-5.3(b) requires all receptacles be kept clean and handled safely.

Section 21-5.8(a) makes it "unlawful for solid waste collectors to collect solid waste that is mixed with, or contains visible signs of designated recyclable materials," and equally unlawful to knowingly remove bags flagged with a warning sticker showing recyclables are inside; § 21-5.8(b) puts the burden on the resident to properly segregate any uncollected mixed waste, warning that letting it accumulate "will be considered a violation of this article and the local sanitary code." Enforcement under § 21-5.9 is shared among the Code Enforcement Official, the Health Department, the Recycling Coordinator, the Property Maintenance Official, the Housing Officer, and the Ocean County Department of Health, any of whom may inspect by sorting containers or opening bags to check for recyclables. Section 21-5.10 fixes the penalty directly in the recycling article itself, rather than deferring to the general Chapter 1 fine.