Passaic, NJ Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Article III of Chapter 157, adopted by Ord. No. 1752-08, defines YARD WASTE narrowly as weeds, brush and grass clippings under § 157-19, and requires it to be CONTAINERIZED, placed in a trash can, bucket, biodegradable bag or other vessel that keeps it from spilling or blowing into the street and contacting stormwater, before it reaches a public roadway. Section 157-20 then makes the prohibition explicit: the property owner or occupant, or any landscaping or lawn-care contractor working for them, may not sweep, rake, blow or otherwise place yard waste in the street unless it is properly containerized first.

If uncontainerized yard waste ends up in the street anyway, the party responsible for placing it must remove it, or be deemed in violation of the article. This runs alongside the separate Leaf Disposal article (§§ 157-12 through 157-17, adopted 2007), which sets its own October 15 through December 15 curb collection window and 50-pound biodegradable-bag limit specifically for leaves. Enforcement of the yard waste article falls to the Department of Public Works or the Police Department under § 157-21, and violations are penalized under the Code's general penalty provision, § 1-3, up to $2,000 and up to 90 days of imprisonment or community service, since the yard waste article does not set its own separate fine schedule.