On Thursday, Aug. 3, at 5 p.m. the Hoboken City Council will have a special meeting to vote on the administration’s proposed garbage containerization ordinance. The ordinance, if adopted, aims to reduce rodent activity by limiting rodent food sources from trash.
If passed, what would the new law require?
The ordinance would require all residential or mixed-use properties with 10 or fewer units to store trash in containers with a tight-fitting lid, when at the curb for collection and while stored between collections.
Additionally, properties with greater than 10 units would also be required to utilize containerized garbage bins with tight-fitting lids, unless there are space constraints that prevent the landlord or property owner from doing so. In this case, disposable garbage bags must be used with rodent repellent and at least 1.1 mil thick, or if the garbage bags do not have rodent repellent, the bags must be at least 3 mils thick. If plastic bags are utilized, the garbage must be stored indoors between collections.
Are the new regulations in effect yet?
The ordinance would not take effect until after potential adoption by the Hoboken City Council at a special meeting on Aug. 3. At that time, the new containerization ordinance will take effect, and applicable fines will be issued after a 30-day grace period
How big should containerized garbage cans be?
Full garbage containers must not weigh more than 50 pounds. A garbage container at the curb must have a tightly-fitting lid, which will be mandatory. If the ordinance is passed by the City Council on August 3, the city will strongly recommend that all new garbage containers be no larger than 32 gallons and no smaller than 10 gallons. A 32-gallon container helps prevent a full container from being heavier than 50 pounds. The City contracts with a garbage hauler (Cali Carting), whose workers manually lift garbage into the truck and according to the hauler’s contract with the City, Cali’s workers will not lift garbage heavier than 50 pounds, a weight limit that is standard in many municipalities across the state.
What if I have an existing garbage bin that is larger than 32 gallons?
The City strongly recommends that residential properties with 10 or fewer units utilize garbage containers that are no more than 32 gallons, in order to help ensure the weight is 50 pounds or less. Property owners should take note if their garbage was not picked up when placed in a containerized garbage bin at any point in the past, in which case the garbage may have been heavier than 50 pounds.
What happens if garbage is heavier than 50 pounds?
If your garbage container is heavier than 50 pounds, haulers will not pick it up and property owners would be required to break garbage up into lighter units to be picked up on the next collection day. Additionally, fines will be issued to property owners if garbage containers are heavier than 50 pounds and are not picked up.
The most important considerations for property owners are to ensure containerized garbage bins have tightly fitted lids, and do not have more than 50 pounds of garbage at the curb.
What are the fines?
Fines would be $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second, and $1,000 for the third.
What if my current garbage can does not have a lid?
All property owners are prohibited from storing garbage outdoors in a garbage bin without a lid between collections or placing a garbage bin without a lid at the curb for garbage collection.
If property owners are in buildings of over 10 units and there are space constraints preventing all garbage from being placed in containerized garbage bins, garbage must be stored inside between collections, and the property owner uses a 1.1 mil thick disposable garbage bag with rodent repellent; or if the garbage bags do not have rodent repellent, the bags must be at least 3 mils thick.
If I'm a food service establishment and I want to have larger storage bins, what should I do?
If passed by the City Council, all food service establishments, regardless of the size of their building or units within the building, will be required to utilize containerized garbage bins for garbage disposal.
Food service establishments may be able to utilize larger storage containers as long as they have a tight-fitting lid, however business owners should contact [email protected] to ensure that the containers will fit within the boundaries of the property and the City’s garbage contractor will pick up garbage from the containers.
