[Adopted 6-4-2003 by L.L. No. 7-2003]
The intent and objective of this article is to promote and protect the public health and welfare by regulating the safe collection and disposal of solid waste; to reduce the amount of solid waste transported to solid waste facilities; to recover recyclable materials and deliver them to their final disposal site; to offer alternative refuse disposal and recycling options; and to encourage participation by the whole community in more efficient solid waste management through a simple and cost effective recycling plan.
As used in this article, the following definitions shall apply:
CANS
Containers comprised of aluminum, tin, steel, or a combination thereof, which contain or formerly contained only food and/or beverage substances. This term excludes aerosol cans, paint cans, and metal containers that contained hazardous liquids.
CARDBOARD
All corrugated cardboard normally used for packing, mailing, shipping of containerized goods, merchandise or other material, but shall not mean wax-coated or soiled cardboard, and which are cleaned of contamination or food waste.
CO-MINGLED
To blend together designated recyclables, in one collection device, that are separated from the disposable materials in the municipal solid waste stream.
COMMISSIONER
The Commissioner of the Department of Public Works.
CURBSIDE COLLECTION
The use of collection receptacles, including, but not limited to, recycling containers, for residential, commercial, industrial and institutional waste generators and the regular periodic transfer of the contents of such receptacles by a recyclables collector at the location of the waste generator.
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
The City of Rensselaer Department of Public Works.
DISPOSITION or DISPOSITION OF DESIGNATED RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
The transportation, placement or arrangement for transportation or placement of designated recyclable materials for all possible end uses to a materials recovery facility (MRF).
GARBAGE
Putrescible animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food.
GLASS
Empty, washed glass jars, bottles and containers of clear, green and amber (brown), caps removed. This term excludes ceramics, window glass, auto glass, mirrors and kitchenware.
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL or HAZARDOUS WASTE
A solid waste or a combination of solid wastes which, because of its quantity, concentration or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics may:
A. 
Cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness; or
B. 
Pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported or disposed of or otherwise managed. Such materials or wastes shall include, but are not limited to, explosives, hazardous radioactive materials, toxic substances and those substances which the Commissioner has identified as a hazardous waste pursuant to the above criteria and has included on a list of hazardous waste promulgated by the Department of Public Works.
MULTIRESIDENTIAL COMPLEX
Six or more residential units located on a single property or continuous properties under common co-ownership, control or management. For this purpose, "residential unit" shall mean an enclosed space consisting of one or more rooms designed for use as a separate residence and shall include, but not be limited to, an apartment, condominium unit, townhouse cooperative unit, mobile home, living unit in a group home and room or set of rooms in a boardinghouse, but shall not include rooms within a single-family residence, motel or hotel.
NEWSPAPERS
Includes newsprint and all newspapers and newspaper advertisements, supplements, comics and enclosures.
OTHER RECYCLABLES
Any additional item designated by the City of Rensselaer Commissioner of Public Works as provided for in additional regulations promulgated pursuant to this article.
PAPER
All high-grade office paper, fine paper, bond paper, office paper, xerographic paper, mimeo paper, duplication paper, magazines, paperback books, school paper, catalogs, junk mail, computer paper, telephone books and similar cellulosic material but shall not mean newspaper, wax paper, plastic or foil-coated paper, Styrofoam, wax-coated food and beverage containers, carbon paper, blueprint paper, food-contaminated paper, soiled paper and cardboard.
PERSON
Any individual, firm, partnership, company, corporation, association, joint venture, cooperative enterprise, trust, municipality or other governmental agency or any other entity or any group of such persons which is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties. In any provisions of this article prescribing a fine, penalty or imprisonment, the term "person" shall include the officers, directors, partners, managers or persons in charge of a company, corporation or other legal entity having officers, directors, partners, managers or other persons in charge.
PLASTICS
All HDPE- and PET-type plastics, including empty, washed, food, beverage, detergent, bleach and hair care containers with lids removed. This term excludes all film, vinyl, rigid and foam plastic materials and those which contained hazardous materials.
RECYCLABLE MATERIAL
A material, which would otherwise become solid waste, which can be collected, separated and/or processed, treated, reclaimed, used or reused to produce a raw material or product.
RECYCLABLES
Those materials able to be practically separated from nonrecyclable waste for which reuse markets can be assessed for less than the cost of disposal. No material shall be excluded from this definition solely for the purpose of maintaining the volume of waste processed by the recycling collectors.
RECYCLING
Any process by which materials which would otherwise become solid waste are collected, separated and/or processed, treated, reclaimed, used or reused to produce a raw material or product.
RECYCLING COLLECTION AREA
Any facility designated and operated solely for the receiving and storing of source-separated designated recyclable materials.
RECYCLING CONTAINER
The bin or other container approved by the City of Rensselaer or its designee for the use by eligible households within the City. Such containers shall be used exclusively for the storage of City recyclables materials.
RESIDENT
Any person residing within the City on a temporary or permanent basis but excluding persons residing in hotels or motels. For purposes of this article, "resident" does not include commercial, industrial or institutional establishments.
RUBBISH
Nonputrescible solid wastes consisting of both combustible and noncombustible wastes, including, but not limited to, nonrecyclable paper wrappings, cigarettes, wood, wires, glass, bedding, furniture and similar materials, which are not designated recyclable materials.
SOLID WASTE
All putrescible and nonputrescible materials or substances discarded or rejected as having served their original intended use or as being spent, useless, worthless or in excess to the owner at the time of such discard or rejection, including garbage, refuse, litter, rubbish, and industrial waste but not including designated recyclable materials, solid or dissolved matter in domestic sewage or substances, materials in noncontainerized gaseous form or hazardous materials or waste.
SOURCE SEPARATION
The segregation of disposable materials into recyclable materials and nonrecyclable waste at the site of the waste generator.
WASTE GENERATOR
Any person or legal entity which produces waste requiring off-site disposal.
WASTE HAULER
Any person or business which licensed or contracted with for the purpose of collecting solid waste from waste generators for disposal at a permitted solid waste facility or a municipal department or other governmental division responsible for collection of solid waste from some or all waste generators in the municipality for disposal at a permitted solid waste facility. A waste hauler may also be a recyclables collector.
VEGETATIVE YARD WASTE
Organic yard and garden waste, leaves, grass clippings and brush.
A. 
Preparation. No person shall dispose of recyclables except as follows: Prior to placement for collections and removal, all commingled recyclables must be properly stored in a recyclable collection device as approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works. Glass, metal and plastic recyclables shall be clean, and all contents shall be removed therefrom; caps shall be removed from glass recyclables, and paper labels shall be removed from metal recyclables. Newspapers and other fiber-based materials for recycling should be kept dry. Additional materials may be added based on market availability. Preparation requirements may from time to time be changed by the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works due to market requirements.
B. 
Recyclables collection systems.
(1) 
General provisions.
(a) 
It shall be the responsibility of all residents to separate recyclables from nonrecyclable materials prior to disposal. Recyclables shall not be placed in the same container as or otherwise mixed with other forms of solid waste.
(b) 
All residents shall separate designated recyclables and place them in the appropriate collections device either at a centralized collection storage area or curbside and in accordance with all provisions of this article.
(c) 
It shall be a violation of this article for any person to collect and dispose of solid waste which consists of recyclables combined with other forms of solid waste, and such person shall be subject to all penalties as outlined in this article.
(d) 
All recyclables placed in curbside containers or placed at recyclables collection areas are considered the property of the generator until said recyclables are collected by the City.
(2) 
Designated recyclables for the mandatory commercial, industrial and institutional source separation program shall consist of the following materials:
(a) 
Newspaper.
(b) 
High-grade paper, including, but not limited to, white letterhead paper, white bond paper, white typing paper, white copier paper, white notepad paper, white writing paper, white envelopes without glassine windows, other nonglossy white office paper without plastic computer printout paper, computer tab cards and white onion skin paper.
(c) 
Corrugated cardboard.
(d) 
Glass containers, plastic containers and cans generated by food and beverage service establishments.
(e) 
Vegetative yard waste.
(f) 
Other recyclable materials as designated by ordinance of the City at all times 30 days after said designation and publication of notice in an official newspaper of the City or a newspaper of general circulation within the City.
The Commissioner shall make available to every owner of a property containing five or fewer residential units a recyclable collection basket for use at said property. The first such collection basket shall be made available to the property owner at no charge except the payment of the recycling service fee. Additional baskets for the same property, or replacement baskets for lost or stolen baskets, shall be made available to the property owner by the Commissioner, according to a schedule of charges to be established by the Commissioner. The collection baskets shall remain the property of the City and may be reclaimed by the City if the property owner fails to pay the recycling service or other charges established hereunder.
Recycling fees shall be included in the solid waste user fee and solid waste service charge, established in §§ 113-14 and 113-15 of Rensselaer's City Code.
A. 
In any area designated by the Commissioner, there is also established a program (private collection program) for the source separation, collection and delivery of newspaper and any other designated recyclable material included in the curbside program from all multiresidential complexes.
B. 
The owner, manager or superintendent of every multiresidential complex subject to Subsection A above shall provide and maintain, in a neat and sanitary condition, recycling collection areas to receive newspaper and other designated recyclables included in the curbside program which are generated by residents of the complex. In cases where a condominium, cooperative, homeowners' or similar association exists, the association shall be responsible for provision and maintenance of the recycling collection areas. Said recycling collection areas shall be constructed and capable of receiving newspaper and other designated recyclables within 180 days of such inclusion into the curbside program.
C. 
Once the recycling collection area for a particular multiresidential complex has been constructed and is capable of receiving newspaper and other designated recyclables as may be included in or added to the curbside program, residents of such complex shall source-separate such materials by placing them in the appropriate containers or areas within the collection area.
D. 
The owner, manager or superintendent of each multiresidential complex subject to Subsection A above shall arrange for the collection for recycling of newspaper and other designated recyclables from the recycling collection areas.
E. 
The number and design of the recycling collection areas required by the section for each multiresidential complex shall be consistent with guidelines provided by the Commissioner.
Designated recyclables required to be placed in recycling bins where applicable in recycling collection areas pursuant to § 113-30 of this article shall be prepared for collection in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Commissioner.
A. 
All commercial, industrial and institutional establishments in the City shall source-separate and arrange for the collection for recycling of newspaper and any and all other designated recyclables.
B. 
Designated recyclables are listed in § 113-30B(2).
C. 
The arrangement for collection of designated recyclables for disposition hereunder shall be the responsibility of the person who owns, manages or operates the commercial, industrial or institutional establishment at which the recyclables are generated (the "generator") or the person contractually obligated to the generator to arrange for collection and disposal of its solid waste.
Vegetative yard waste must be placed in biodegradable paper bags or loose in a permanent container, but not in City recyclables containers or in nonbiodegradable bags. Nothing in this article shall be construed as preventing any person from utilizing vegetative yard waste for compost, mulch or other agricultural, horticultural, gardening or landscaping purposes.
The Department of Public Works is authorized to enforce the provisions of this article and to administer the recycling programs established herein. The Commissioner of said Department may adopt and promulgate, amend and repeal rules and regulations implementing this article in order to carry out and effectuate the intent and purpose thereof.
A. 
It shall be unlawful for:
(1) 
Any person, other than those persons so authorized, to collect any designated recyclable which has been placed at the roadside for collection or within a recycling collection area pursuant to this article.
(2) 
Any person to violate or to cause to assist in the violation of any provision of this article or any implementing rules or regulations promulgated by the Commissioner of the Department of Public Works.
(3) 
Any person to place or to cause to be placed any material other than a designated recyclable in or near a recycling collection area.
B. 
All unlawful conduct set forth in this section shall constitute a violation.
The Department of Public Works may refuse to collect solid waste from any person who has clearly failed to source-separate recyclables designated under an applicable section of this article at any solid waste disposal facility owned or operated by the City.
A. 
Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to interfere with or in any way modify the provisions of any existing contract in force in the City of the effective date of this article.
B. 
No renewal of any existing contract upon the expiration of the original term thereof and no new contract for the collection, transportation, processing or purchase of solid waste or recyclables shall be entered into after the effective date of this article unless renewal of such contract shall conform to the requirements of this article.
Any person who engages in unlawful conduct as defined in this article may, upon conviction thereof, in a proceeding before a court of competent jurisdiction, be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 15 days or to a term of community service related to the purposes of this article or to pay a fine of not more than $250 and not less than $25, or any combination of the above penalties.
A. 
In addition to any other remedy provided herein, the City of Rensselaer may institute a suit in equity where unlawful conduct exists for an injunction to restrain a violation of this article.
B. 
The penalties and remedies prescribed by this article shall be deemed concurrent. The existence or exercise of any remedy shall not prevent the City from exercising any other remedy provided herein or otherwise provided at law or equity.
C. 
The terms and provision of this article are to be liberally construed, so as best to achieve and effectuate the goals and purposes hereof.
If any part of this article is found to be illegal by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining sections shall remain in full force and effect.
All provisions of any other local laws or ordinances which are inconsistent with the provisions of this article are hereby repealed.
This article is enacted pursuant to the authority and directive contained in Chapter 70 of the Laws of 1988,[1] and § 120-aa of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Title 1 of Art. 27 of the Environmental Conservation Law.