Dive Brief:

• Lawmakers in Newark, NJ passed a law requiring that all residents receive curbside waste collection, with the option for recycling services.
• The new law mandates that property owners or tenants of housing units with four or less residences contract with a license waste hauler to remove household trash.
• As per the terms of the new law, a service director or a designee maintains the right to request documented proof of the person responsible for payment of the service. 

Dive Insight:

The law will go into effect 30 days after Newark mayor Jeff Hall signs the ordinance. According to the law, residents are allowed to split the bill for curbside collection, allowing neighbors to share the cost of collection services. As tenants and landlords navigate the changes, the lack of clear-cut rules are likely to cause many noncompliance issues. The way the newly-imposed law reads, it seems there is a great potential for confusion that could prompt disputes over who is responsible to maintain trash services. 

Already put in place in Newark is a commercial solid waste regulation that dictates that rental properties with five or more units must maintain trash bins.