The new rules come as the township has noticed an increase in the amount of debris stemming from home remodeling and real estate projects.
Evesham Township has released new rules regarding the disposal of construction debris at the Department of Public Works Yard by residents or their hired contractors.
Officials say the rules come at a time when the township has observed an “unsustainable increase” in the amount of construction debris at the DPW yard from a growing number of home remodeling projects and other real estate projects in town.
Under the new rules, residents undertaking “modest” repairs and improvements to their primary home in town will be allowed to bring construction waste to the DPW yard no more than twice per year.
During each of those trips, residents will be restricted to disposing of a volume of material that measures no more than two cubic yards of material, which township officials say is equivalent to a level load in a standard pickup truck.
The new rules also require longer items, such as flooring materials or framing lumber, must be cut to lengths of four feet long or shorter.
Any loose debris, including items such as roofing shingles, tiles or broken pieces of drywall, are also required to be bagged or placed in a container during the time of disposal.
In addition, residents can only dispose of construction debris on Saturday or Monday, and only between the hours of 8 a.m. and noon.
During the drop-off periods, a member of the DPW yard staff will be on hand to properly log the resident’s name and address.
“What we would like to do is make sure we remain available for that resident that is doing an emergency repair,” township manager Tom Czerniecki said at a recent council meeting.
Under the township’s new rules, the DPW yard will not accept any material from contractors hired by residents unless those residents accompany the contractors.
When accompanying contractors, residents must also provide proof that any waste being disposed of is a result of work performed by the contractor by providing an invoice, copy of the job proposal or any other job-related paperwork.
Contractors who are accompanied to the DPW yard by residents are also still subject to all other requirements of debris disposal, including volume of waste and designated hours and days of disposal.
According to the township, even if contractors and residents use a commercial vehicle to dispose of waste, such as a trailer, moving van or larger size vehicle, those disposing of waste are still limited to a volume of material that measures no more than two cubic yards.
With the new rules in place, officials are encouraging residents to learn more about other, private disposal methods such as dumpster services or other debris removal services.
All new rules are effective April 1.
