Trash & Recycling in Long Branch, NJ: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Long Branch or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Long Branch has 8 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Bulk Item Disposal

Long Branch collects bulk waste from residential properties only, on Wednesdays split by geography: first and third weeks south of Broadway, second and fourth weeks north. No more than eight items per pickup, and it never mixes with regular trash.

Key details: Eligible properties: Residential only. Collection day: Wednesday, biweekly by area. Item limit: 8 items per pickup. Mattresses: Must be sealed in plastic. Alternative: Atlantic Ave. Recycling Center.

Leaving bulk waste out in a manner other than specified, exceeding the eight-item limit, or combining bulk waste with a neighbor's is a violation of § 293-3(M)(11), enforced under § 293-10's general penalty: Municipal Court fines up to $2,000, up to 90 days imprisonment, and/or up to 90 days community service, plus recovery of the City's actual disposal costs, with each day a violation continues charged separately.

Bin Placement Rules

Long Branch bans setting trash out before 5 p.m. the day before pickup, requires empty cans off the curb within 12 hours of collection, and caps how far waste can extend into the street at three feet.

Key details: Earliest set-out: 5:00 p.m. day before pickup. Empty can removal: Within 12 hours of collection. Street encroachment limit: 3 feet into the street. Placement location: Curb in front of generating property. Container spec: Watertight, tight-fitting cover.

Setting waste out before 5 p.m. the day before pickup, leaving an empty container out more than 12 hours after collection, placing waste in front of another property, or letting it extend more than three feet into the street violates § 293-3 and is punishable under § 293-10: Municipal Court fines up to $2,000, up to 90 days imprisonment, and/or up to 90 days community service, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense.

Yard Waste Collection

Long Branch collects brush only March 15 through June 1 and September 15 through December 31, capped at four by three by eight feet per pickup. Outside those windows, residents must call DPW or self-haul to the Recycling Center.

Key details: Brush season: Mar 15-Jun 1, Sep 15-Dec 31. Max pile size: 4 ft x 3 ft x 8 ft. Branch limit: 6 in. diameter, 4 ft length, 50 lbs. Leaf bag exception months: Apr-May, Nov-Dec (loose piles ok). Off-season option: Call DPW or self-haul to Recycling Center.

Brush or leaves left for collection outside the seasonal windows, in bundles, or exceeding the volume or placement limits violate § 293-3(N)(11) and (19), enforced under § 293-10: Municipal Court fines up to $2,000, up to 90 days imprisonment, and/or up to 90 days community service, with the City able to recover its actual disposal costs and treat each day of violation separately.

Recycling Requirements

Long Branch, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, requires every property owner, lessee and occupant to separate recyclable materials from other waste and set them out for the City's curbside collection. Six material streams go out at the curb, and mixing recyclables with trash is itself a code violation.

Key details: Governing section: § 293-6, General Requirements. Materials collected: 6 curbside streams. Container limit: 32 gallons, 50 lbs, 4 per unit. Cardboard bundle cap: 8 bundles per pickup. Curb-out window: After 5 p.m. day before pickup.

Violations are prosecuted in Long Branch Municipal Court under the general penalty in Chapter 1, Article I of the City Code, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. The City can also recover its actual disposal costs and other remediation expenses, and a convicted person may perform up to 90 days of community service instead of paying the fine.

Dumpster Rules

In Long Branch, Monmouth County, New Jersey, placing a privately owned roll-off container or dumpster on any city street requires a permit from the Director of Public Safety before drop-off. The nonrefundable $50 application must include liability and property-damage insurance naming the City, and the street itself must be at least 30 feet wide.

Key details: Permitting authority: Director of Public Safety. Filing fee: $50, nonrefundable. Permit duration: 14 days, renewable once free. Minimum street width: 30 feet curb to curb. Max distance from curb: 8 feet 6 inches.

Violations are prosecuted in Long Branch Municipal Court under the general penalty schedule in Chapter 1, Article I of the City Code. Beyond that fine, the City can recover its actual disposal and remedial costs, and the Director of Public Safety may revoke the permit and order immediate removal, billing removal costs to the permit holder. A court may substitute up to 90 days of community service for the fine.

Illegal Dumping

Long Branch bars anyone from sweeping, throwing, depositing or dumping litter on any property, occupied or vacant, or into any pond, lake, stream or public place in the city outside of an authorized receptacle. A separate section targets dumping runs, banning anyone from hauling litter into the city from outside just to dump it.

Key details: Base prohibition: § 215-2, no dumping outside receptacles. Out-of-town dumping ban: § 215-6, litter hauled in from outside city. Truck parking limit: 2 hours max with litter aboard. Coverage: Public and private property, waterways. Adopted: January 26, 1971 (Ord. No. 590).

A violation of the littering and dumping article, per § 215-8, is punishable under the citywide general penalty in § 1-16: a fine of up to $2,000, up to 90 days of imprisonment, and/or up to 90 days of community service, with each day the litter or illegal dump remains in place counted as a separate violation. A truck caught parked with litter hauled in from outside the city past the two-hour limit under § 215-6 faces the same exposure.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Long Branch actively enforces its illegal dumping requirements.

Collection Schedule

Long Branch's Department of Public Works sets the trash pickup schedule by area, not the ordinance itself, and there's no collection on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas, with no makeup day for those holidays.

Key details: Schedule authority: Dept. of Public Works. No-collection holidays: New Year's, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Makeup collection: None for holiday closures. Weather suspension trigger: Snow over 3 inches. Schedule changes announced: City website/social media.

The ordinance does not penalize residents for the collection schedule itself; § 293-10 penalties instead attach to placing waste in violation of chapter requirements. A resident whose waste sits out because of a missed City holiday pickup or weather suspension is not creating a Code violation by leaving it curbside within the normal set-out window under § 293-3(R).

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Long Branch caps residential trash at four containers or bags per unit per pickup day, limits containers to 32 gallons and 50 pounds, and excludes construction debris, hazardous waste and grass clippings from curbside service.

Key details: Container limit: 4 containers/bags per unit per day. Container size: 32 gallons max, 50 lbs max. Excluded items: C&D waste, hazmat, grass clippings, dirt. Enforcing agency: Dept. of Public Works. Max penalty: $2,000 fine plus cost recovery.

Placing excluded materials for city pickup, or exceeding the four-container limit, violates § 293-3 and is punishable under the chapter's penalty section, § 293-10: Municipal Court fines and penalties per the general Code provision § 1-16 (up to $2,000, 90 days imprisonment, and/or 90 days community service), plus the City may recover its actual disposal and remediation costs and each day of violation is a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Long Branch's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Long Branch is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Long Branch's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.