Trash & Recycling in Hackensack, NJ (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Hackensack, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Hackensack's Division of Sanitation runs trash, recycling and garden refuse collection under City Code Chapter 93, and garbage pickup must happen no less than once per week on days the City Manager designates. Owners, agents and occupants share the duty to prepare materials correctly, and the city can refuse to collect from noncompliant properties before issuing a citation.
Hackensack Trash and Recycling Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsHackensack City Code § 93-6B and § 93-7D(1)
Division of Sanitation. ... The collection, removal and disposal of trash, rubbish, garden refuse, garbage and recyclable materials within the jurisdiction of the City of Hackensack shall be done by the Division of Sanitation of the City of Hackensack in accordance with the provisions of this article and only duly adopted supplemental rules and regulations, provisions of state law or state admi...
Bin Placement Rules
Hackensack limits when trash and recycling carts can hit the curb and where they can sit the rest of the week. City Code § 93-7D(2) bars set-out before 6:00 p.m. the night before collection, and receptacles must come back off the curb by 8:00 p.m. on pickup day, with screening required if stored in a side, rear or front yard.
Hackensack Garbage Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsHackensack City Code § 93-7D(2) and § 93-7D(3)
Except as otherwise provided herein, all materials shall be set out for collection at the curb no earlier than 6:00 p.m. on the night before the scheduled collection, and all receptacles shall be returned to an appropriate storage area by 8:00 p.m. on the day of collection. ... Receptacles shall not be stored within the required side or rear yards established in Chapter 175 of the Code, unless ...
Bulk Item Disposal
Hackensack caps how much heavy trash residents can set out at once. City Code § 93-7B(2) limits single-family homes and buildings up to four units to two large or heavy household items per collection, while buildings with more than four units can put out up to ten items, only on the date the Division of Sanitation designates.
Hackensack Bulk Item Pickup Limits
Some RestrictionsHackensack City Code § 93-7B(2)
Residents having household items of a larger or heavier nature than permitted under this section will place these items out only on the date so established by the Division of Sanitation. Such larger or heavier rubbish is limited to two separate items for single-family homes or multifamily residential properties of up to four units. Apartment buildings, garden apartments, condominiums, or any ot...
Recycling Requirements
Hackensack requires every person and occupant in the city to separate recyclable materials, newspapers, cardboard, commingled glass and metal, mixed paper, electronic waste, batteries and leaves, from garbage, refuse and trash before it goes to the curb. Households using City collection must present recyclables on the designated collection day; noncompliance triggers the article's violation and penalty schedule.
Hackensack Mandatory Recycling Separation Rule
Some RestrictionsHackensack City Code § 93-9
All persons and occupants shall separate from their garbage, refuse and trash recyclable materials as defined herein. For those locations utilizing city collection services, these recyclable materials will be collected in accordance with the provisions of this article. ... All persons and occupants who do not comply with these recycling requirements shall be subject to the violation and penalty...
Illegal Dumping
Hackensack bans dumping or storing household or commercial solid waste, rubbish, litter, junk, junk vehicle parts, tires, appliances, furniture or construction debris on any street, right-of-way, or public or private property outside a designated disposal site. City Code § 109-15 covers any location in the city, not just curbside; § 109-16 backs it with a fine of up to $1,000 plus the city's cleanup costs.
Hackensack Illegal Dumping and Storage Penalties
Some RestrictionsHackensack City Code §§ 109-15 and 109-16
§ 109-15. Illegal dumping and storage. It is unlawful for any person to discard, dump or store along any street or road, on or off any right-of-way or on any other public or private property any household or commercial solid waste, rubbish, refuse, litter, junk, junk vehicle parts, rubber tires, appliances, furniture or construction debris in any place not specifically designated for the purpos...
Yard Waste Collection
Hackensack regulates leaves and grass clippings under two companion ordinances. City Code § 93-14 bars sweeping or blowing yard waste within 10 feet of a storm drain at any time, and § 93-18 allows loose, uncontainerized leaves at the curb only during the seven days before a scheduled and announced collection.
Hackensack Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsHackensack City Code § 93-18 and § 93-20
Sweeping, raking, blowing or otherwise placing yard waste that is not containerized at the curb or along the street is only allowed during the seven days prior to a scheduled and announced collection, and shall not be placed closer than 10 feet from any storm drain inlet. Placement of such yard waste at the curb or along the street at any other time or in any other manner is a violation of this...
Dumpster Rules
Placing a roll-off container or dumpster on a Hackensack street or municipal lot requires a police-issued permit. City Code § 93-22 bans unpermitted placement, and § 93-23 sets insurance, a 30-foot minimum street width, and filing fees of $50 for residential and $250 for commercial applicants.
Hackensack Roll-Off Dumpster Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsHackensack City Code § 93-22, § 93-23A(3), § 93-23A(7) and § 93-27
No person shall place or permit a roll-off container/dumpster to be placed upon any street or municipally owned parking lot within the City of Hackensack without first obtaining a permit therefor in accordance with the requirements of this chapter. ... The street upon which the roll-off container/dumpster shall rest shall be at least 30 feet wide from curb to curb. ... Each application for a pe...
Collection Schedule
Hackensack splits the city at Central Avenue for its permanent weekly bulk rubbish schedule. City Code § 93-7D(4) sets pickup south of Central Avenue for the first and third Wednesday of each month, and north of Central Avenue for the second and fourth Wednesday, with no pickup on a fifth Wednesday or Christmas Day.
Hackensack Rubbish Collection Zone Schedule
Some RestrictionsHackensack City Code § 93-7D(4)
In order to assure that all the residents seeking disposal of rubbish, such as heavy trash items and garden refuse, can be serviced once a week, there shall be no more than two large items of furniture or two cubic yards of miscellaneous rubbish, such as debris or garden refuse, placed at the curb for collection for any one weekly collection day. The City Council has established that rubbish wi...
Recycling Rules
Beyond the household recycling mandate, Hackensack requires every commercial establishment, institutional establishment and multifamily dwelling of four or more units to register annually for the City's recycling program by January 10 and to file a monthly recycling report with the Department of Sanitation by the 10th of the following month.
Hackensack Commercial Recycling Registration Rule
Significant RestrictionsHackensack City Code § 93-5
The owners or duly authorized agent of all commercial establishments, institutional establishments or multifamily dwellings of four or more units shall annually register for the city's recycling program on or before January 10 of each year. Such registration shall provide a contact person or registered agent who will be responsible for the establishment or multifamily dwelling. ... All commerci...
Looking for Bergen County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Hackensack city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Bergen County →