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Trash & Recycling in New Brunswick, NJ (2026)

9 verified trash & recycling rules for New Brunswick, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Pickup Rules & Schedules

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, collection hours run from six a.m. until three p.m., and the city collects only along public rights-of-way. In the automated Container Collection District, collection runs six a.m. to eleven a.m. Monday to Saturday under Municipal Code § 8.40.030.

New Brunswick NJ Trash Pickup Hours and Collection Rules

Some Restrictions

New Brunswick Municipal Code § 8.40.030

B.Hours. The hours of collection shall be from six a.m. until three p.m. in all areas, except the downtown area as designated on the attached map (on file in the city clerk's office) for the purpose of this section.C.Collection Sites. Solid waste and recyclable materials are collected from containers placed adjacent to improved roadways in accordance with Section 8.40.040. The city will collect...

Bin Placement Rules

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, trash and recycling containers cannot be left at the collection site earlier than five p.m. on the day before collection and must come in by the end of collection day. Municipal Code § 8.40.040 also sets a five-foot placement rule and screening for containers kept in front or side yards.

New Brunswick NJ Trash Cart Placement and Set-Out Times

Some Restrictions

New Brunswick Municipal Code § 8.40.040

A.No owner or occupant of any residential and/or commercial property shall permit solid waste, solid waste containers, recyclable materials or collection containers for recyclable materials to be left at the collection site earlier than five p.m. on the day before the day which the user's solid waste or recyclable material is to be collected. All solid waste, solid waste containers, recyclable ...

Bulk Item Disposal

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, bulk items go out only on the second trash collection day of the week after an appointment with the division of sanitation before 1 p.m. the day before. Residents get six combined bulk items and trash bags per dwelling, and mattresses must be wrapped in plastic.

New Brunswick NJ Bulk Item Curbside Collection Rules

Some Restrictions

New Brunswick Municipal Code § 8.40.040

F.Bulk items, except for metal, demolition/construction/repair materials, and yard debris, may be placed at the curb for collection on the second trash collection day of the week, providing an appointment has been scheduled with the division of sanitation of the city prior to one p.m. the day before the scheduled collection.1.Bulk items and household appliances shall have all doors or lids remo...

Recycling Requirements

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, source separation is mandatory for all persons, firms and organizations under Municipal Code § 8.40.110. Glass, aluminum, steel, plastic, paper, cardboard, brush and leaves go out separately, recyclables cannot be bagged in plastic, and fines run from $100 to $800.

New Brunswick NJ Mandatory Curbside Recycling Requirements

Significant Restrictions

New Brunswick Municipal Code § 8.40.110

A.It is mandatory for all persons, firms or organizations to source separate those materials herein specified from all other waste materials in accordance with the specific regulations as set forth in this section. These materials are recycled as set forth in this section. ... E.The following materials are deemed to be mandatorily recyclable and may not be placed for collection at curbside mixe...

Illegal Dumping

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, dumping solid waste on any street, lot, park or waterway outside a receptacle is unlawful under Municipal Code § 8.40.060. Fines start at $100 and rise to a mandatory $1,000 for a third offense, and dumping over thirteen gallons carries fines from $1,000 to $5,000.

New Brunswick NJ Illegal Dumping and Littering Penalties

Heavy Restrictions

New Brunswick Municipal Code § 8.40.060

A.It is unlawful for any person to sweep, sort, scatter, throw, dump, deposit any solid waste in any street, alley or park or on any lot, sidewalk, place or premises in the city, whether public or private, or along the bank of or in any pond, lake or stream or other bodies of water within the city except in public or private receptacles for the collection thereof. ... C.Notwithstanding the prov...

Yard Waste Collection

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, brush and leaves are mandatory recyclables under Municipal Code § 8.40.110. Loose leaves can go to the curb only during the seven days before an announced collection, never within ten feet of a storm drain inlet, and brush is limited to five inches in diameter.

New Brunswick NJ Yard Waste, Brush and Leaf Collection Rules

Some Restrictions

New Brunswick Municipal Code § 8.40.110

9.Brush. Brush is deposited for collection at the curb according to the guidelines set forth by the department of public works.10.Leaves. Leaves may be raked to curbside or placed at the curb in biodegradable bags for collection on specific days scheduled by the department of public works. ... Sweeping raking, blowing or otherwise placing leaves that are not containerized at the curb or along t...

Dumpster Rules

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, a dumpster of ten cubic yards or more outside the I-1, I-2 and I-2e districts needs a city engineer permit. The application fee is $25, permits run thirty days up to one hundred eighty days total, and Municipal Code § 8.40.050 sets ten-foot and twenty-five-foot setbacks.

New Brunswick NJ Dumpster Permit and Placement Rules

Significant Restrictions

New Brunswick Municipal Code § 8.40.050

With respect to property located in any zoning district other than I-1, I-2 and I-2e districts, the following special regulations shall apply to any dumpster having a capacity of ten (10) cubic yards or more: A.A person, partnership or corporation or other entity seeking to place or use a dumpster shall apply for a permit for that purpose from the city engineer. ... 2.The applicant pays an appl...

Collection Schedule

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, each residential and nonresidential user has garbage collected twice weekly on an announced schedule, from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m. outside the downtown area. There are no collections on Sundays or on Memorial Day, Labor Day and other listed holidays, and the city collects along public rights-of-way only.

New Brunswick NJ Trash Collection Days and Hours

Some Restrictions

New Brunswick Municipal Code § 8.40.030

A.Days. Each residential and nonresidential user has its garbage collected twice weekly as per an announced schedule.1.There are no collections on Sundays or scheduled holidays that fall upon any collection day. Holidays to be observed are New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, and any other additions which are announced in advance.B.Hours. The ho...

Recycling Rules

In the City of New Brunswick, New Jersey, every commercial facility must provide marked on-site recycling containers and file a yearly recycling report by weight by March 1. Municipal Code § 8.40.120 also requires a twenty gallon recycling container per dwelling unit in residential rental houses.

New Brunswick NJ Commercial and Multifamily Recycling Rules

Significant Restrictions

New Brunswick Municipal Code § 8.40.120

A.Each commercial facility provides on-site recycling containers for all mandatorily recyclable materials. Such containers are clearly marked to indicate their purpose and adequate to hold recyclable materials between collections or deposit at collection sites.B.The owner/operator of a commercial facility shall provide notice to employees and customers/clients who are impacted by the recycling ...