Trash & Recycling in Trenton, NJ (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Trenton, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Trenton requires garbage set out for City pickup to sit in an approved container, a galvanized or plastic can with a tight lid holding 10 to 32 gallons and weighing no more than 50 pounds, or in properly tied plastic bags, with domestic garbage drained of liquid and wrapped before it goes out.
Trenton Trash Container and Prep Rules
Some RestrictionsTrenton Code § 248-2
a suitable approved container for one- or two-family dwellings shall mean a galvanized or plastic garbage can with handles and a tight-fitting cover, with a capacity of from 10 to 32 gallons weighing no more than 50 pounds when filled, or plastic bags properly tied. ... Domestic garbage intended for collection shall be drained of all free liquid, shall be wrapped or sacked, then placed and stor...
Bin Placement Rules
Trenton Code § 150-9C keeps trash, refuse and garbage receptacles at least six feet from any property line next to a residential lot and screened from ground-level view, and § 248-8D bars residents from setting approved containers at the curb before 7:00 p.m. the night before collection, with a later 10:00 p.m. start on October 30 and 31.
Trenton Garbage Container Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsTrenton Code § 150-9C; § 248-8D
C. Prohibitions. No person shall place any trash, refuse or garbage receptacle on any property adjacent to a residential property in such a manner that it is closer than six feet from any property line at its closest point and in such a manner that it is visible from ground level or from any portion of the improvement of the residential property. Appropriate screening materials shall conform to...
Bulk Item Disposal
Large bulky items like refrigerators, stoves, beds and crates don't go in a regular Trenton trash can: residents must report them to the Division of Sanitation for a special pickup. Branches and shrub clippings up to four feet long must be bundled under 50 pounds, and used tires go to the City's 500 Brunswick Avenue drop-off.
Trenton Bulk Item, Brush and Tire Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsTrenton Code § 248-2
Bulk rubbish. Rubbish which is of such bulk that it cannot be put in the prescribed containers shall be securely tied in compact bundles not to exceed 50 pounds in weight, and placed in a location convenient for collection. Large bulky items, such as refrigerators, stoves, beds, crates, etc., shall be reported to the Division of Sanitation and arrangements made for a special pickup. ... Branche...
Recycling Requirements
Every Trenton resident, including those in multifamily complexes, must recycle 14 categories of materials, from paper, glass, aluminum and plastic containers to tires, vehicle batteries, white goods, leaves, grass and used motor oil, separating them for pickup on designated collection days.
Trenton Residential Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsTrenton Code § 248-13
All residents, including residents of multifamily complexes, shall recycle or cause to be recycled the following categories of recyclable materials: Acceptable paper. Acceptable glass containers. Acceptable aluminum containers. Acceptable plastic containers. Acceptable tin-plate steel containers. Acceptable bimetal containers. Tires. Vehicle batteries. White goods. Leaves. Grass. Used motor oil...
Illegal Dumping
Trenton Code § 150-13B fines illegal dumping, defined at § 150-2 as unauthorized depositing of litter, commercial, construction or industrial waste in a public place or on private property in a quantity requiring mechanical transport, at $2,500 for a first offense and up to $10,000 for each later offense under N.J.S.A. 40:49-5.
Trenton Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsTrenton Code § 150-2 (DUMPING); § 150-13B
DUMPING A. The unauthorized throwing or depositing of litter and/or other waste material in a public place or upon private premises, where the nature and/or quantity of the litter and/or waste is such as to require the use of a mechanical means of transport. B. The unauthorized throwing or depositing of commercial waste and/or construction waste and/or industrial waste and/or solid market waste...
Yard Waste Collection
Trenton bans sweeping, raking or blowing yard waste into the street except for a scheduled collection. Loose leaves and grass clippings must stay 10 feet from storm drains and go out no more than 7 days early, or be bagged at the curb. Violators face fines up to $2,000.
Trenton Yard Waste and Leaf Rules
Some RestrictionsTrenton Code § 312-3
§ 312-3. Regulated activities. A. No person shall sweep, rake, blow, or otherwise place yard waste into the street unless it is for a scheduled collection. B. For non-containerized (loose) yard waste collection: Placement of loose yard waste must be at least 10 feet away from any storm drain inlet and no sooner than 7 days prior to a scheduled and announced collection. C. For containerized yard...
Dumpster Rules
Trenton requires a Department of Public Works permit before any dumpster is placed on a public street, sidewalk or alley. The $20 permit is capped at 30 days, and the applicant must agree in writing to cover any damage the dumpster causes to public property.
Trenton Street Dumpster Placement Permit
Some RestrictionsTrenton Code § 257-29 through § 257-33
§ 257-29. Permit required. No person shall place or leave any dumpster on any public street, sidewalk or alley without first obtaining a permit from the Department of Public Works. § 257-30. Application for permit. A person applying for a permit to place or leave a dumpster on any public street, sidewalk or alley shall provide the following information: A. The address where the dumpster is to b...
Collection Schedule
Trenton collects garbage and trash on a schedule the Department of Public Works announces, and containers can't go to the curb before 7:00 p.m. the night before pickup, except on October 30 and 31 when garbage may go out after 10:00 p.m. Collection is barred citywide between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Trenton Trash Collection Schedule and Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsTrenton Code § 248-8
Garbage and trash. Domestic garbage and trash shall be collected in accordance with a definite schedule announced by the Department of Public Works. ... All approved containers must be placed for pickup, curb or alley, not earlier than 7:00 p.m. of the day preceding the day of collection except on October 30th and October 31st garbage shall be placed outside not earlier than 10:00 p.m., but not...
Recycling Rules
Trenton runs its recycling program under the New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act and has formally adopted the Mercer County Recycling Program as its official municipal system, with the Mercer County Improvement Authority enforcing and the City issuing warnings before penalties.
Trenton Recycling Program Authority and Penalties
Some RestrictionsTrenton Code §§ 248-10, 248-11, 248-24
This article is adopted pursuant to the authority granted by the New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act, the Mercer County Recycling System, as set forth in Ordinance No. 88-33 passed by the Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Mercer, State of New Jersey, as amended by County Ordinance 89-19... The City of Trenton hereby adopts the Mercer County Recycling Pr...
Looking for Mercer County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Trenton city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Mercer County →