Newark, NJ Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Max receptacles per unit
- 3 per collection day
- Max weight per can
- 100 pounds
- Min bag thickness
- 1.2 millimeters
- Grocery bags
- Prohibited for trash
- Fill level limit
- 3 inches below rim
- 1st-offense fine
- $100
Summary
Newark caps household trash at three receptacles per dwelling unit per collection day and 100 pounds per can under City Code Section 15:4-13. Loose refuse has to go in plastic bags at least 1.2 millimeters thick, never in grocery bags, and cans can't be filled higher than three inches below the rim.
Solid waste shall be placed and stored in a sufficient and suitable receptacle as described in Section 15:1-1 of this Title. Solid waste shall be placed in plastic bags a minimum of 1.2 millimeters thick to prevent them from tearing or ripping when full and placed in the sufficient and suitable receptacle. The use of plastic grocery bags for the storage and disposal of refuse is prohibited. ... No one receiving collection from the City or its agents shall place more than three receptacles, per dwelling unit, out for collection on any collection day. No receptacles when full, shall weigh more than 100 pounds.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5019615; v61 updated 2026-06-17; through 06-17-2026).
Full Breakdown
2 millimeters thick to prevent them from tearing or ripping when full," expressly outlawing thin plastic grocery bags for trash storage. Section 15:4-13(b) requires paper to be tied into bundles sized for one-person handling, and keeps clean newsprint separate from mixed refuse so it can still be recycled; residents may wrap wet garbage in used newspaper even though that makes the paper unrecyclable. Section 15:4-13(c) limits fill level: receptacles cannot be packed higher than three inches below the top and must stay light enough for one person to lift.
Section 15:4-13(e) caps the number of containers at three receptacles per dwelling unit per collection day, with a 100-pound weight ceiling per can, so a household generating more trash than that has to hold the excess for the next pickup or arrange private hauling. Section 15:4-13(f) shifts responsibility for construction and renovation debris entirely onto the permit holder: anyone with a Uniform Construction Code permit must arrange private disposal, since the City will not collect that debris at all. The Department of Public Works enforces the bag, bundle and weight standards.
Violations & Fines
Violating the bagging, bundling or fill-level rules in Section 15:4-13(a) through (c) carries the same graduated fine: $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, $350 plus up to 90 days of community service for a third, and $1,500 with possible discontinuance of collection service for a fourth or later offense. A mandatory court appearance applies from the third violation onward within a one-year span, and the City waives the extra repeat-offense penalty under N.J.S.A. 40:49-5 when violations fall outside that window.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many trash cans can I put out in Newark?
Can I use regular grocery bags for my trash in Newark?
Who pays to remove construction debris from a home renovation in Newark?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newark
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