Plainfield, NJ Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Union County solid waste collection is managed at the municipal level with disposal coordinated through the Union County Utilities Authority (UCUA). Elizabeth Department of Public Works provides Monday-Friday curbside trash collection for single-family and small multifamily properties (up to 4 units) with recycling pickup biweekly per Chapter 8.20. Bins must be at curbside by 6:00 AM on collection day and retrieved within 24 hours of pickup. Westfield Department of Public Works operates a three-stream program (trash, recycling, yard waste) with weekly trash and biweekly recycling. Summit Public Works uses private contractor with weekly collection. Cranford, Rahway, Linden, Plainfield, and Union Township each operate distinct schedules. All Union County trash flows through the UCUA Rahway Transfer Station and ultimately the Covanta Union Resource Recovery Facility (waste-to-energy) in Rahway under the Union County Solid Waste Management Plan. Recyclables are processed at the UCUA Materials Recovery Facility. Holiday delays (New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas) shift subsequent pickups one day. Multifamily buildings over 4 units contract directly with private haulers but must use UCUA-designated disposal facilities per the county solid waste plan.