Trash Collection

  1. Trash Regulations
  1. The trash cart shall weigh no more than 200 pounds with trash.   
  2. Trash in plastic bags or recycling buckets will not be collected. All trash must be in the Princeton trash cart.
  3. Cart shall be placed on the road pavement, no more than two (2') feet in front of the curb or edge of the roadway while maintaining a minimum of three (3') feet of spacing between receptacles and any other obstructions which may be present in the roadway.  
  4. Carts shall be placed on the road pavement no earlier than 7 PM the day before collection and no later than 7 AM on the day of collection. 
  5. Central Business District shall place carts no earlier than 9 PM the day before collection and no later than 6 AM on the day of collection. 
  6. No empty cart shall remain in the view from the public right-of-way after 11:59 PM on the day of collection. 
  7. Central Business District - no empty cart shall remain the view from the public right-of-way after 10:00 AM on the day of collection 
  8. Latex paint cans may be disposed of in the trash as long as they are completely dry. Kitty litter or sand can be added to the paint cans to dry it out.
  1. Trash Carts
  1. Bulk Waste regulations & Reservation
  1. missed trash collection

For detailed information on our new trash collection program, we have put together a document to answer all your questions. You can also visit our Community Hub Website for up-to-date trash program information.

Princeton is collected weekly by the Municipality's contractor Interstate Waste Services.  Please visit our Trash Collection Schedule By Street to know your collection day. 

Eligible residents (one to four dwelling units) will receive one new 64-gallon wheeled trash cart for use in a semi-automated trash collection program. For properties with more than 5 units, the property owner is responsible for contracting privately for trash collection.   

Starting the week of March 20th, 2023, only trash placed in these carts will be collected. If you did not receive a new trash cart, please email the Waste Team at wasteinfo@princetonnj.gov

Existing trash cans that are no longer needed by residents will be collected for disposal the week of March 13th, on your trash collection day. Please indicate with a note on your old trash cans, "TRASH".

2023 Trash Collection Schedule

Trash is collected weekly by section.  When the scheduled collection day occurs on one of the following holidays, pick-up will occur on the date listed below: 

  1. Monday, May 29, 2023 - Collection will be Tuesday, May 30, 2023
  2. Tuesday, July 4, 2023 - Collection will be Wednesday, July 5, 2023
  3. Monday, September 4, 2023 - Collection will be Tuesday, September 5, 2023
  4. Thursday, November 23, 2023 - Collection will be Friday, November 24, 2023

The Municipality has partnered with Recycle Coach, an address-based app that can be downloaded from the iTunes or Google Play app store. The app offers information about Princeton’s recycling program that is serviced by Mercer County Improvement Authority

You can also access your recycling, trash, and leaf and brush schedules, and set alerts and reminders so you never miss your collection days. The communication feature lets you submit questions or issues instantly to our office for a timely reply. No smartphone? No problem! Enjoy the desktop-friendly version. Visit the Recycling in Princeton webpage and type in your address to get started. 

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