Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Garfield
In New Jersey, municipal refuse and recycling routes operate weekly. Your exact collection days are determined by your local borough or township.
State Mandate
The NJ Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act requires all residents to separate designated recyclables.
Resident-provided (No official color) Bin (Trash)
Place in sturdy covered containers weighing no more than 50 lbs. Do not use paper bags or cardboard boxes for garbage. Place curbside no earlier than 4:00 PM the day before collection.
Accepted Items
- ✓Regular household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics and packaging
Resident-provided (No official color) Bin (Recycling)
Recycling is mandatory. Commingled materials must be placed in a dedicated container, while cardboard must be tied or bundled properly. Do not place recyclables in plastic bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Mixed newspaper, magazines, and junk mail
- ✓Corrugated cardboard and office paper
- ✓Glass bottles and food jars
- ✓Aluminum and metal cans
- ✓Plastic bottles and detergent containers
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Pizza boxes with heavy grease or cheese
- ✕Electronics
- ✕Hazardous waste
Yard Waste Bin
Grass and leaves must be placed in brown paper bags provided by the DPW. Place at the curb after 6:00 PM the day before your designated street sweeper day. Branches must be bundled up to 4 feet.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Branches (by appointment)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By Appointment Only (Thursdays)
Placement
For Thursday white goods and metal pickups, items may not be placed at the curb before 4:00 PM on Wednesday. Placing items out without an appointment will result in a summons.
Accepted
- ✓ Refrigerators (doors must be removed)
- ✓ Freezers
- ✓ Stoves
- ✓ Air conditioning units
- ✓ Assorted scrap metal
Not Accepted
- ✕ Concrete and asphalt
- ✕ Dirt and rocks
- ✕ Lumber and sheet rock
- ✕ Bricks
- ✕ Hazardous waste
While the scheduled pickup for metals is included in municipal services, unauthorized dumping of construction debris or unapproved bulk items carries fines up to $500.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
The DPW mails out an annual Recycling and Garbage Calendar every March. Always consult this calendar for specific holiday date shifts, as private contractor routes may be delayed by one day.
Yard Waste Exception
The DPW drop-off center at 413 Midland Avenue is strictly closed for tire, electronics, and yard waste drop-offs on all municipal holidays.
If you do not receive a calendar in the mail by March, you can call the recycling office at 973-546-2200 ext. 4224 to request one.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Never Use Plastic Bags for Yard Waste
The Garfield DPW has a zero-tolerance policy for plastic bags in the yard waste stream. If you place leaves or grass clippings in plastic bags, or standard garbage cans, they will be left at the curb.
Keep Cardboard Out of the Trash
Cardboard boxes should never be used as makeshift garbage cans for your household waste. Cardboard is a mandated recyclable material in New Jersey and must be flattened, tied, and placed out on your scheduled recycling day.
Return Plastic Bags to the Store
Plastic shopping bags clog up the gears at recycling processing facilities. Do not bag your bottles and cans. Instead, return clean plastic bags to local supermarkets or big-box stores that offer dedicated bag recycling drop-offs.
Seasonal Information
Spring/Summer
April - OctoberGrass clippings can be collected on your street sweeper day if bagged in brown paper bags, though the 'Cut it and leave it' method is highly recommended. Branch pickups run by appointment from April 1 through October 31.
Autumn
September - NovemberOfficial brown leaf bags become available at the DPW starting September 1st. You must use these city-provided bags for leaf pickup, which occurs on your designated sweeper day.
Winter
December - MarchDuring snowstorms, Garfield prioritizes plowing County and Emergency Snow Routes first, followed by secondary roads. Property owners have 24 hours after a storm ends to clear their sidewalks of snow and ice.
About Garfield Waste Management
The Role of Garfield's DPW and Contracted Garbage Collection
In the City of Garfield, residential waste management is overseen by the Department of Public Works (DPW) but executed by a contracted private hauler. To keep the city streets clean and avoid property maintenance summonses, residents must adhere to strict timing rules: garbage cannot be placed at the curb before 4:00 PM the day prior to collection. Additionally, all household trash must be contained within sturdy, covered receptacles weighing no more than 50 pounds. Utilizing cardboard boxes or paper bags as makeshift garbage cans is strictly prohibited, as these materials belong in the recycling stream.
Strict Appointment Systems for White Goods and Metals
Garfield does not operate a free-for-all bulk trash day for large appliances. If you need to dispose of refrigerators, freezers, stoves, air conditioners, or assorted scrap metals, you must call the DPW office by Wednesday to schedule a Thursday pickup. Any metal items placed at the curb without an appointment will result in a municipal summons. As with standard garbage, these items cannot be placed outside before 4:00 PM on Wednesday evening.
Garfield's Cut-It-And-Leave-It Grass Initiative
During the mowing season, Garfield strongly encourages homeowners to 'cut it and leave it,' allowing grass clippings to naturally fertilize the soil. If you must dispose of grass, it can never go into a plastic bag or a standard garbage can. Instead, clippings must be placed in specific brown paper recycling bags—which can be picked up at the DPW office—and placed at the curb after 6:00 PM the night before your designated street sweeper day.
Navigating Electronics and Tire Recycling at the DPW Yard
Under New Jersey state law, electronic waste (e-waste) and tires are banned from standard landfills and will not be collected at the curb. Garfield residents must self-haul these materials to the DPW Complex located at 413 Midland Avenue. The drop-off center accepts televisions, computers, monitors, microwaves, and tires from Monday through Friday between 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Note that the facility is strictly closed on all municipal holidays.
Fall Leaf Collection and Branch Disposal Protocols
Managing yard debris in the autumn requires specific preparations. Starting September 1st, residents can pick up a maximum of 20 free brown leaf bags per household at the DPW yard. Leaves will only be collected in these official bags on your scheduled sweeper day. For branches, the DPW offers a specialized pickup program from April 1st through October 31st by appointment only; branches must be securely bundled and tied in lengths not exceeding four feet.
Drop-off Facilities
Garfield DPW Complex
413 Midland Avenue, Garfield, NJ 07026
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of an old TV or computer in Garfield?
Electronic waste is not picked up curbside. Residents must drop off TVs, computers, monitors, and other electronics at the DPW Complex at 413 Midland Avenue, open Monday through Friday between 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
How do I dispose of grass clippings and leaves?
Grass and leaves must be put in brown paper recycling bags (available at the DPW) and placed out after 6:00 PM the day before your designated sweeper day. Plastic bags or garbage cans will be rejected and left at the curb.
Will the garbage collector take heavy construction debris?
No. The contracted garbage collector will not pick up concrete, asphalt, dirt, lumber, sheet rock, or bricks. Residents or their contractors are entirely responsible for the private disposal of construction materials.
When can I put my trash cans out at the curb?
Garbage must not be placed at the curb before 4:00 PM on the day prior to your scheduled collection. Bins must be sturdy, covered, and weigh no more than 50 pounds.