Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Long Branch
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 Bin (Trash)
Use standard, durable trash receptacles. Place at the curb no earlier than 5:00 PM the day preceding your scheduled collection.
Accepted Items
- ✓Regular household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging
Resident-provided (Reusable container) Bin (Recycling)
Place all commingled items loosely in a reusable container. Do not use plastic bags. You may also tie up to 8 bundles of cardboard (under 50 lbs each).
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastics
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Clean cardboard and paper
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Paint or liquids in boxes
- ✕Hazardous waste
- ✕Electronics
Yard Waste Bin
Leaves must be in recyclable paper bags (max 50 lbs), except during the specific exception months of November, December, April, and May.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Brush
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Twice a month based on zone
Placement
Place items at the curb no earlier than 5:00 PM the day before pickup and no more than 24 hours in advance. Mattresses must be wrapped in plastic.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (no pianos)
- ✓ Appliances (remove refrigerator doors)
- ✓ Carpeting
- ✓ Hot water heaters and metal
- ✓ Rimless passenger tires (max 4, max 16 inches)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction materials
- ✕ Pianos
- ✕ Tires with rims
- ✕ Hazardous waste
Bulk collection is included in municipal services. Alternatively, residents can bring up to 8 items directly to the Atlantic Avenue Recycling Center with proof of residency.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
When a collection day falls on an observed holiday, services are typically pushed back. The city communicates specific schedule shifts directly via its social media channels and the official website.
Yard Waste Exception
Bulk and yard waste collections may be delayed or skipped during holiday weeks.
Residents are highly encouraged to use the 'My Schedule' tool (powered by Recycle Coach) on the Long Branch DPW website to get real-time holiday updates.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Ditch the Plastic Bags
Never bag your recyclables. Plastic grocery bags and garbage bags tangle in the gears of the recycling facility's sorting equipment, causing massive mechanical failures and increasing city costs. Keep all recyclables completely loose in your bin.
Keep Cardboard Clean and Dry
Do not throw partially full paint cans, chemicals, or other liquid products into your cardboard recycling boxes. When these liquids leak, they ruin the cardboard fibers and force the entire load to be sent to the landfill.
Separate Tires and Metals from Bulk
When putting out items for bulk Wednesday pickups, make sure to separate metal objects and rimless tires (up to 4 allowed) into a distinct pile from your regular furniture and bulk trash, as these items are processed differently.
Seasonal Information
Autumn & Spring
November, December, April, MayDuring these four specific months, the mandate to bag leaves in 50-pound paper bags is lifted to accommodate heavy seasonal leaf drops and spring cleanups.
Year-Round
Months with 5 WednesdaysThere is never a bulk waste pickup on the 5th Wednesday of any month. If a month has five Wednesdays, you must hold your bulk items until your next scheduled zone date.
Winter
December - MarchDuring snow events, ensure your garbage and recycling receptacles are fully visible and cleared of snowbanks so the Long Branch DPW crews can safely access them without slipping.
About Long Branch Waste Management
Navigating the Single-Stream Recycling System
The City of Long Branch operates a convenient single-stream recycling program, allowing residents to mix paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum, and glass all into one single reusable bin. Recycling collection days are divided strictly by geographical zones (North or South of Brighton Avenue, and North or South of Joline Avenue). Keep in mind that while all materials can be mixed, you are absolutely prohibited from using plastic bags, which cause severe damage to the local recycling plant's sorting machinery.
The New 2025 Bulk Waste Schedule
As of January 1, 2025, Long Branch implemented a completely revised bulk pickup schedule. The city is now divided by Broadway. Residents living North of Broadway receive bulk collections on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, while those South of Broadway are serviced on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday. There is never a bulk pickup on a 5th Wednesday of any month. You may place up to 8 items at the curb, but no earlier than 5:00 PM the day prior.
Strict Mattress Wrapping Mandate
Due to ongoing health and safety concerns regarding bedbugs, the Long Branch DPW requires all residents to properly seal mattresses and box springs before disposal. Every mattress and box spring must be entirely enclosed in durable plastic sheeting and securely sealed with duct tape. If you leave an unwrapped mattress at the curb, city workers are legally permitted to reject it to protect themselves from exposure.
Specific Rules for Cardboard Bundles
Even though Long Branch utilizes a single-stream bin system, residents generating excess cardboard have the option to bundle it separately. You can combine flattened corrugated cardboard and newspapers into tied bundles weighing no more than 50 pounds. Up to 8 bundles can be placed out per pickup day. However, ensure no paint or liquids are ever placed inside cardboard boxes, as this instantly ruins the material and renders it non-recyclable.
Seasonal Leaf Bagging Exceptions
Managing yard waste in Long Branch requires paying attention to the calendar. For most of the year, all leaves must be carefully separated from other brush and placed in recyclable paper bags weighing 50 pounds or less. However, this bagging mandate is temporarily suspended during the prime yard clean-up months of November, December, April, and May, when different seasonal collection protocols go into effect.
Drop-off Facilities
Long Branch Recycling Center
Atlantic Avenue, Long Branch, NJ
Materials Accepted
Monmouth County Household Hazardous Waste Facility
3211 Shafto Rd, Tinton Falls, NJ 07753
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I dispose of an old mattress in Long Branch?
You must wrap all mattresses and box springs completely in durable plastic sheeting and seal them securely with duct tape. This is a mandatory city ordinance to protect DPW workers from bedbugs. Place the wrapped mattress out on your scheduled bulk Wednesday.
When is my bulk trash pickup day?
As of January 2025, the bulk schedule is divided by Broadway. Residents living North of Broadway get bulk pickup on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. Residents South of Broadway get bulk pickup on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday. There is no pickup on the 5th Wednesday of any month.
Can I put my recyclables in a plastic garbage bag?
No. Long Branch uses a single-stream system where all paper, glass, plastic, and metal can be mixed, but they must be placed loosely into a reusable container. Plastic bags cause severe jams at the recycling sorting facility.
What are the rules for throwing out cardboard?
You can place cardboard loosely in your recycling bin, or you can flatten and tie it into bundles. Bundles must not exceed 50 pounds, and you can put out a maximum of 8 bundles per pickup day. Ensure you do not leave any liquid products inside the boxes.