Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Maple Shade
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's own watertight container (max 34 gallons) Bin (Trash)
Trash must be placed curbside between 6:00 PM the day before and 6:30 AM on collection day. Containers must not exceed 34 gallons, and disposable bags must be sealed closed.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household solid waste
- ✓Bagged grass clippings (max 4 bags/week)
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics and wrappers
Blue cart (County-issued) Bin (Recycling)
Cart must be placed with the metal bar facing the street and have 3 to 5 feet of clearance from obstacles. Place at the curb by 6:00 AM on your scheduled collection day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Plastic bottles and food containers
- ✓Dry paper and flattened corrugated cardboard
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags and Amazon mailers
- ✕Shredded paper
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Hardback books
- ✕Food-soiled pizza boxes
Yard Waste Bin
Brush is picked up curbside on Fridays. Branches must be cut to 6-7 feet. Do not mix leaves or grass clippings into brush piles.
Accepted Items
- ✓Tree branches and limbs (up to 7 feet)
- ✓Loose leaves (during designated Fall zones only)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Collected on your regular trash day.
Placement
Place alongside regular trash. Ensure a 4-foot clearance from your automated recycling cart so the mechanical arm is not obstructed.
Accepted
- ✓ Couches and chairs
- ✓ Wooden furniture (drawers removed)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs (must be wrapped in plastic)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Metal of any kind
- ✕ Whole house or garage clean-outs
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Electronic waste
There is no fee for standard curbside bulk items, but excessive debris from large construction projects or house clean-outs will be bypassed and require a privately rented dumpster.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a major holiday falls on a weekday, trash and recycling collections are typically delayed by one day for the remainder of the week, with Friday collections occurring on Saturday.
Yard Waste Exception
Friday brush pickups conducted by the DPW are highly susceptible to cancellation during holiday weeks or severe weather events.
Burlington County manages recycling; always check the Recycle Coach app for county-level delays which may differ slightly from the municipal trash hauler's schedule.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Ban the Plastic Mailers
Flexible plastic packaging, including Amazon prime mailers and bubble wrap, acts just like plastic grocery bags. They tangle the gears at the county sorting facility. Remove the address labels and take them to a grocery store bag drop-off instead.
Proper Mattress Wrapping
To protect sanitation workers from bed bugs and heavy waterlogged materials, Maple Shade requires all mattresses and box springs placed at the curb to be completely sealed in a plastic mattress bag.
Keep Shredded Paper Out of the Blue Bin
Even if you place it in a paper bag or cardboard box, shredded paper is too small for the sorting machinery to process and will contaminate glass streams. You must take shredded paper to a designated Burlington County shredding event.
Seasonal Information
Fall
November to DecemberMaple Shade operates a specialized, zoned curbside leaf collection. Leaves must be raked loosely to the curb (no closer than 10 feet to a storm drain) by 6:00 AM on the first day of your zone's collection week. Do not bag them during these months.
Spring
April to MayAs lawn mowing season begins, remember that grass clippings are never collected as separate yard waste. You must bag them in heavy-duty lawn bags (half-filled to avoid bursting) and put them out with regular trash, limited to 4 bags per week.
Winter
January to MarchWhen severe winter storms impact Burlington County, automated recycling carts must be kept entirely clear of snowbanks. Carts buried in snow or placed dangerously in the street will not be serviced.
About Maple Shade Waste Management
Navigating Maple Shade's Specific Garbage Guidelines
Maple Shade Township strictly regulates the size and weight of residential household garbage to ensure safe and efficient municipal collection. Trash must be placed in a watertight metal, rubber, or plastic receptacle that does not exceed a 34-gallon capacity. Heavy-duty polyethylene or paper bags are permitted, but they must be completely sealed at the top. Residents should ensure their containers are placed at the curb between 6:00 PM the night before and 6:30 AM on collection day.
Burlington County Regional Recycling Program Rules
Like its neighboring municipalities, Maple Shade participates in the Burlington County Regional Curbside Recycling Program. Residents are provided with a blue automated cart that must be placed at the curb by 6:00 AM. Proper cart placement is critical: the metal lift bar must face the street, and the bin requires 3 to 5 feet of clearance on all sides. Plastic bags, shredded paper, and Amazon mailers are strictly prohibited and will result in a rejected load.
The Unique Approach to Grass Clippings
Unlike many New Jersey towns that designate specific yard waste days for grass, Maple Shade requires residents to bag their grass clippings and place them out with their regular household trash. Heavy-duty lawn bags should only be filled halfway to prevent them from becoming too heavy for the hauler. The Department of Public Works enforces a strict limit of four lawn bags per weekly trash collection and strictly prohibits blowing loose clippings into the street or storm drains.
Friday Brush Collection and Fall Leaf Protocols
While grass goes in the trash, woody yard debris requires different handling. The Maple Shade DPW conducts curbside brush pickup (branches and limbs only) every Friday. Branches must be cut to 6-7 feet in length. During November and December, the township operates a zoned fall leaf collection where leaves must be raked loosely to the curb. Outside of this window, all leaves must be bagged and driven directly to the Cutler Avenue facility.
Disposing of Heavy Bulk and Electronic Waste
Bulk furniture such as couches and dressers can be placed curbside with your regular garbage, provided all metal components and drawers are removed. Mattresses and box springs must be fully wrapped in plastic. For items banned from the curb—such as tires, waste oil, and state-mandated electronic waste (TVs and computers)—residents must utilize the Public Works Facility drop-off located at 620 Cutler Avenue, open Monday through Saturday.
Drop-off Facilities
Maple Shade Public Works Facility
620 Cutler Avenue, Maple Shade, NJ 08052
Materials Accepted
Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex
22000 Burlington-Columbus Road, Florence, NJ 08518
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I dispose of grass clippings in Maple Shade?
Unlike many municipalities, Maple Shade requires grass clippings to be placed in heavy-duty lawn bags (filled only halfway to avoid excessive weight) and put out with your regular household trash. You are strictly limited to 4 bags per weekly trash collection. Never place grass in the blue recycling cart or blow it into the street.
Will the township pick up an old mattress or couch?
Yes, bulk furniture can be placed curbside with your regular trash. However, mattresses and box springs must be completely wrapped in plastic, any metal parts must be removed from furniture, and entire house or garage clean-outs will not be collected.
Where can I throw away a TV or old computer?
Electronic waste (E-waste) is banned from all landfills in New Jersey and will not be collected at the curb by your trash hauler. Maple Shade residents must bring their old TVs, monitors, printers, and computers directly to the Public Works Facility at 620 Cutler Avenue.
When does the DPW collect yard brush and tree branches?
The DPW collects brush, which consists only of branches and limbs, every Friday. Branches must be cut down to 6-7 feet in length to avoid damaging the township's equipment. Do not mix leaves or grass clippings into your brush piles.