Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Paramus
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.
Township-provided automated container Bin (Trash)
Kitchen garbage must be bagged and placed entirely inside the covered automated collection container. Trash left outside the bin or in other areas of the property will not be removed.
Accepted Items
- ✓Kitchen food scraps
- ✓Bagged household garbage
OTTO container (Lid color varies by section) Bin (Recycling)
Commingled plastics and glass go inside the OTTO container. Cardboard must be collapsed and tied. Newspapers must be tied securely or placed in brown paper bags and placed next to the container.
Accepted Items
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Plastic beverage and laundry containers
- ✓Newspaper and cardboard (placed separately outside bin)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Garden debris
- ✕Newspapers or cardboard inside the OTTO container
Yard Waste Bin
Branches must be cut to 4-foot lengths and tied in bundles (limit 10). From early Oct to late Nov, leaves and grass may be placed loose at the curb. Otherwise, they must be in pails or biodegradable bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Branches
- ✓Brush
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Once a week on your designated end-of-week collection day.
Placement
Bulk trash must be separated from kitchen garbage. Rugs must be cut and tied. Contractors hired by residents are fully responsible for removing their own construction debris.
Accepted
- ✓ Chairs
- ✓ Tables
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Rugs (cut to 3-foot lengths, rolled and tied)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction materials (cabinets, sheetrock, fencing, wood)
- ✕ Propane tanks
- ✕ Electronic waste (must be scheduled separately)
The disposal and cost of dumping building or construction materials are the sole responsibility of the contractor or resident.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
In Paramus, if a holiday falls on your scheduled garbage, trash, or recycling day, your pick up for that specific route is completely cancelled.
Yard Waste Exception
If a holiday falls on a Wednesday, there will be no vegetative waste pickup for the entire borough that week.
A Monday holiday cancels South of Midland Avenue garbage. A Tuesday holiday cancels North of Midland Avenue garbage. Check the borough calendar for specific dates.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
No Plastic Bags for Paper Recycling
Do not place your newspapers, magazines, or cardboard in plastic bags or plastic pails. They must be tied securely with twine or placed inside brown paper bags only.
Keep Paper Out of the OTTO Container
Your borough-issued OTTO recycling container is strictly for commingled items like bottles, cans, and plastics. Do not put newspapers, junk mail, or garden debris inside this cart.
Separate Kitchen Garbage from Bulk Trash
Do not mix large trash items with your regular food scraps. Kitchen garbage is collected early in the week, while bulk trash items (like small furniture or rugs) are only collected on Thursdays or Fridays.
Seasonal Information
Autumn
October 5 - November 29During the fall leaf season, grass and leaves may be put into the curb-line loose and un-bagged for pick up by municipal leaf machines. Absolutely no branches or twigs are accepted in these loose piles.
Winter
Starting November 30The loose leaf vacuum program ends. After this date, you must revert to standard vegetative waste rules by placing leaves and grass in garbage pails or biodegradable paper bags for Wednesday pickups.
Severe Weather / Holidays
Year-RoundIf a holiday falls on your collection day, your pickup is entirely cancelled for that day. It does not automatically roll over to the next day.
About Paramus Waste Management
Paramus Public Works and the Automated Collection System
Paramus manages its residential waste through the Borough's Department of Public Works. The municipality utilizes a covered automated collection container system for all kitchen garbage. To ensure efficient and safe operations, residents are required to bag their food scraps and kitchen refuse before placing them inside the automated cart. The DPW strictly enforces that garbage will no longer be removed from any other area of the property, meaning all household refuse must fit within the container at the curb.
Understanding the Color-Coded Commingled Recycling Sections
Recycling in Paramus is highly structured, dividing the borough into five distinct color-coded sections (Red 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange 4, and Brown 5) for commingled collections. Depending on your assigned section, your designated OTTO container will be serviced on a specific weekday. It is crucial to remember that this specific container is reserved solely for washed glass bottles, aluminum, tin cans, and plastic beverage containers. Mixing in paper or garden debris is considered contamination and is prohibited.
Strict Guidelines for Paper and Cardboard Curbside Prep
Unlike single-stream recycling programs, Paramus requires paper products to be handled entirely separately from your commingled plastics and glass. Cardboard must be flattened, tied, and placed at the curb alongside securely bundled newspapers. Residents may also pack newspapers, magazines, and junk mail into brown paper bags. Using plastic bags or pails for paper recycling is strictly banned. Securing these paper bundles is mandatory to prevent them from blowing away during severe weather.
Vegetative Waste and the Fall Leaf Vacuum Program
The Borough provides dedicated vegetative waste pickup every Wednesday for all residents, regardless of whether they live north or south of Midland Avenue. Standard brush must be cut into four-foot lengths and tied into small bundles, limited to ten bundles per household. However, during the autumn season—specifically from early October through late November—grass and leaves can be piled loosely along the curb-line for automated leaf vacuum trucks, provided no branches or twigs are mixed in.
Navigating Bulk Trash and E-Waste Disposal
Paramus intentionally separates regular kitchen garbage collection from bulk trash disposal. Bulk materials, such as chairs, mattresses, and rolled rugs cut into three-foot lengths, are collected exclusively at the end of the week. Residents south of Midland Avenue have bulk pickup on Thursdays, while those north of Midland receive service on Fridays. Construction debris like sheetrock or fencing is entirely banned. For electronic waste, residents must call the DPW to schedule a bi-monthly pickup or utilize the Carlough Drive drop-off center.
Drop-off Facilities
Paramus Recycling Center
Carlough Drive Public Works Building, Paramus, NJ 07652
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the residential garbage schedule in Paramus?
Residents living South of Midland Avenue have their kitchen garbage picked up on Mondays and their bulk trash on Thursdays. Residents living North of Midland Avenue have kitchen garbage picked up on Tuesdays and bulk trash on Fridays.
How do I properly recycle cardboard and newspapers?
Cardboard must be collapsed, tied, and placed at the curb. Newspapers must be tied securely or placed in brown paper bags. Never put paper or cardboard inside your commingled OTTO container, and never use plastic bags.
What is the borough's policy for fall leaf collection?
Between October 5th and November 29th, residents can rake grass and leaves loose and unbagged along the curb-line for vacuum collection. Branches cannot be mixed in. After November 29th, all yard waste must be bagged or placed in pails for Wednesday pickup.
What happens if my collection day falls on a holiday?
If a holiday falls on your scheduled garbage, recycling, or vegetative waste collection day, that specific pickup is completely cancelled. For example, if Wednesday is a holiday, there is no yard waste pickup for the entire borough that week.