Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Pennsauken
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)
Residents may place up to six bags or cans of trash out each week. Cans must not exceed 32 gallons in capacity, and no single bag or can may weigh more than 50 pounds.
Accepted Items
- ✓Regular household garbage
- ✓Dried out latex paint (lids removed)
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
Yellow Buckets Bin (Recycling)
All recyclables must be placed loosely in the official yellow recycling buckets provided by Public Works. Do not use plastic bags. You can put out an unlimited number of buckets.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastics #1 and #2
- ✓Glass jars and bottles
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Cardboard (flattened)
- ✓Newspaper, magazines, and paperback books
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Plastics #3 through #7
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Food-soiled paper
- ✕Pizza boxes
Yard Waste Bin
Yard waste is collected on Wednesdays. Must be in biodegradable bags or open cans weighing less than 50 lbs. NO PLASTIC BAGS. Branches must be tied in bundles 4 feet or less in length.
Accepted Items
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Small branches
- ✓Shrub trimmings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly (on your regular trash day)
Placement
Bulk items must have a 4-foot clearance from regular trash and recycling containers. You MUST notify Public Works by 2:00 PM the business day prior to your collection day.
Accepted
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Couches and chairs
- ✓ Carpet (cut to 4ft lengths, rolled and tied, under 50 lbs)
- ✓ Wood (cut to 4ft lengths and bundled)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction debris
- ✕ Hazardous waste
- ✕ Tires with rims attached
- ✕ Unbundled yard waste
The pickup of two items per week is free, but items exceeding the limits or certain special materials may require coordination with external facilities.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Pennsauken only observes six major holidays for trash delays. If one of these holidays falls on a weekday, collections for that day and the remainder of the week are pushed back by one day.
Yard Waste Exception
Wednesday yard waste and white goods collections may also be shifted by one day if a major holiday occurs on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.
Holidays not listed above (such as Martin Luther King Jr. Day or Columbus Day) do not affect the collection schedule.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep the Yellow Buckets Loose
The number one cause of recycling contamination in Pennsauken is bagging recyclables in plastic [1.2.2]. Always toss your cans, bottles, and paper directly and loosely into your yellow buckets. Plastic bags jam the sorting machinery.
Drain Excess Water from Trash
Before placing your trash containers at the curb, ensure they are completely drained of any accumulated rainwater. Waterlogged trash adds unnecessary weight, exceeding the 50-pound limit, and attracts mosquitoes.
Prep Your Latex Paint
You can throw away water-based latex paint with your regular trash, but it must be completely dried out first. Leave the lid off or add kitty litter to solidify the paint before placing the can in your garbage.
Seasonal Information
Autumn
October - DecemberDuring Leaf Collection Season, Pennsauken sweeps every neighborhood clean of leaves at least once prior to December 31. Rake leaves to the curb line, taking care not to block storm drains.
Spring/Summer
April - SeptemberPublic Works recommends a 'cut it and leave it' approach for grass clippings. Leaving clippings on your lawn acts as a natural fertilizer and reduces the amount of yard waste you need to bag for Wednesday collections.
Winter
January - MarchIn the event of severe snowstorms, regular trash and recycling collections may be temporarily delayed so that DPW crews can prioritize salting and plowing municipal roadways.
About Pennsauken Waste Management
Understanding Pennsauken's Yellow Bucket System
Pennsauken Township participates in a comprehensive Camden County-wide single-stream recycling program. To maintain uniformity and reduce contamination, all recyclables must be placed in the official yellow recycling buckets provided by the Department of Public Works. Residents are not limited by volume; you may place an unlimited number of these yellow buckets at the curb each week. It is crucial, however, that all items remain loose and are never placed in plastic bags.
Scheduling Your Bulk Waste Pickups
Unlike municipalities that designate monthly bulk days, Pennsauken allows residents to dispose of up to two bulk items every single week on their regular trash day. However, this is not an automatic service. You must contact the Public Works office by phone or email no later than 2:00 PM on the business day immediately preceding your collection. Without this prior scheduling, the items will be left at the curb.
Dedicated Wednesday Yard Waste Collection
Yard debris management is taken seriously in Pennsauken, with all grass clippings, leaves, and small branches collected exclusively on Wednesdays throughout the year. The most strictly enforced rule is the ban on plastic bags for yard waste. All vegetative debris must be placed in unlined cans or biodegradable paper bags weighing under 50 pounds. There is no limit to the number of proper containers you can place curbside on Wednesdays.
Free Local Compost for Pennsauken Residents
Pennsauken takes pride in its sustainability efforts by composting municipal leaf piles directly within the township at the DPW Leaf Compost Facility on Park Avenue. Once the compost matures and passes quality testing at Rutgers University, the township offers it back to the community for free. Residents can access this nutrient-rich compost at a self-service bin conveniently located at the Municipal Pool Parking Lot.
Special Rules for White Goods and Large Limbs
White goods such as refrigerators, lawnmowers, and heavy appliances require special handling and are collected on Wednesdays alongside yard waste. By New Jersey state law, doors must be removed from freezers and refrigerators before placing them outside, and gas-powered equipment must be completely drained of oil and fuel. If you have tree trunks or limbs larger than 6 inches in diameter, you must schedule a special 'Firewood Pickup' directly with Public Works.
Drop-off Facilities
DPW Leaf Compost Self-Service Bin
Municipal Pool Parking Lot (near Park Avenue), Pennsauken, NJ
Materials Accepted
Pennsauken Public Works Department
2400 Merchantville Ave, Pennsauken, NJ 08110
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to schedule a bulk trash pickup in Pennsauken?
Yes. While you are allowed to place up to two bulk items out on your regular trash day, you must contact Public Works by 2:00 PM on the preceding business day to notify them of your address and the items being placed at the curb.
Can I use plastic bags for my yard waste?
No. Pennsauken strictly prohibits the use of plastic bags for yard waste. All leaves, grass clippings, and small branches must be placed in open containers or biodegradable paper bags weighing under 50 pounds.
How do I get free compost in Pennsauken?
The township composts leaves locally at the DPW facility. Once the compost is matured and tested by Rutgers, it is made available to residents for free at a self-service bin located in the Municipal Pool Parking Lot.
What should I do with large tree limbs or tree trunks?
Limbs larger than 6 inches in diameter and thick tree trunks will not be picked up with standard Wednesday yard waste. You must schedule a special 'Firewood Pickup' with Public Works, and all wood must be cut to a maximum length of 3 feet.