Public Works

2024 Trash & Collection Recycling Guide

2025 Trash & Collection Recycling Guide

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Trash and Recycling Collection Holiday Schedule 2024

Trash and Recycling Holiday Collection

Should your TRASH AND RECYCLING COLLECTION DAY fall on one of the HOLIDAYS in the schedule above your household Trash and Recycling will be collected on our NEXT WORKING DAY, except for the following:

* Trash and Recycling WILL be collected on MEMORIAL DAY, INDEPENDENCE DAY, and LABOR DAY.

**Trash and Recycling for the THANKSGIVING HOLIDAYS will be as follows: Thursday’s Trash & Recycling will be collected on Friday. Friday’s Trash & Recycling will be collected on Monday.

Bulk trash is collected First Tuesday of each month except for Strathmere which is collected on Mondays.

Trash and Recycling Collection Areas

MONDAYS – All of Strathmere and Whale Beach. Harbor Road, east side of the Parkway.

TUESDAYS – North side of Church Road and north to the Township line, the Great Egg Harbor Bay.

WEDNESDAYS – Petersburg, Tuckahoe, Marshallville, Head of the River, Steelmantown and Martintown.

THURSDAYS – Hope Corson Road south to the Township line including the Foxborough development and Osprey Point

FRIDAYS – South side of Church Road south to Hope Corson Road excluding the Foxborough development.

PLEASE REMEMBER that the way you place your TRASH and RECYCLING MATERIALS out for collection has a direct effect on your NEIGHBORHOOD. Loose trash and recycling materials can be blown all over the place.

Trash and Recycling Collection Requirements

Household Trash

Your household trash must be placed to the curb prior to 6:00 a.m. the morning of your collection day, but not prior to 5:00 p.m. the day before your collection day in the cart provided by the Township. No other containers will be collected.

Recycling Materials

Your Recycling Materials must be placed to the curb prior to 6:00 a.m. the morning of your collection day, but not prior to 5:00 p.m. the day before your collection day in the cart provided by the Township. No other containers will be collected. PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS ARE CONSIDERED TRASH. PLEASE DO NOT PLACE THESE BAGS IN YOUR RECYCLING CONTAINER. County recycling flyer.

Convenience Drop-off Center

Single Stream Recycling, and household trash can be brought to the Upper Township Road Department at 1691 Mount Pleasant Road, Tuckahoe from 7:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. five [5] days per week. Bulk may not be dumped in this area.

Automated Carts

Each residential household is eligible to receive 1- cart for trash and 1- cart for recycling. The standard cart size is 96 gallons in size which is equivalent to three normal trash cans. The standard cart will be given to most residents. For those households who have only 1-2 people or for medical conditions then a smaller can be chosen. Regular trash and recycling cans cannot be used with this system. The carts that are issued are the only containers that may be used for household waste and recycling.

Based on national studies and our survey of Township collection, one trash cart & one recycling cart is sufficient for a household size of 4-6 people and is in compliance with the Township’s rules for recycling. If you feel that you may need an additional cart, a non-refundable fee of $100.00 per cart will be assessed (cart remains the property of Upper Township). Please contact the Clerks Office at 609-628-2011 ext. 200 if you would like to request an alternate size cart or additional cart.

The placement of the cart shall be as follows: cart shall be placed at of the edge of pavement or curb with the handles and wheels facing toward your house. The cart cannot be placed within 24” of any mailbox, utility pole, car, tree or other cart and, there can be no obstruction between the cart and the roadway. There shall also be no overhead obstructions within 12’. These clearances are required so that the automated arm can reach, grab and dump the cart. For some properties placement of the cart shall be dictated by the Public Works Department. For instance,  cart placement may be across the street from the residence. If this is the cases, we will contact the resident to discuss the proposed location and why it is required.

The carts are the property of Upper Township and should be used only at the residence that it has been assigned to. Each cart has a unique serial number and electronic tag that is associated to a specific property. A cart will not be collected at a property where it is not assigned. If the occupant moves, the cart assigned to that property must be left behind for the new occupant. You may place your house number on the lid of the container with numbers no larger than 2” in size.

The carts are warrantied for 10 years. If damage is noticed on the cart, please contact the Public Works Department at 609-628-2011 ext. 350 and an inspector will be dispatched to look at the cart. If the damage is a warranty issue from routine use the cart may be replaced and/or repaired depending on the type of damage. If it is determined to be damage from neglect by the homeowner, then the cost of the replacement cart will have to be paid to the Township before a replacement cart is issued to the homeowner. Additionally, lost carts will have to be paid for before a replacement cart is issued to the homeowner. The non-refundable replacement cost is $100.00.

Trash should be placed in bags before being placed into the cart. Items that are prohibited to be placed in the cart are hot ashes or coals, hazardous waste, concrete, rocks, large pieces of metal or dirt.

Commercial Properties will be permitted one trash cart and one recycling cart. Placement of the cart and collection day shall be the same as required of a residential household. If a commercial property requires an additional cart, they will be required to have a dumpster.

In accordance with Ordinance Section 24-1.11b any commercial property which generates in excess of 96 gallons of solid waste per week shall contract with a private hauler to collect and dispose of such solid waste.

Single Stream Recycling Materials

Your CLEAR, BROWN and GREEN glass bottles and jars, ALUMINUM cans, STEEL [TIN] cans, including empty aerosol cans*, and PLASTIC bottles and jugs** must be placed in a recycling container for collection. Twist off plastic bottle caps are not recyclable. We only want empty, clean, household product containers.

*Empty Aerosol Cans from household products only! NO PAINT CANS of any type.
**Empty Plastic Household Containers must have a #1 through #7 RECYCLING SYMBOL on them.

Your newspapers [with inserts], magazines, corrugated cardboard, office paper, junk mail, pizza boxes, white or gray chipboard boxes [cereal boxes, clothing boxes, tissue boxes, shiny beer boxes, shiny soda boxes etc], paper towels tubes, paper plates, gift wrapping paper and kraft [brown] paper bags must be placed in a recycling container. Styrofoam and plastic wrap must be removed from cardboard boxes prior to collection.

For additional recycling information please refer to the Waste Wizard or Recycling Coach available on the Township’s website.

We DO NOT RECYCLE the following items: PLASTIC BAGS OF ANY KIND (garbage bags, shopping bags…), plastic coated boxes, laminated paper, napkins, tissue paper, food contaminated paper & cardboard, window glass, drinking glasses, Styrofoam, plastic beverage cups, light bulbs, shredded paper, or the twist off plastic caps from bottles.

Used Motor Oil and Used Anti-Freeze

USED MOTOR OIL and USED ANTI FREEZE must be placed in a one [1] gallon plastic container with a screw on lid [water jug, milk jug, anti freeze jug, detergent jug etc]. Place your one-gallon plastic containers of used motor oil and anti-freeze, with a screw on lid, next to your commingled recycling materials for collection.

WE WILL NOT COLLECT USED MOTOR OIL OR USED ANTIFREEZE UNLESS IT IS HANDLED IN THE MANNER DESCRIBED ABOVE.

Residential Paper Shredding

Paper shredding is for residential use only and is available on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at the Public Works Yard in Tuckahoe from 7:00 am to 11:00 am. Paper should be removed from binders and envelopes. The amount to be shredded shall be limited to one “banker” box or two paper bags. No paper will be accepted from businesses.

Automobile Tires

A maximum of 4 tires will be collected curbside on Bulk Waste Collection day. This tire collection is for Residential use only. Please call 628-2011 ext. 350 for pickup.

Used Clothing Recycling Requirements

Your clean, folded and bagged USED CLOTHING, USED SHOES and HANDBAGS [in good condition] can be delivered to the Upper Township Road Department at 1691 Mount Pleasant Road, Tuckahoe from 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. five [5] days per week. The items are to be placed in the USED CLOTHING SHED to the left of the main entrance gate. The used materials are picked up by the Goodwill Southern New Jersey to be reused.

Bulk Waste Schedule

Do not place BULK within 15 feet of street (edge of asphalt) prior to allowed time listed below.

Bulk waste will be collected the first TUESDAY of each month. Strathmere collection is every MONDAY.  Bulk will not be collected during the month of December.

Please have your bulk waste curbside by 6:00 am on the day of collection. Bulk not collected on Tuesday will be picked up the following day.

Bulk Waste Collection Requirements

Bulk items will no longer be accepted at the Public Works building.   You may place your bulk items out to the curb on your assigned bulk day or take them to the Cape May County Municipal Authority (609)465-9026.

HOUSEHOLD BULK WASTE: carpets, furniture, appliances and other large household items are collected on the days indicated by the schedule above. BULK WASTE ITEMS MUST BE TO THE CURB BY 6:00 A.M. THE DAY OF COLLECTION. Items may not be placed out to the curb before the Monday before the day of collection or a ticket may be issued. All DOORS must be removed from refrigerators and freezers.

Only two bulk items may be placed to the curb each month of collection. Bulk item shall be described as a single item (ie. couch or table or refrigerator or entertainment center or box spring & mattress) or collection of smaller items whose dimensions do not exceed 6’x4’x4’. Metal, white goods, electronics, mixed rigid plastics or other recyclable item shall not count towards the one item.

The following items will not be collected with bulk trash:
Building Materials or construction debris, Scrap wood, Wood Fencing
Railroad Ties or Landscaping timbers, Pallets, Gas or fuel tanks,
Propane Tanks, Paints or any type of hazardous materials

The disposal of the materials is the responsibility of the resident, homeowner or contractor.

Recycling Items collected along with Bulk Trash

Electronics

We now collect electronic devices to be recycled. The electronics are collected late during the day of bulk collections or on the day following the scheduled bulk trash collections. All TV’s, computer monitors and computer accessories, VCR’s, fax machines, telephones and phone systems, electric typewriters and word processors, CD players, and cell phones are now designated recycling materials.

Residential Brush Collection Schedule

Do not place Brush within 15 feet of street (edge of asphalt) prior to allowed times listed below.

Residential brush will be collected (2) times a year.

April collection requirements: Please place your brush curbside beginning the last week in March for collection beginning April 9th. DO NOT PLACE BRUSH OUT AFTER APRIL 8th.

October collection requirements: Please place your brush curbside beginning the last week in September for collection beginning October 8th. DO NOT PLACE BRUSH OUT AFTER OCTOBER 7th.

Brush will be collected once during the month listed above. Brush piles are to remain 10′ away from storm drains, mail boxes, poles, guidelines, and street signs.

Brush, resulting from Residential tree trimmings and pruning’s, must be placed to the curb in a neat pile with the larger ends facing the street to be collected. Any trimmings removing more than 50% of the limbs of a tree, bush or shrubs shall be considered tree removal and will not be collected. Brush shall be limited to a pile no larger than 10’x6’x6’.

Storm Damage Storm damage will be collected after a severe storm. Storm damage is defined as large branches or portions of a live tree. Leaves, small twigs, and limbs under 6 feet will not be considered storm damage. Dead limbs and dead trees will not be considered storm damage. The severity of a weather event to consider it a “severe storm” will be determined by Public Works. Brush pit out for storm damage must be called in to Public Works and approved no more than (7) days after the sever storm. Any brush not approved will be considered a violation.

Christmas trees will be collected during the month of January.

NO DEBRIS RESULTING FROM TREE REMOVAL OR LOT CLEARING WILL BE COLLECTED. WE DO NOT COLLECT BAMBOO.

Compostable Materials Collection Requirements

Your GRASS CLIPPINGS, LEAVES AND OTHER YARD DEBRIS must be placed in PAPER COMPOST BAGS OR REUSABLE CONTAINERS. The COMPOST CONTAINERS must have removable lids, external handles, have a minimum capacity of 20 gallons and a maximum capacity of 45 gallons, and not weigh over 50 pounds when full. The PAPER COMPOST BAGS must only be filled to a capacity that will allow a single collection crew member to lift and load the bags.

Compost will be collected once during any given month. Collection will start on the second Tuesday of every month. Strathmere compost will be collected on Tuesdays.

No yard debris will collected in plastic bags.

Loose Leaf Collection

Do not place leaf piles within 15 feet of street (edge of asphalt) prior to allowed times listed below.

Loose leaves will be collected during the months of April, mid-November and ending in December. You must keep all leaf piles a minimum of 10 feet from any storm drain inlet, mailbox, poles, guidelines, and street signs. We only collect piles of loose leaves that are free of sticks and other debris. If your leaf pile contains sticks and other debris, it will not be collected until the debris is removed. Please be advised that once the leaf crews have gone by your house, in order to keep to the schedule, we cannot accommodate requests for returns until the next scheduled pick up.

Roadside Tree Trimming Program Requirements

Township of Upper’s ordinance #11-1983 requires Township Residents to maintain any plant life within ten [10] feet of any street or roadway and within twenty-five [25] feet of the intersection of any two [2] streets or roadways. Any plant life [trees, shrubs, bushes, hedges etc.] bordering any streets, roadways or sidewalks must be trimmed to allow safe passage of vehicles and pedestrians. Intersections must be trimmed to allow clear sight of all traffic signs [stop signs] and approaching vehicles. A Township Official will notify anyone found in violation. A grace period of ten (10) days will be given to correct the problem.  If the violation is not corrected the Township will authorize the work to be completed and the property owner will be billed accordingly.

Hazardous Materials Collection Requirements

The Cape May County Municipal Utilities Authority sponsors two [2] FREE HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COLLECTIONS during the year for all residents of Cape May County. They accept THINNERS, STAINS, SOLVENTS, GASOLINE, MIXED GASOLINE, HERBICIDES, PESTICIDES, and many other HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. They can be reached at 609-465-9026 for more information concerning this service and for registration information. It is unlawful to place hazardous materials in our trash trucks and down our storm drains. Anyone found in violation will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Trouble Reporter

A new feature for our residents is the Trouble Reporter link on the Township’s webpage www.uppertownship.com where residents can report issues such as pot holes, damaged signs, etc. directly to the Public Works department.

Enforcement of Trash, Recycling, Compost and Brush Collection Programs.

The Township’s Code Enforcement Officer has the responsibility of enforcing all the requirements of the Township’s collection programs. His job is to ensure that all Residents and Commercial Business adhere to the requirements of the Township’s Solid Waste and Recycling Ordinances.

If the Code Enforcement Officer notices or is notified of a problem with trash or recycling at a residence or business, he will tag the material that is in violation and deliver a notice of the violation to the offending party. The delivered material will specify what the violation is and how it must be corrected.

Should you be found non-compliant with any of these programs you will be issued a violation notice with a six-day removal date. If the items are not removed by this date, a fine will be assessed.

You may reach the Code Enforcement Officer by dialing 609-628-2011 ext. 357.

The Supervisor of the Road Department is available by phone at 609-628-2011 ext. 350 to answer all questions pertaining to the services offered by this Department. Messages can also be left on our voice mail.

The winter office hours are 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. [from Labor Day until Memorial Day] and the summer office hours are 6:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. [from Memorial Day until Labor Day]

The goal of this Department is to offer fair and equal treatment to all that we serve.

Craig Reeves, Superintendent of Public Works.

James “Mike” Jones, Assistant Superintendent of Public Works