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Public Works

Our Public Works garage and offices are located on Bank Street, across from the old rug mill.

The Public Works Department work from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM to better serve its residents. The Public Works office hours are from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Residents should make sure their garbage carts, yard waste, branches, and bulk are placed curbside after 5:00 PM the night before their appointed days. Please contact the Public Works Department should you have any questions or concerns.

Ken Lewis
Public Works Superintendent

Kimberly Fetherolf
Administrative Assistant
(609) 490-5115
email: publicworks@hightstownborough.com

Trash Collection

Collection Schedules

REGULAR TRASH AND GARBAGE

Collected on designated day

WEEKLY TUESDAY (DISTRICT 1 AND 2) COLLECTION

Ashton Lane
Glenbrook Place
Maple Avenue
Purdy Street
Bank Street
Grant Avenue
Mechanic Street
Reed Street
Barton Drive
Greeley Street
North Academy Street
Rev. Wm. L. Powell Drive
Brakeman Court
Hagemount Avenue
Norton Avenue
Rocky Brook Court
Chamberlin Avenue
Hight Blvd.
Oak Lane
Sunset Avenue
Cranbury Station Rd.
Hutchinson Street
Park Avenue
Wilson Avenue
Ely Court
Lincoln Avenue
Parkway
Wyckoff Mills Road
Main Street

WEEKLY THURSDAY (DISTRICT 3) COLLECTION

Bennett Place
Forman Street
Mercer Street
Rogers Avenue
Center Street
Gilman Place
Morrison Avenue
Second Avenue
Church Street
Harron Avenue
Outcalt Street
South Academy Street
Dey Street
Hausser Avenue
Prospect Drive
Stockton Street
Dutchneck Road
Joseph Street
Railroad Avenue
Summit Street
First Avenue
Wyckoff Mills Condominiums

WEEKLY FRIDAY (DISTRICT 4) COLLECTION

Broad Street
Franklin Street
North Main Street
Spruce Court
Brook Drive
Grape Run Road
Orchard Avenue
Taylor Avenue
Clinton Street
Leshin Lane
Pershing Avenue
Vanrensaler Avenue
Clover Lane
Main Street
Schuyler Avenue
Ward Street
Cole Avenue
Manlove Avenue
South Main Street
Westerlea Avenue
East Ward Street
Maxwell Avenue
South Street
West Ward Street
Etra Road
Meadow Drive
Springcrest Drive
William Street
Farr Avenue
Monmouth Street

2024 Holiday Schedule

If your trash pick-up day falls on a Borough Holiday, it will be retrieved on the next business day.

January 15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Monday)

February 19 Presidents Day (Monday)

March 29 Good Friday (Friday)

May 27 Memorial Day (Monday)

June 21 Juneteenth (Friday)

July 4 Independence Day (Thursday)

September 2 Labor Day (Monday)

October 14 Columbus Day (Monday)

November 11 Veterans Day (Monday)

November 28 Thanksgiving Day (Thursday)

November 29 Day after Thanksgiving (Friday)

December 25 Christmas Day (Wednesday)

January 1, 2025 New Year’s Day (Wednesday)

Bulk Pick-Up Instructions

Waste Disposal Stickers are required to be placed on items scheduled for bulk and/or metal collection as per Borough Ordinance. The cost is $10.00 per sticker/item.  The last day to purchase stickers for a given month will be the Thursday prior to the collection date, no exceptions.  (If Borough Hall is closed on Thursday, the last day to purchase stickers will be on Wednesday).

Acceptable bulk is collected the last Monday of each month by appointment only.

BULK PICK UP REQUEST FORM (PDF)

All inquiries and/or to schedule a pickup, contact Public Works at 609-490-5115.

Please be aware that bulk and/or metal cannot be placed curbside until after 5:00pm the night before the scheduled pick-up day. Violators will receive a summons and/or fines and will be required to remove bulk items from the curb.

Guidelines for Garbage Collection and Disposal of Other Items

FOR APPOINTMENT OR QUESTIONS CALL 609-490-5115, or email: publicworks@hightstownborough.com

For more details, please contact the Public Works Department. The 65 gallon or the 95 gallon blue carts are the only carts accepted. They are to be placed curbside before 7:00 A.M. on the day of collection but not before 5:00 P.M. on the night prior to collection. Follow arrows on the cart for correct placement. All containers must be removed by 8:00 P.M. on the day that the garbage is collected.

WHITE GOODS, APPLIANCES, OUTDOOR GRILLS, METAL OBJECTS:
Major appliances and large bulky metal items, including stoves, washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, hot water heaters, metal beds and the metal portion of sleep sofas, will be collected by the Borough on the 1st Wednesday of each month by appointment only, provided that each item to be disposed of has a Waste Disposal Sticker attached. No metal item will be collected without a sticker attached. One sticker is required for each item to be placed for collection.

No refrigerator, freezer or airtight compartment units can be placed curbside until all doors and/or closures have been removed from the hinges. We also require all freon be removed by an authorized contractor. The Borough requests a copy of the receipt confirming all freon has been removed with the contractor’s license number listed on it. Another option would be to take the unit to Beacon Metals in Freehold. Contact Beacon Metals (732-462-0543) for pricing on the disposal of these items.

FURNITURE AND ODDS & ENDS, HOUSEHOLD JUNK:
Acceptable bulk is collected the last Monday of each month by appointment only, provided that each item to be disposed of has a Waste Disposal Sticker attached. No bulky item will be collected without a sticker attached. One sticker is required for each item to be placed for collection.

Carpeting must be cut into 36” widths, rolled and tied into bundles not heavier than 45 pounds. Bundles of identical carpeting shall be considered one item and shall require one Waste Disposal Sticker to be placed on one of the bundles.

Fluorescent light tubes can be brought to the Public Works Office and placed in the Blue Garbage Cart on the Mechanic St. side of the Public Works Building or be taken to the Mercer County Hazardous Waste Collection Day held several times per year. For more information call 609-278-8086 or mcianj.org.

CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS/WOOD/SHEET ROCK/DOORS/WINDOWS:
Small amounts of construction debris will be collected only to the extent that the debris is contained entirely within the container provided by the Borough. The Borough has the right to refuse collection of any Borough provided container that holds more than a small amount.

PROHIBITED ITEMS
Placement of the following items for collection is prohibited: explosive, highly flammable materials or hazardous waste, including but not limited to benzene, gasoline and other petroleum by-products, explosive powders, fluorescent light tubes and bulbs, chlorinated solvents, pesticides, herbicides and other hazardous materials; vehicles; tires; vehicle batteries; auto and truck bodies or parts; construction debris (except as noted above); scrap wood; tiles; wallboard; fencing; decking; computer equipment; oil-based paint; or latex paint in liquid form.

PAINT/HAZARDOUS WASTE
Latex Paint is not recyclable. To dispose of Latex Paint, dry out by adding an absorbent like sand, kitty litter or speedy dry. Once the absorbent is added and paint is absorbed, place the lid back on the paint can, place in a plastic bag. Dispose of plastic bag in your regular garbage.

**NOTE: The Borough has experienced a high incidence of some residents placing full or partially full paint cans in their garbage, causing the paint to drip out of the truck onto the roadway after the garbage is compacted. Effective immediately, residents who do not comply with the regulations of paint disposal happen will be responsible for the cost of the road cleanup.

Oil paint and all other hazardous waste must be disposed of at the Mercer County sponsored Hazardous Waste Clean Up held several times per year. For more information on this program, please contact 609-278-8086 or mcianj.org.

USED MOTOR OIL/ANTIFREEZE:

Effective January 1, 2024, the Borough will no longer accept used motor oil or antifreeze.  Used motor oil and antifreeze can be taken to your local auto parts dealer or to the Mercer County Improvement Authority’s Hazardous Waste Clean-up Days.  Please see http://www.mcianj.org/SPECIALEVENTS for more information.

DRY CELL BATTERIES:
Place in regular garbage. The MCIA has ceased their battery recycling program.

USED ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT:
Hightstown Borough is no longer collecting used electronics for recycling. Please see http://www.mcianj.org/SPECIALEVENTS for more information.

Recycling

RECYCLING PROGRAM

PICKUP EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY

All recyclable items must be placed in the green and yellow cart provided to you by the borough. 

No plastic bags!  ALL Recycling must be placed directly into cart.

NO GARBAGE IN RECYCLING CART!

Should there be garbage contained in your Recycling Cart, it will not be collected!

Recyclable items include:

Juice bottles & cans

Salad oil and dressing bottles

Soda bottles

Soda & beer cans

Baby food jars

Pickle & olive jars

Vegetable cans

Soup cans

Liquor & beer bottles

Ketchup bottles

Fruit jars & cans

Tuna fish cans

Coffee cans & jars

Peanut butter jars

Pet food cans

Spaghetti sauce jars and cans

Milk & water jugs

Detergent, bleach, fabric softener containers

Milk & juice cartons

Newspaper and associated inserts

Magazines, catalogs and junk mail

Office paper

Coated folding box-board including cereal, cracker, dry soap, beverage carrier and shoe boxes

Kraft paper, including corrugated cardboard, paper bags and sacks

We will now also take #3 through #7 containers in addition to envelopes with windows.

Food containers and cans must be emptied and rinsed or washed out.  Detergent, bleach and fabric softener bottles must be double rinsed, remove all tops, leave labels.

If pickup is missed, call the Public Works Department at 609-490-5115.

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earth911.com is a privately owned, for-profit company that specializes in providing consumers with accessible and actionable recycling information across the country. Its Recycling Directory is very comprehensive. It contains information for recycling over 240 different products. The Directory is free for consumers to use on the website, through the toll-free and bilingual hotline (1-800 CLEANUP) and with the free iPhone application (iRecycle). Earth911.com lists over 127,000 locations and programs that people can search in the directory to find local recycling and disposal resources. The information provided through the site’s directory, editorials and resources represents only fact-based, informational and useful content.

RECYCLE YOUR OLD REFRIGERATOR OR FREEZER!

Have your fridge or freezer recycled through New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program, which provides free pick up and recycling of working fridges and freezers, plus a $50 incentive in return.

The Board of Public Utilities have contracted with a private company, Jaco Environmental, to perform this service. Refrigerators / freezers can be scheduled for pickup by dialing 866-NJSMART, or visit:

http://www.njcleanenergy.com/residential/programs/refrigerator-freezer-recycling-program for details.

For a video on program details go to: http://vimeo.com/11531051


Battery Recycling (PDF)

Clothing Recycling (PDF)

Yard Debris

BRANCHES, LIMBS (NO THICKER THAN 10” IN DIAMETER):           

Branches are chipped curbside each Wednesday by appointment only. Please place curbside prior to 7:00 A.M. Stumps, logs and limbs larger than 10” in diameter will be the homeowner’s responsibility to dispose of.

GENERAL YARD DEBRIS, GRASS CUTTINGS, RAKINGS, STICKS, TWIGS, STICKER BALLS, WEEDS WITH SOD, BUSH TRIMMINGS TOO SMALL FOR CHIPPER:

Collected by appointment only every Tuesday between April and October. Yard waste must be in open containers. Please place curbside prior to 7:00 A.M.

LEAVES (NO STICKS OR OTHER DEBRIS):

FALL: Collected by posted schedule and instructions. Schedule is subject to change.

SPRING: Call for instructions. Schedule is subject to change.