Princeton trash & recycling schedule
Trash is picked up weekly; your day depends on your ZIP.
At a glance
| Trash | Interstate Waste Services (IWS) weekly municipal cart only — no loose bags; cart on road pavement 7:00 p.m. night before through 7:00 a.m. Verified 2026-10-15 · princetonnj.gov |
|---|---|
| Curbside | Cart 7:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m. on pavement. Checklist Verified 2026-10-15 · princetonnj.gov |
| Recycling | Mercer County Improvement Authority (MCIA) — up to 5 yellow/green buckets; pickup MCIA schedule; report misses. Flattened cardboard outside buckets OK. Verified 2026-10-15 · princetonnj.gov |
| Bulk | Contact the city for bulk pickup details. Bulk page Verified 2026-10-15 · princetonnj.gov |
| Hauler | Interstate Waste Services (municipal trash); MCIA. |
| Contacts | Public Works 609-688-2566; MCIA 609-278-8086. Verified 2026-10-15 · princetonnj.gov |
Curbside
Curbside checklist
City rules before collection day. Confirm with the city if anything looks off.
When
Cart 7:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m. on pavement.
Where
Road pavement — not lawn/sidewalk per ordinance summary.
Limits
Bulk reservation required; 2 items/week.
Not allowed
MCIA contamination tag list on recycling page.
Bags
All trash in municipal cart — no bags at curb alone.
Verified 2026-10-15 · princetonnj.gov
Add curbside reminder to Google CalendarFind your pickup day
Verified 2026-10-15 · princetonnj.gov
Private junk pickup
Same-week haul for furniture or a cleanout in Princeton. Not affiliated with Town Rulebook or your city — you book directly.
Opens the vendor site. We do not book or take payment.
Show more
Full details for Princeton: every rule, with sources
- Trash
- Interstate Waste Services (IWS) weekly municipal cart only — no loose bags; cart on road pavement 7:00 p.m. night before through 7:00 a.m. collection day; cart ≤200 lb with trash. Ordinance 2023-05. Street schedule on city site / ReCollect app.
- Recycling
- Mercer County Improvement Authority (MCIA) — up to 5 yellow/green buckets; pickup MCIA schedule; report misses 609-278-8086. Flattened cardboard outside buckets OK. #1, #2, #5 plastics only; no bags/glass drinkware/pizza boxes/etc.
- Bulk pickup
- ≤2 items/week ≤50 lb each; Wednesday pickup by reservation Sunday before 11:59 p.m. (100-home capacity). Mattresses plastic wrapped. Reserve via city bulk system / 2026 Waste Mailer QR.
- Curbside: when
- Cart 7:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m. on pavement.
- Curbside: where
- Road pavement — not lawn/sidewalk per ordinance summary.
- Curbside: limits
- Bulk reservation required; 2 items/week.
- Curbside: brush
- Leaf/brush collection separate city program — see mailer.
- Curbside: not allowed
- MCIA contamination tag list on recycling page.
- Curbside: bags
- All trash in municipal cart — no bags at curb alone.
- Curbside: fees and fines
- Ordinance 2023-05 cart/set-out rules enforceable — specific dollar fines not itemized on Trash Collection HTML.
- Holidays
Not yet confirmed. Check your city.
- Hauler
- Interstate Waste Services (municipal trash); MCIA (recycling collection)
- Contacts
- Public Works 609-688-2566; MCIA 609-278-8086
- Find your day
- Trash Collection Schedule By Street / ReCollect
- Sources
- Trash and recycling: princetonnj.gov
Bulk: princetonnj.gov
Holidays: princetonnj.gov
Curbside: princetonnj.gov - Verified
- 2026-10-15
Town Rulebook is independent and not affiliated with any city or hauler. Schedules change — always confirm with your city. About & disclaimer