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Bridgewater's Trash and Recycling, Explained: The County Contract, Yard Waste and the Curb-Can Rule
Who collects Bridgewater's recycling and what it costs, how the yard-waste site and bulky-waste days work, the township's own refuse contract, what residents asked about trash cans at the curb, and the closed-session item on a trash transfer station.
The short version
- Recycling is collected through Somerset County. The 2026 agreement is not to exceed $477,537.28: $28.16 per household for up to 16,958 households (Feb. 19, 2026, 5-0).
- Yard waste: the township’s yard-waste site is run by Nature’s Choice NJ, LLC “at no cost to the Township” (renewed Aug. 6, 2026).
- Bulky waste: drop-off days were held May 9 and Sept. 19, 2026; the service runs twice a year.
- Trash cans at the curb: a Council member said an existing ordinance sets when containers may be placed outside; the township is starting with reminders.
Recycling through the county
| Agreement | Per household | Households | Ceiling | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27.60 (“up from $27.00”) | Up to 16,955 | $467,958 | Res. #25-02-06-074, title as listed in the township’s 2025 resolutions folder |
| 2026 | $28.16 | Up to 16,958 | $477,537.28 | Res. #26-02-19-071, Feb. 19, 2026, 5-0 (tabled Feb. 5) |
On Feb. 19 Acting CFO Sarah Housman said an audit had found recycling tonnage grants with remaining balances, which the township will use to offset this year’s cost. Councilman Michael Kirsh said the household count of 16,958 had been audited. Councilman Andrew Bucko asked whether the township had compared private recycling service; Administrator Michael Pappas said that when Council members asked several years ago he contacted various private companies and found no financially viable alternative, and Mayor Matthew C. Moench said he would support re-evaluating in the future. On Oct. 15, 2026 the Council inserted $89,882.35 in FY 2023 Recycling Tonnage Grant awards and a $118,090.09 2026 Clean Communities grant into the 2026 budget, 5-0, according to the township’s resolutions (#26-10-15-224 and -225).
The township’s website links “Recycling” to the Somerset County recycling page, which carries the collection schedule.
The township’s own refuse and yard waste
| Date | Contract | Amount | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 5, 2026 | Active Disposal, Inc. (10 Polhemus Lane), second-year renewal: dumpster rental and disposal of municipal refuse at township locations, April 1, 2026–March 31, 2027 | Up to $34,160.00 | 5-0 |
| Aug. 6, 2026 | Nature’s Choice NJ, LLC (Holmdel), second-year renewal: management, operation and maintenance of the township yard-waste site, Sept. 1, 2026–Aug. 31, 2027 | ”At no cost to the Township” | Consent, 4-0 (Isla absent) |
On the Active Disposal renewal, Councilman Timothy Ring told newer members that when the contract went out to bid the previous year “the winning bid was nearly twice as high as the next lowest bidder,” and that renewing for a second year secures a better rate.
Household garbage. No township contract for household garbage collection appears in the 2026 Council minutes, and the record LocalWhy has reviewed does not describe how household trash is collected. The township’s Public Works page, which LocalWhy has not yet reviewed, covers its solid-waste services.
Bulky waste and reminders
Kirsh reported speaking with “approximately 50 to 60 residents” at the May 9 bulky-trash drop-off, and on Oct. 1 he described the Sept. 19 drop-off as a service “provided to residents twice each year.” The same night Deanna Nye (671 Country Club Road) suggested Nixle alerts to remind residents of bulky-waste dates.
Trash cans left at the curb
On Sept. 3 Lois Smith (7 Elmore Dr.) told the Council that garbage cans are left outside at all times on her street, referred to photographs she had submitted and to the Borough of Raritan’s can ordinance, and said her understanding was that Bridgewater had no similar rule. On Sept. 17 Kirsh said the township “has an ordinance regulating when containers may be placed outside,” and that after talks with the administration it would provide targeted and general communication, with education as the preferred first step. On Oct. 1 he said targeted communication to the neighborhood was under way and encouraged neighbors to help residents who need assistance bringing in their cans. LocalWhy has not yet identified the code section or its hours.
County seats and other items
- Somerset County Solid Waste Advisory Committee: Thomas M. Genova (Mayor’s appointee) and Council President Joan Geiger as Council liaison, with Kirsh as alternate (Jan. 8, 2026).
- Advertising flyers: on June 25 Geiger said Public Works did not find unsolicited flyers a significant storm-drain problem, that no ordinance is considered necessary, and that residents can opt out by calling the distributor’s number in the publication’s fine print.
- Transfer-station litigation: on April 23, 2026 the Council met in closed session “to discuss Litigation: Tax Appeal and Litigation: Trash Transfer Station.” The minutes do not identify the case, and LocalWhy has not found it in the records reviewed.
What is not known
- How household garbage is collected across the township, and whether any areas have a municipal contract.
- The code section and hours for placing trash containers at the curb.
- The parties and status of the transfer-station matter.
- The dates of the spring 2027 bulky-waste drop-off.
What residents can do
- Recycling schedule: the Somerset County recycling page.
- Yard waste and bulky waste: watch the township’s Public Works notices for site hours and drop-off dates.
- Speak at Council in public comment about service concerns.