Trenton Moves to Formalize Trash Collection With New Can Distribution Program

The City of Trenton is preparing to roll out a new trash can distribution program aimed at standardizing how garbage is collected, reducing litter and curbing abuse of the city’s long-running residential pickup service, Mayor Alex Case said.

Trenton has provided garbage collection for years, but Case said the lack of uniform containers and rules has led to growing problems, including loose bags being torn open by animals, trash scattered across neighborhoods and rising cleanup and disposal costs.

“When people sit out loose bags, animals get into them, and when they pick them up, they’re tearing everywhere,” Case said. “It becomes a health concern. It’s pulling animals in at night, and it’s not a clean situation.”

The city contracts with Nooga Waste for collection, with pickup continuing on Wednesdays. Under the new system–which will see trash can distribution start this week and continue in the coming weeks–every household will receive one city-issued trash can, and only garbage placed inside approved containers will be collected. Trash left outside the can, stacked on top or placed around it will not be picked up.

To maintain compliance with the new standards, lids must be closed, the opening must face the street, and there must be at least three feet of clearance around each can. All trash must be bagged, and the service will be limited to household trash only. Items such as furniture, tires and other bulk waste will not be collected as part of regular service.

Case said the city recently purchased 850 standardized trash cans using Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax dollars and is working to distribute them to residents, though it’s not clear when all the cans will be distributed. Full enforcement surrounding the new program will begin at a later date. 

“We’re going to take our time with it,” Case said. “We’re trying to campaign for it the right way. This is just to make a cleaner environment.”

The mayor said the changes are also driven by rising costs tied to cleanup and disposal. He said the city’s monthly cleanup expenses have increased from about $3,000 a month to roughly $7,500 a month, not including the cost of hauling trash away, which runs more than $35,000 a year.

“We’re paying for what’s being hauled off, and when people are putting out things that aren’t household trash, it drives that cost up,” Case said. “They’re putting out dressers and tires and things like that.”

Under the new rules, residents who need more capacity can request an additional can. A second city-issued can can be rented for $20 per month, or residents can use their own approved can for $15 per month. Personal cans must carry a city-issued permit sticker and meet the size and safety requirements. To qualify, resident-owned cans must be 96 gallons in capacity and have rounded edges. Cans lacking the sticker will not be serviced.

He added that trash that is outside the can or in non-approved containers could be treated as littering, and the city plans to address properties that repeatedly put out excessive or improper trash.

“It’s not fair that some people are abusing this,” Case said.

Residents will still be able to take up to eight bags per day to the transfer station free of charge, should their trash exceed what they can fit in the approved can.

Case said the goal is to formalize service in a way that is cleaner, safer and more sustainable for the city.

“We’ve always provided garbage service,” he said. “This is about tightening it up, making it cleaner, and making sure everybody’s playing by the same rules.”

City officials said more details will be shared as distribution begins, and residents who want an extra can or a permit for a personal container will be able to contact City Hall.