Bulk Item Collection

Hazlet To Offer Bulk Item Drop-Off 
September 23, 2022
Hazlet Township will offer bulk item drop-off to homeowners, at no fee, beginning next spring. Currently, township residents pay private trash companies to haul away unwanted bulk items.

Under the newly announced plan, in 2023 the township’s Department of Public Works will hold two bulk drop-off events per recycling zone. The events will be held once in April and once in September so that each homeowner will have two opportunities to get rid of unwanted bulk items.

“Many residents have told us they wish Hazlet had a bulk item drop-off,” said Township Committeeman Peter Terranova. “This is something we can do efficiently and professionally, thanks to our DPW.”

Some examples of accepted bulk waste are furniture, carpeting, mattresses, box springs and wood fencing.

To protect the program from potential misuse, residents would apply for a coupon through Town Hall, to be presented at drop-off as proof of eligibility. [Update March 16, 2023: This requirement has been lifted. No registration required, but you will have to show photo ID to DPW Supervisors on site to prove Hazlet residency.}

At the same time the drop-off plan is being put into motion, the Township Committee is advancing a plan to provide bulk item curbside pickup in 2024.

“We are planning on providing up to two free bulk pick ups to be scheduled and picked up curbside in 2024," said Committeeman Rob Preston. "More details on scheduling will come at a later date."

Township Administrator Rob Bengivenga is sourcing a new multi-purpose rear-loading garbage truck. Due to current supply chain disruptions, the expected waiting period is one year for a new truck.

Demand for bulk pick-up surfaced in the township’s Municipal Waste Survey last year. The survey, completed by 1319 households, asked residents if they were interested in moving towards a town-wide trash service, rather than privately contracted service. Results from the survey showed that 75 percent of the respondents were satisfied with their privately-contracted trash service.  The Township Committee continues to analyze the financial and quality of life benefits of contracting with a town wide vendor. 

Transferring the expense of private trash collection from individual homeowners to the township budget is an expense that must be considered, especially during these times of high inflation. In addition, there will be a $500,000 start-up cost for the purchase of new garbage bins for more than 7,000 households.

“In this changing economic environment, we don’t know what the increased costs would be,” Bengivenga said. “My recommendation is to wait and see how neighboring towns handle adjusted costs, so we can get a better feel for what the service and disposal costs might be. In the meantime, the Township Committee asked how we can provide addition services to our residents and the bulk pick-up program is a great way to start.”

Related article: Bulk Drop-Off Days 2023