Town of Clinton seeks resident input on possible switch to automated trash, recycling collection

CLINTON, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — The Town of Clinton is asking residents to weigh in on a potential change to how residential trash and recycling are collected, as officials consider moving to an automated system aimed at improving efficiency and reducing disposal costs.

Town officials said the survey is part of an effort to evaluate whether replacing the current manual collection system with automated curbside pickup would benefit residents and the municipality. The survey includes background information on existing services and outlines how an automated program would work if implemented.

Under the current system, solid waste is collected curbside on Tuesdays and recycling on Fridays. Residents provide their own trash and recycling containers and may place multiple cans at the curb each week. Recycling is often left in plastic bags or as loose cardboard, which officials say can lead to contamination at recycling facilities and higher disposal costs.

The proposed automated system would provide each residential property with a 96-gallon trash can and a 96-gallon recycling can at no additional cost to residents. Collection would remain weekly, but trucks equipped with mechanical arms would lift and empty the containers, reducing the need for workers to manually handle waste and recyclables.

If adopted, properties would be limited to one trash can and one recycling can per week. Town officials say the standardized containers, which include built-in lids, would keep materials out of the elements, reduce contamination, and help control costs. Trash bags and recyclable materials would be placed directly into the cans, eliminating the use of plastic bags for recycling.

Municipal officials said automated collection could also shorten collection times and improve overall efficiency. Residential neighborhoods such as homeowner associations and municipally owned properties that currently use dumpsters would not be affected by the proposed changes.

Residents are encouraged to review the information and complete the online survey, which is available on the Town of Clinton’s website.