- Borough Hall: 198 N. Washington Ave., Bergenfield, NJ 07621
Department Address & Hours
Department of Public Works (DPW)
Address
198 N Washington Ave, Bergenfield, NJ 07621
Additional Info
Located in the Building Directly behind Borough Hall
Hours
Monday - Friday 7:00AM to 3:00PM
Quick Links
Downloads & Resources
About Department
General Information
All recycling, garbage, bulk, and vegetative waste must be placed curbside after 6:00pm on the night before or before 6:00am on the day of scheduled pickup, regardless of the weather. Please reference the garbage & recycling calendar for “R” recycling, “G” garbage, “B” bulk, and “V” vegetative waste pickup days.
There is bulk pickup on scheduled bulk pickup days only – no special pickups. Please reference the garbage & recycling calendar for “B” bulk pickup days.
We do not pickup contractor debris, concrete, bricks, asphalt, or rocks. We do not pick up wet paint. We do not pick up chemicals, tires, fluorescent lightbulbs, vehicle batteries, rechargeable batteries, nor the following e-waste items: TVs, computer monitors, computer towers/computer CPUs, laptops, tablets, DESKTOP printers, DESKTOP fax machines.
The Department of Public Works (DPW) also takes care of:
Potholes
Sewer Blocks
Street Signs
Borough Parks
Borough-Owned Trees
Pothole repair, sewer blocks, street signs, or problems with park trees or park equipment, please call the DPW during business hours at (201) 387-4055 Mon-Fri 7:00am-3:30pm.
For sewer emergencies after hours, on weekends, or on holidays, please contact the Police Department at (201) 387-4000.
For trimming or removal of Borough Shade Trees (planted in Borough right of ways – if you are unsure whether it is a Borough tree or not, call the DPW Office at (201) 387-4055 option 3 Mon-Fri 7:00am-3:30pm), write a letter to the Shade Tree Committee at 198 North Washington Avenue, or e-mail dpw@bergenfieldnj.gov. Your e-mail will be forwarded to the Shade Tree Committee. For emergencies due to storm damage, call the DPW Office during business hours or the Police Department after hours.
It is not permitted to blow, shovel, or plow snow or ice into the street (see Borough Code Ch. 273 Article III). It is not permitted to park on Borough roads during snow emergencies (see Borough Code Ch. 299 Section 12).
Leaf collection at curbside begins mid-October and continues through early December; check garbage/recycling pickup schedule calendar for exact dates each year. During the leaf collection period, please place your leaves in piles at the curb directly on the street. After the last leaf collection date in December, please hold leaves until vegetative waste collection in cans and paper bags begins again (in April). In the event it is a late leaf season, please bag leaves in paper bags (NO plastic bags) and call the DPW Office at (201) 387-4055 option 3, as the DPW will make arrangements to pick up your leaves. Depending on the weather, sometimes leaf collection at curbside will be extended; contact the DPW Office at 201-387-4055 option 3 or check the news section of the Borough website for updates: www.bergenfield.com. The DPW has no control over the weather, leaves must be picked up before it snows. Thank you for your assistance.
November 2020: Garbage carts and recycling carts are currently $63.00 each. To purchase additional or replacement garbage or recycling carts, please mail a check payable to “Borough of Bergenfield” to: Borough of Bergenfield, Attn: DPW Office, 198 N. Washington Ave, Bergenfield NJ 07621. After payment is received, DPW will deliver cart/s to your address. Please include the physical delivery address and type of cart (garbage or recycling) in the notes section of your check. Cash and check payment are accepted in the DPW office as well, Mon-Fri 7am-3:30pm.
Recycling Announcements
Plastic bags are NOT accepted in the recycling carts (green lid) and are NOT accepted at the Recycling Center. Plastic bags should be re-used, dropped off at retail store recycling containers (when and where available), or placed in your regular garbage (cart with black lid).
Flower pots are NOT accepted in the recycling carts (green lid) and are NOT accepted at the Recycling Center. Flower pots should be re-used, donated, or placed curbside on bulk garbage collection day.
Shredded paper is NOT accepted in the recycling carts (green lid). Residents must bring shredded paper to the Recycling Center. Recycling Center hours: Mon-Fri 8:00AM-3:00PM / Sat 9:00AM-1:00PM / Sun 1:00PM-4:00PM (Closed on Holidays). Recycling Center location: Twin Boro Ln.
Paint cans are NOT accepted in the recycling carts (green lid) and are NOT accepted at the Recycling Center. Solid dried paint (must be dry all the way through) can be set out on bulk days ONLY with the lids off. No wet paint accepted, NO WET PAINT IN GARBAGE CARTS. Please take wet paint to BCUA (County) Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events. For BCUA event dates, times, and locations: click here.
Bergenfield now accepts and recycles milk, juice, soup, and other beverage cartons, as well as aseptic cartons. Please clean and dry these items, and place them in your recycling cart (green lid). Any questions, please call the DPW Office at 201-387-4055 option 3, Mon-Fri 7:00am-3:30pm.
Do NOT bag recyclables. Place empty, clean & dry recyclables LOOSE in your recycling cart (green lid). Flatten ALL cardboard.
If you have any questions about what does and does not go in your recycling cart (green lid) or in your garbage cart (black lid), then please call the DPW Office Mon-Fri 7:00am-3:30pm (closed on holidays).
If you are interested in purchasing a composter machine, please contact the BCUA (County). To contact the BCUA (County), please CLICK HERE .
For BCUA Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events & BCUA Tire Recycling/Electronics Recycling/Mobile Paper Shredding/Unwanted Medication Collection Events locations, dates, times & list of accepted items, please click HERE. *** BCUA accepts LITHIUM ION batteries at its Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events ***
For the Bergenfield recycling cart flyer with pictures, showing what does and what does not go in the recycling cart, please download it below.
Recycling Center Information
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00AM-3:00PM / Sat 9:00AM-1:00PM / Sun 1:00PM-4:00PM (Closed on Holidays)
NEW Location: Twin Boro Ln. (by the old swim club)
ONLY these recyclable materials may be brought to the Recycling Center: gable-topped cartons, paper, newspaper, cardboard, bottles, cans, plastics (with #s 1, 2 & 5 ONLY).
All electronics are still being collected at the DPW building at 198 N. Washington Ave, (behind the Borough Hall building). Accepted items are TVs, computer monitors, computer towers/computer CPUs, laptops, tablets, DESKTOP printers, DESKTOP fax machines.
NOT ALLOWED: Vegetative waste, garbage, bulk items, and all other items not listed above are prohibited at the Recycling Center drop off.
NO Styrofoam allowed at Recycling Center. NO plastic bags allowed at Recycling Center.
Bulk Garbage Information
Please reference your pickup schedule calendar for the bulk (B) pickup day in your quadrant. Garbage & recycling pick-up schedule calendars may be found by clicking HERE.
– Bulk pickup is for residential properties ONLY.
– The DPW does NOT pickup contractor debris, concrete, bricks, asphalt, rocks, mortar, stone, cultured stone, or any stone-like material, wet paint, chemicals, tires, fluorescent lightbulbs, vehicle batteries, rechargeable batteries, propane/fuel tanks, fire extinguishers, TVs, computer monitors, computer towers/computer CPUs, laptops, tablets, printers, fax machines.
– The limit per bulk day is 4 pieces of household furniture, 2 household appliances (ex. air conditioning (AC) unit, oven, washer, dryer, refrigerator – DOORS MUST BE OFF), and 1 carpet or rug that does not exceed 12 feet in length and/or 1 foot in diameter (including the pad) or a mixture of fragments from a carpet or rug of said size. The DPW will not collect carpets removed professionally.
– Water heaters must have a Borough-issued inspection sticker on them, or they will not be picked up. Please call the Building Department to schedule an inspection: (201) 387-4055 option 4.
– Bulk may not be placed at the curb any earlier than 6:00pm the night before bulk pick-up collection in your quadrant. Bulk may be placed at the curb after 6:00pm the night before bulk pick-up collection day in your quadrant. Bulk must be placed at the curb at least before 6:00am on the bulk pick-up collection day in your quadrant.
– There is bulk pick-up on scheduled bulk pick-up days only. There are no special pick-ups. Please reference your pickup schedule calendar for the bulk (B) pickup day in your quadrant by clicking HERE.
– Please take the following items to a BCUA collection event: wet paint, chemicals, tires, fluorescent lightbulbs, vehicle batteries, rechargeable batteries, propane/fuel tanks, fire extinguishers, electronics. For BCUA Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events & BCUA Tire Recycling/Electronics Recycling/Mobile Paper Shredding/Unwanted Medication Collection Events locations, dates, times & list of accepted items, please click HERE.
– The DPW does NOT collect brick, mortar, stone, concrete, cultured stone, or any stone-like material; the homeowner must dispose of these privately. All bulk refuse generated by a private contractor (contractor debris), or trade waste generated by any business, shall be removed at their own expense and risk.
– The following electronics ONLY are accepted at the Bergenfield Recycling Center: TVs, computer monitors, computer towers/computer CPUs, laptops, tablets, printers, fax machines. The Bergenfield Recycling Center is located at 198 N. Washington Ave, behind the DPW building (the DPW building is the building behind Borough Hall). The Bergenfield Recycling Center hours are Mon-Fri 8:00am-3:00pm, Sat 9:00am-1:00pm, Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm (Closed on Holidays).
– PAINT must be dried solid & put out at curb on bulk (B) pickup day ONLY with the lid off. Wet paint must be taken by the resident to a BCUA Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event. For BCUA Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events & BCUA Tire Recycling/Electronics Recycling/Mobile Paper Shredding/Unwanted Medication Collection Events locations, dates, times & list of accepted items, please click HERE.
– Vegetative waste (grass, leaves, shrubs, branches, yard waste) is NOT collected on bulk day. Please reference your pickup schedule calendar for the vegetative waste (V) pickup day in your quadrant by clicking HERE.
– Recycling (paper, cardboard, cartons, bottles, cans, plastic #1/#2/#5) is NOT collected on bulk day. Please reference your pickup schedule calendar for the recycling (R) pickup day in your quadrant by clicking HERE.
For reference: Ord. No. 17-2517
If you have any questions, please call the DPW Office at (201) 387-4055 option 3, Mon-Fri 7:00am-3:30pm (except for holidays as marked on your pickup schedule calendar), or send an email to dpw@bergenfield.com.
FAQs
Any major road work needs to be reported to the DPW office, and a street opening permit application submitted to Jaime Luppino.
There are a bunch of different reasons for this. Plastic bags are not accepted at all so if you have a bag in there that might be why. Carts need to be at the curb by 6am on the day of pick up. There might have been a vehicle blocking the cart. Might be a new driver and simply missed it. Accidents happen. Our drivers try their best to communicate any issues while out on the road. You can call the office and hopefully we can provide you with the reasoning for the missed pick up, and correct the situation.
Recycling and garbage carts must be dropped off at the DPW office where they will be held until construction is complete and residents move in. At which time, DPW will need to be notified and the carts will be dropped back off.
All material needs to go into the cart in order for the DPW to pick up. Our trucks are one arm trucks and lift the carts over the top of the truck to dump. If you have a large amount, you can bring it down to the recycling center during the operating hours.
If the backup occurs Mon-Fri, 7am-3:30pm, you can call the DPW office (201-387-4055, ext. 4088) and we will send the sewer crew out. If the sewer back up occurs after hours, on the weekends or holidays, please call the Police Department and they will dispatch the Standby Crew to come out and address the issue.
If the item is small enough to fit in the garbage cart, you can place it in there. If the item can be broken down to fit in the garbage cart, it can be placed in the cart. There is no need to wait for bulk for those items. (Some examples- pillows, baby toys, car seats, board games, etc.)
By no means, should USED cooking oil/grease be disposed of down the sink. This will ultimately cause a sewer block and a potential back up in your house. The DPW now accepts used cooking oil/grease at their office. You can bring it during business hours (Mon-Fri, 7am-3:30pm) in a non-returnable jug or container.
Absolutely not! This will also cause a sewer block and a potential back up in your house.
You can call the DPW office, and speak to the Shade Tree Clerk, Javier Nunez and he will be able to guide you to the next steps of determining who’s tree it is.
If you can, try to get the number off the PSE&G pole and then call the DPW office, while we don’t repair the light, we can report them directly to PSE&G who will come out and repair the light or address any issues there might be.
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