Petition to the Mayor of East Brunswick, NJ: Fix the Unpredictable and Inefficient Leaf Collection System

Residents across East Brunswick are increasingly frustrated with the township’s inconsistent and poorly communicated leaf-collection process. Although taxpayers fund the equipment, trucks, and staffing required for this service—directly or indirectly—we are not receiving a service that functions with any reliability or accountability.

In previous years, the township published scheduled pickup dates but routinely failed to adhere to them. This year, rather than addressing the underlying issues, the township eliminated scheduled dates altogether and replaced them with a vague, month-long collection window. This change makes an already unreliable process even more unpredictable and burdensome for residents.

The consequences of this approach are immediate and avoidable:

• Leaves sit curbside for weeks, blowing across streets and onto neighbors’ lawns, driveways, and sidewalks. Residents need to spend additional time, effort and money to collect these leaves again.
• Mail carriers struggle to access mailboxes due to accumulating piles of leaves obstructing the curb line.
• Residents feel pressured to bag leaves themselves—a significant burden at a time when many are already under financial and personal strain due to a high cost of living and job instability.
• Stormwater drains become clogged by wind-scattered leaves, creating avoidable cleanup costs for the township that ultimately come back to taxpayers.
• Neighborhood aesthetics deteriorate, and community compliance becomes nearly impossible when residents have no clear guidance on when to place leaves at the curb.

East Brunswick residents want to cooperate. We simply need a functional system and clear direction. The current process fails to meet even basic standards of municipal service.

We respectfully request that the Mayor and Township Administration take immediate action to improve the planning, scheduling, and communication of curbside leaf collection by implementing the following steps:

• Publish a clear, reliable schedule for each zone—one that the township commits to meeting barring severe weather or emergencies.
• Issue reminders through the township’s existing resident communication channels, including email alerts, text notifications, and the official township app (where applicable).
• Provide real-time updates on the township website and social media when delays or changes occur.
• Improve route planning to ensure predictable, efficient collection cycles that prevent multi-week delays.
• Increase transparency around staffing, resource constraints, and contingency plans so residents understand what to expect.
• Evaluate whether the current leaf-collection model is still cost-effective and consider alternatives if the township cannot sustain a dependable system.

These changes are reasonable, achievable, and in the best interest of both residents and the township. We are not asking for perfection; we are asking for a system that works and respects the time, effort, and financial contributions of the people who live here.

We, the undersigned, urge the Mayor of East Brunswick to initiate a meaningful improvement process for the township’s leaf-collection program—one that restores predictability, reduces unnecessary costs, and supports the well-being of our neighborhoods.