How Colonie Handles Trash & Recycling: A Practical Guide

Colonie maintains 85 local ordinances across all categories, and 7 of those deal specifically with trash & recycling. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Colonie falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Once you set solid waste or recyclables out for collection in Colonie, only your licensed hauler or an authorized third party may take it; anyone else who picks it up commits a separate violation. Section 112-17 also keeps ownership with the generator until the hauler actually accepts the material.

Key details: Governing section: Colonie Code § 112-17. Ownership: Stays with generator until hauler accepts. Scavenging: Banned; each incident a separate violation. Refused items: Generator must remove from right-of-way. Enforced by: Police Dept, DPW (§112-12).

Taking someone else's curbside trash or recyclables without authority is a separate violation for every incident under § 112-17(B), punished under § 112-11's schedule: up to $500 for a first offense, a 30-day suspension plus up to $1,000 for a second, and a one-year revocation plus up to $2,500 for a third, enforced by Police and the Department of Public Works.

Dumpster Rules

A residential parcel in Colonie may host only one temporary dumpster at a time, and it cannot stay on the property longer than 30 days per calendar year unless an active building permit covers the work, under Town Code § 62-45M.

Key details: Duration limit: 30 days per calendar year. Exception: active building permit on the property. Per-parcel limit: one temporary dumpster at a time. Scope: residential parcels. First-offense fine: $500 (§ 62-50).

Exceeding the 30-day limit or keeping more than one temporary dumpster on a residential parcel is a Chapter 62 violation subject to the civil penalties in § 62-50: $500 for a first violation, $750 for a second, and $1,000 for any subsequent violation, with each day of continued noncompliance after the cure period a separate offense.

Yard Waste Collection

Colonie requires yard waste to be set out either in a rigid container marked with a Town of Colonie recyclables sticker or in a compostable paper bag. Larger material like sticks and brush must be bundled under rules the Town Board promulgates separately, per § 112-16(G) of the Solid Waste chapter.

Key details: Governing section: Colonie Code § 112-16(G). Container options: Rigid marked bin or compostable bag. Brush size limit: Under 3 in. diameter, 4 ft. long. Bundling rule: Twine only, no wire (§112-1). Max penalty: 1-year revocation + up to $2,500.

Yard waste that isn't bagged or bundled to the rule, or that someone other than the licensed hauler removes from the curb, is a violation under §§ 112-17(B) and 112-20: up to $500 for a first offense, a 30-day suspension plus up to $1,000 for a second, and a one-year revocation plus up to $2,500 for a third.

Recycling Requirements

Colonie requires every resident to put recyclables in the Town's standardized recycling container rather than a regular trash can, and to keep cans, bottles, newspapers, and cardboard clean, dry, and separated by type. Section 112-16 spells out how solid waste and recyclables must be prepared before a hauler or the landfill will take them.

Key details: Governing section: Colonie Code § 112-16. Recycling container: Town-standardized container required. Contaminants: Lids, caps, tabs must be removed. Paper items: Newspapers, cardboard kept dry. Plastic bags: Must be translucent, pest-proof.

Improperly prepared recyclables or mixing them with regular trash is a violation under § 112-20, punishable by a fine up to $500 for a first offense, a 30-day license suspension plus a fine up to $1,000 for a second, and a one-year revocation plus a fine up to $2,500 for a third, with continuing noncompliance counted day by day.

Bin Placement Rules

Colonie's property maintenance code bars storing any garbage, recycling or yard-waste container over 96 gallons in a front or side yard, except on weekly pickup day or where a site plan approval allows it. Containers must also stay flytight, rodent-tight and covered.

Key details: Size limit: 96 gallons max in front/side yard. Exception: weekly residential pickup day. Other exception: site plan approval. Container standard: flytight, rodent-tight, watertight, covered. First-offense fine: $500 (§ 62-50).

A first violation of § 62-45M carries a civil penalty of $500 under § 62-50, rising to $750 for a second violation and $1,000 for any subsequent violation within the Town's enforcement window, with each day the storage violation continues after the compliance deadline counted as a separate offense. The Town may also correct the condition itself and place the cost as a lien on the property.

Recycling Rules

Colonie's Solid Waste chapter requires every resident, business, and other waste generator to separate recyclable materials from the rest of the trash before it is picked up or delivered for disposal. Section 112-15 covers waste headed to the landfill, the curb, or a dumpster, and licensed haulers who collect unseparated waste can be cited under Article III's penalty provisions.

Key details: Governing section: Colonie Code § 112-15. Added: 8-27-1992 by L.L. No. 6-1992. Who must comply: Residents, businesses, all generators. Hauler duty: Must refuse unseparated waste (§ 112-18). First offense fine: up to $500.

Failing to source-separate recyclables is a violation under § 112-20: up to $500 for a first offense, a 30-day suspension of any related license plus up to $1,000 for a second, and a one-year revocation plus up to $2,500 for a third. Licensed haulers must also refuse to collect from a generator who has clearly failed to separate recyclables, under § 112-18.

Illegal Dumping

The Town of Colonie bans using any land as a dump, dumping ground, refuse disposal area, or landfill site unless it is licensed and authorized under federal, state, and local law. Section 112-2 makes it illegal to bury, deposit, or dispose of offal, garbage, trash, refuse, rubbish, or debris on unlicensed land, with escalating fines and permit penalties enforced by the Police Department, Building Department, and Department of Public Works.

Key details: Governing section: Colonie Code § 112-2. First offense fine: mandatory minimum up to $500. Second offense: 30-day suspension + up to $1,000. Third offense: 1-year revocation + up to $2,500. Enforced by: Police, Building Dept, DPW.

First offense: mandatory minimum fine up to $500, with discretionary license suspension or revocation. Second offense: mandatory 30-day suspension plus a discretionary fine up to $1,000. Third offense: mandatory one-year revocation of all licenses and permits plus a discretionary fine up to $2,500. Each day a violation continues counts separately under § 112-3(B). The Town Attorney may also sue to compel compliance or recover the Town's cleanup costs.

Compared to other cities, Colonie takes a harder line on illegal dumping. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

Colonie's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Colonie is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Colonie can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.