Trash & Recycling in New Haven, CT (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for New Haven, Connecticut, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
New Haven's Department of Public Works sets curbside rules for residential trash: containers can't go out more than 12 hours before pickup, must come back in within 12 hours after, and can't exceed 75 pounds.
New Haven Trash Container Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Haven Code of Ordinances § 30¾-12(f)
When ready for collection, the containers are to be placed on the sidewalk next to the curb adjacent to the owner's property. They shall not be so placed earlier than twelve (12) hours prior to the next scheduled collection. The containers are to be removed from the sidewalk within twelve (12) hours of collection.
Bin Placement Rules
New Haven residents may set trash containers at the curb no more than 12 hours before pickup and must remove them within 12 hours after collection.
New Haven Trash Can Curb Placement Window
Some RestrictionsNew Haven Code of Ordinances § 30¾-12(f)
Cleanliness, location of containers. Containers must be clean and in sufficiently good condition as to not pose a hazard to the general public and collection personnel. When ready for collection, the containers are to be placed on the sidewalk next to the curb adjacent to the owner's property. They shall not be so placed earlier than twelve (12) hours prior to the next scheduled collection. The...
Bulk Item Disposal
New Haven residents get two bulk-item collection appointments per calendar year, and items must be scheduled with public works before being placed at the curb.
New Haven Bulk Trash Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Haven Code of Ordinances § 30¾-12(l)
City residents are entitled to two (2) bulk assignments per calendar year. The resident must remove uncollected items from the public right of way and properly dispose of them. No person shall place bulk trash at a curb without having received an authorized appointment with the department of public works. If applicable, fees shall be set as established and approved by the board of aldermen. Vi...
Recycling Requirements
New Haven requires curbside separation of newspaper, cardboard, office paper, and rinsed glass, metal, and plastic food containers, plus scrap tires, from regular household trash.
New Haven Curbside Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsNew Haven Code of Ordinances § 30¾-13(c)(1)
All persons entitled to solid waste collection from residential buildings as set out in the immediately preceding section of this chapter shall place the following items for collection...: (i)Newspaper; (ii)Cardboard; (iii)Office paper; (iv)Glass food and beverage containers, which shall be rinsed clean of residue; (v)Metal food and beverage containers, which shall be rinsed clean of residue; (...
Illegal Dumping
New Haven bans dumping any material on public or unauthorized private property; dumping more than one cubic foot into someone else's trash or recycling container is a separate fineable offense under Sec. 30¾-7.
New Haven Illegal Dumping Penalties
Some RestrictionsNew Haven Code of Ordinances § 30¾-7
No person shall dump any material upon any public property in the state or city, or upon private property in this state or city not owned by such person...Any person, other than a collector, who dumps more than one (1) cubic foot in volume of solid waste at one time in a solid waste or refuse collection container without the authorization of its owner...shall be guilty of an offense, which is p...
Yard Waste Collection
New Haven, Connecticut requires yard waste that isn't bagged in a container to be bundled under Code of Ordinances § 30¾-12(e)(2): shrubs, sticks, branches and brush must be tied into one-foot by one-foot bundles no longer than three feet and no thicker than four inches. Oversized limbs beyond those dimensions don't qualify for curbside pickup and instead fall under the city's separate bulk-item appointment process.
New Haven Yard Waste Bundling Rules
Some RestrictionsNew Haven Code of Ordinances § 30¾-12(e)(2)
(e)Types of containers allowed. Residential solid waste that is to be collected shall be placed in containers owned and provided by the city, or those meeting the following specifications:(1)Medium to heavy weight plastic or fiberglass, twenty (20) to thirty-two (32) gallon capacity, tight fitting cover; or Heavy duty plastic bags, two (2) to three (3) mil strength, twenty (20) to thirty-two (3...
Dumpster Rules
New Haven requires a Department of Public Works permit before placing a dumpster in the city right-of-way, and every permitted dumpster must display an assigned number.
New Haven Dumpster Placement Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsNew Haven Code of Ordinances § 30¾-16(b)(1)
No dumpster may be placed or installed on any site in the city's right of way unless the person responsible for it has obtained a permit for it from the director of the department of public works or his/her designee. Such permit may be issued upon the payment of a fee, if any, as authorized, established and amended from time to time by the board of aldermen. Additionally, the dumpster must bear...
Collection Schedule
New Haven, Connecticut's Department of Public Works sets the pickup calendar for residential solid waste under Code of Ordinances § 30¾-12(j), covering buildings with six or fewer dwelling units. DPW can change collection days but must announce any change before it takes effect, and the schedule is enforced through a strict placement window: containers may sit curbside only from twelve hours before pickup until twelve hours after.
New Haven Residential Trash Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsNew Haven Code of Ordinances § 30¾-12(j)
The director of the department of public works shall be responsible for the collection of solid waste and recyclable items from residential buildings having no more than six (6) dwelling units subject to the following regulations. This section shall not apply to condominiums, nonprofit organizations or other agency deemed by the department of public works to be excluded from this coverage. ... ...