Trash & Recycling in Norwalk, CT (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Norwalk, Connecticut, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Norwalk requires recyclables to be separated from trash, packaged the way the Director prescribes, and set out at the curb in City-provided containers; a load that mixes in the wrong materials can be refused right at the curb or turned away at the transfer station.
Norwalk Recycling Separation and Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsNorwalk Code § 94-3B
All recyclable waste shall be separated and kept apart from acceptable solid waste by the generator or their agent, packaged in the prescribed manner, placed at the curb in accordance with the schedule determined by the Director and collected by the City or by any contractor employed by the City or by the property owner's private collector. Recyclable waste placed for City collection must be in...
Bin Placement Rules
Norwalk residents may not roll trash carts to the curb before 6:00 p.m. the evening before pickup, must have them out by 6:00 a.m. on collection day, and must pull the empty containers back off the curbline within 24 hours after collection.
Norwalk Curbside Trash Cart Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsNorwalk Code § 94-5C
The property owner, lessee or the person served shall place the City-provided acceptable solid waste containers at the curbline at the time designated by the Director, but no later than 6:00 a.m. on days on which collections will be made; provided, however, that such containers may be so placed for collection on the evening preceding the date on which collections will be made, but no earlier th...
Bulk Item Disposal
Norwalk residents can drop off furniture, mattresses, appliances and other bulky solid waste at the Norwalk Transfer Station under a free annual allowance tied to their vehicle tax. A disposal pass covers up to one ton per year of combined acceptable, recyclable and bulky waste before extra fees apply.
Norwalk Bulky Waste Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsNorwalk Code §§ 94-2, 94-18
BULKY SOLID WASTE Household waste consisting of furniture (such as couches, chairs, bookcases, etc.), mattresses, rugs/carpets (no more than four feet wide), metal items, appliances (such as washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, etc.), large plastic items (such as children's toys, outdoor chairs, etc.), and/or such other items as the Director shall designate from time to time. Bulky solid wast...
Recycling Requirements
Norwalk requires households and businesses to separate designated recyclables, from cardboard and glass to scrap tires and dry-cell batteries, under rules the Director of Operations sets to meet Connecticut's 1987 recycling mandate. Recyclables must go out in City-provided containers on the assigned schedule.
Norwalk Mandatory Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsNorwalk Code § 94-3(A)
§ 94-3. Recyclable waste. A. The Director shall establish the necessary rules and regulations to comply with the regulations issued pursuant to Public Act No. 87-544, an Act Mandating Recycling in Municipalities and Concerning Source Reduction Planning, as amended from time to time. In addition to any materials required to be recycled under such Act, the Director may require any of the followin...
Illegal Dumping
Norwalk bans dumping litter, furniture, appliances or garbage bags on public or private property you don't own. The Chief of Economic and Community Development or Chief Building Official enforces the ban and can assess an administrative penalty of up to $500 after a hearing, on top of infraction fines under the City's fee schedule.
Norwalk Illegal Dumping Ban and Fines
Some RestrictionsNorwalk Code § 95A-3
No person shall throw, scatter, spill or place or cause to be blown, scattered, spilled, thrown or placed, or otherwise dispose of any litter upon any public property in the City or upon private property in this City not owned by him or her or in the waters of this City except when such property is designated by the City for the disposal of garbage and refuse... The Chief of Economic and Commun...
Yard Waste Collection
Norwalk residents must bundle brush and tree trimmings into four-foot lengths and bag loose yard waste in 65-gallon containers or paper bags, set out for curbside pickup on the Director's schedule or dropped at the City's yard waste site, under Chapter 94.
Norwalk Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsNorwalk Code § 94-3(C)
§ 94-3. Recyclable waste. C. All yard waste generated by residents of the City can be disposed of at the yard waste site or set out for collection during the times set by the Director within the eligible taxing districts. All tree trimmings and brush shall be tied in bundles of not over four feet in length, capable of being handled by one person. All yard waste set out for collection shall be p...
Dumpster Rules
Norwalk will not let a construction-style dumpster sit in a residential neighborhood indefinitely: it can only go out within two weeks of a construction or improvement project starting, and it has to come off the property within two weeks after the project finishes.
Norwalk Construction Dumpster Time Limits
Some RestrictionsNorwalk Code § 58A-1
No dumpster or other refuse container usually used on a construction site may be kept in a residential area unless for a construction or improvement project (which may include the disposal of household items) that is to commence within two weeks of the placing of a dumpster on the premises, provided that such dumpster or other refuse container may not be kept on the premises more than two weeks...
Collection Schedule
Every residential dwelling in Norwalk must keep acceptable solid waste in City-provided containers and set them out for pickup; the City runs collection as a governmental function under Chapter 94, and unlicensed haulers cannot legally collect waste anywhere in the city.
Norwalk's Mandatory Residential Trash Collection
Some RestrictionsNorwalk Code § 94-5A
The owner or lessee of each residential dwelling where acceptable solid waste is created or generated shall provide, at a suitable place upon such premises and not on the street or sidewalk, sufficient receptacles for receiving and holding such waste during the intervals between collections. Acceptable solid waste eligible for City collection shall only be stored in City-provided containers. Ac...
Recycling Rules
Norwalk residents must keep recyclables separated from trash, pack them the prescribed way, and set them at the curb in City-provided bins on the Director's schedule. Scavenging through put-out recycling is against the law, and non-conforming loads can be turned away.
Norwalk Curbside Recycling Handling Rules
Some RestrictionsNorwalk Code § 94-3(B), (D)
§ 94-3. Recyclable waste. B. All recyclable waste shall be separated and kept apart from acceptable solid waste by the generator or their agent, packaged in the prescribed manner, placed at the curb in accordance with the schedule determined by the Director and collected by the City or by any contractor employed by the City or by the property owner's private collector. Recyclable waste placed f...