Trash & Recycling in Stamford, CT (2026)
7 verified trash & recycling rules for Stamford, Connecticut, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
The City of Stamford collects residential trash on a Director-set schedule if it's bagged in an approved container, and every resident and business must separate out recyclables. Article I's violations clause backs both duties with a $100 fine.
Stamford Trash and Recycling Pickup
Some RestrictionsStamford Code of Ordinances § 137-2(A)(1)-(2); § 137-31
A.The City of Stamford shall collect or cause to be collected, at regular intervals established by the Director of Operations municipal solid waste from all residential dwellings within the City of Stamford presently or hereafter served by sanitary sewers, provided that:(1)The material is placed in a plastic bag and stored in a container approved by the Director of Operations.(2)Broken glass, n...
Bin Placement Rules
Stamford limits when and how high residential trash and recycling containers can sit at the curb: § 137-2(A)(3) bars putting them out earlier than the day before collection and caps height at 10 inches off the ground, while § 137-2(A)(4) requires empty containers to come back off the street within 2 days.
Stamford Trash Bin Placement and Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsStamford Code of Ordinances § 137-2(A)(3)-(4)
Said approved container is placed, no earlier than the day before the collection day, in a location approved by the Director of Operations and such approved container is not located below ground level nor more than ten (10) inches off the ground. The foregoing requirement shall also apply to containers into which recyclable materials are placed. (4) Said approved container, once empty, is remov...
Bulk Item Disposal
Stamford runs two citywide bulk collection sweeps a year under Chapter 137, Article III: a spring pickup for household and yard debris under § 137-26, and a fall pickup limited to leaves, yard and garden debris under § 137-27. The city must give advance public notice of both under § 137-28.
Stamford Spring and Fall Bulk Waste Pickup
Light RestrictionsStamford Code of Ordinances §§ 137-26, 137-27, 137-28
Sec. 137-26. - Spring pickup. There shall be an annual city-wide pickup of household and yard debris, which pickup shall be in the spring of each year. Sec. 137-27. - Fall pickup. There shall be an annual city-wide pickup of leaves, yard and garden debris only, which pickup shall be in the fall of each year. Sec. 137-28. - Public notice. There shall be adequate public notice in advance of said ...
Recycling Requirements
Every Stamford household, landlord and business must separate recyclable materials, cardboard, glass and metal containers, mixed paper, newspaper, scrap metal and more, from trash, in whatever manner the Director of Operations directs.
Stamford Curbside Recycling Requirements
Some RestrictionsStamford Code of Ordinances § 137-31
The owners of buildings, dwellings or apartment houses as defined by the zoning regulations of the City of Stamford now in effect or as amended, as well as all the residents of the City of Stamford and all business, institutional and commercial operations in the city, shall separate recyclable materials from other waste materials, as defined by the city ordinances now in effect or as amended. S...
Illegal Dumping
Stamford bans dumping litter, garbage, or debris on public or private property and fines violators up to $1,000 per occurrence under the city's Littering and Dumping Prohibited ordinance.
Stamford Illegal Dumping Fines
Some RestrictionsStamford Code of Ordinances § 137-46
A.The fine for the littering of material, as defined above, with a total volume of less than one (1) cubic foot, shall be ninety dollars ($90.00) for each such occurrence.B.The fine for the littering of material, as defined above, with a total volume of more than one (1) cubic foot shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000.) for each such occurrence.C.The fine for illegal placement of material into...
Yard Waste Collection
Stamford collects bulky waste and yard waste generated at residential dwellings and other private premises under § 137-6, on a schedule the Director of Operations develops and implements rather than a fixed calendar date. 'Yard waste' is defined in § 137-1 to include grass clippings, leaves, and brush no more than 2 inches thick and under 4 feet long.
Stamford Yard Waste and Bulky Item Collection
Light RestrictionsStamford Code of Ordinances § 137-6
Sec. 137-6. - Bulky waste and yard waste. A. Bulky waste and yard waste generated in residential dwellings or on private premises, as such are defined in sections 137-1 and 137-2.B of the Code may be collected by the City of Stamford. B. The Director of Operations shall have the authority to develop schedules and implement collections pursuant to this article.
Collection Schedule
The City of Stamford collects municipal solid waste from every residential dwelling served by sanitary sewers, at intervals the Director of Operations sets under § 137-2(A). Waste must go out in a plastic bag inside a Director-approved container, and the city runs one citywide leaf pickup each year on its own schedule.
Stamford Residential Trash Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsStamford Code of Ordinances § 137-2(A)
The City of Stamford shall collect or cause to be collected, at regular intervals established by the Director of Operations, municipal solid waste from all residential dwellings within the City of Stamford presently or hereafter served by sanitary sewers, provided that: (1) The material is placed in a plastic bag and stored in a container approved by the Director of Operations. (2) Broken glass...