Trash & Recycling in Syracuse, NY (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for Syracuse, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Syracuse excludes seventeen categories of unacceptable waste from regular D.P.W. household pickup under Revised General Ordinances Section 14-18(f), including paint, pesticides, motor oil, batteries, hazardous waste, and propane tanks. Mixing any of these into a trash container is a violation carrying a $50.00 fine per occurrence after an initial warning.
Syracuse Bans Hazardous Items From Trash Pickup
Some RestrictionsSyracuse, N.Y. Rev. Gen. Ordinances § 14-18(f)-(g)
(f)Unacceptable waste. In addition to the recyclable items mentioned above, the following items shall constitute unacceptable waste, unless otherwise determined by O.C.R.R.A, and are excluded from D.P.W. household waste collection effective January 1, 1991, except as otherwise provided herein:(1)Yard waste including brush, leaves, and grass clippings;(2)Construction and demolition debris as def...
Bin Placement Rules
Syracuse residents may not set a household waste container at the curb before 8:00 p.m. the night before pickup and must pull it back by 7:00 p.m. on collection day, per Revised General Ordinances Section 14-18(a)(3). Containers are capped at 30 gallons and 75 pounds loaded, with a 10-gallon minimum, and no more than three per unit go out weekly.
Syracuse Sets Trash Cart Curb Times, Size Limits
Some RestrictionsSyracuse, N.Y. Rev. Gen. Ordinances § 14-18(a)(3)
All regulation containers must be set out in plain view from the street and must be set adjacent to the curb line or edge of the road unless otherwise agreed to by the D.P.W. No container shall be set out at the curb before 8:00 p.m. of the day preceding the scheduled pickup. No regulation container shall exceed a thirty-gallon capacity nor weigh when loaded in excess of seventy-five (75) pound...
Bulk Item Disposal
D.P.W. collects bulky household items like furniture, appliances, carpets, and up to four waste tires a year free of charge under Revised General Ordinances Section 14-18(c), as long as the load is two cubic yards or less. Pickup must be scheduled by phone and is capped at four special pickups per household annually.
Syracuse Offers Free Bulk Item Pickup, Limits Apply
Some RestrictionsSyracuse, N.Y. Rev. Gen. Ordinances § 14-18(c)
Special pickup by D.P.W. D.P.W. shall continue to collect household waste which does not fit into regulation containers and is classified as untreatable waste such as furnishings, appliances, carpets, household furnishing, auto parts, and waste tires (maximum of four (4) tires per year from each household). Special pickup service is free if the volume of materials is equal to or less than two (...
Recycling Requirements
Every household waste generator in Syracuse must source separate recyclable materials under Revised General Ordinances Section 14-18(d), sorting glass, metal, newspaper, and certain plastics into an approved recycling bin instead of the trash. The city's plan implements Onondaga County's Local Law No. 12 of 1989, and mixing recyclables into regular trash can trigger a warning or a fine.
Syracuse Requires Curbside Source-Separated Recycling
Some RestrictionsSyracuse, N.Y. Rev. Gen. Ordinances § 14-18(d)
(d)Recyclable materials. Every household waste generator in the city of Syracuse shall source separate recyclable materials as defined herein. Separated materials must be placed in approved recycling containers either provided for by the city, county, Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency, or a licensed private hauler, or shall be prepared in a manner approved by the commissioner of public w...
Holiday Pickup Schedule
Syracuse's Department of Public Works collects household trash weekly. Its 2026 City Services Guide says pickup will be one day late for the remainder of the week on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 26, 2026. Ordinance § 14-18(a)(1) also names Independence Day and delays collection one day following the holidays it lists.
Syracuse Holiday Trash Pickup: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
Light RestrictionsSyracuse, N.Y. Rev. Gen. Ordinances § 14-18(a)(1)
(a)Household waste.(1)Household waste shall be collected every seventh day (e.g., every Tuesday) by D.P.W. Unless otherwise determined by the commissioner, collection shall be delayed one day following these holidays: Christmas, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday, Memorial day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day.
Illegal Dumping
Syracuse bans dumping and littering on any public or private property under Revised General Ordinances Section 14-25.1(b). Dumping draws a flat $500 fine for each occurrence, while littering escalates from $250 to $500 across three offenses. Either violation can also bring up to 15 days in jail. The Department of Public Works, city police, and Onondaga County Sheriff's deputies enforce the citywide prohibition.
Syracuse Bans Illegal Dumping, $500 Fine
Heavy RestrictionsSyracuse, N.Y. Rev. Gen. Ordinances § 14-25.1(b)
It shall be a violation for any person to engage in littering or dumping on any public property, public right-of-way or private property. Littering shall be punishable by a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for the first offense, three hundred fifty dollars ($350.00) for the second offense, and five hundred dollars ($500.00) for the third and each subsequent offense. Dumping shall be ...
Yard Waste Collection
Syracuse's 2026 City Services Guide puts leaf pickup in November only, on leaves-only set-out dates set by quadrant, with pickup the week after each one. Leaves go in paper bags between the sidewalk and curb, with no plastic bags, and the guide says leaves in the roadway can draw a citation. City code § 14-21(i) prints a different season, October 15 to November 30.
Syracuse Leaf Collection and Yard Waste Rules
Some RestrictionsSyracuse Rev. Gen. Ordinances § 14-15(a); § 14-21(a), (i), (m)
(a)Except as otherwise provided herein, any person or generator who shall knowingly and willfully violate or assist in the violation of this article shall be guilty of an offense and upon conviction shall be subject to a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). ... (a)Unless otherwise determined by the commissioner, yard waste collection by D.P.W. shall occur according to the collection wee...
Dumpster Rules
Syracuse commercial waste generators must use a licensed hauler's dumpster or commercial cart, never loose curbside piles or household containers. Dumpsters over 1.5 cubic yards must be clean, freshly painted, screened from view, and carry the hauler's name and city license; carts follow strict curbside timing rules.
Syracuse Commercial Dumpster and Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsSyracuse Rev. Gen. Ordinances § 14-19(b)
No material shall be set out at the curb by commercial waste generators for private collection unless material is in a commercial cart. Use of regulation household containers is prohibited. Commercial generators unable to use dumpsters or commercial carts must arrange for private collection services which are able to provide specialized collection. No loose materials shall be set out curbside, ...
Collection Schedule
The Department of Public Works picks up household waste on a fixed weekly cycle, for example every Tuesday, under Revised General Ordinances Section 14-18(a)(1). Since January 1, 2020, only households of one to ten residential units qualify for this city collection; larger buildings and commercial generators must contract with a private hauler instead.
Syracuse Collects Household Trash Every 7th Day
Some RestrictionsSyracuse, N.Y. Rev. Gen. Ordinances § 14-18(a)(1)-(2)
Household waste shall be collected every seventh day (e.g., every Tuesday) by D.P.W. Unless otherwise determined by the commissioner, collection shall be delayed one day following these holidays: Christmas, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday, Memorial day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day. Use of regulation containers for household waste shall be the responsibility o...
Recycling Rules
Syracuse requires every household to source-separate glass, metal, newspaper and certain plastics into city- or county-issued recycling containers. Recyclables go out no earlier than 8:00 p.m. the night before pickup and must be off the curb by 7:00 p.m. on collection day; mixing recyclables into trash risks a fine.
Syracuse Recycling Rules: Sorting and Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsSyracuse Rev. Gen. Ordinances § 14-18(d)-(e)
(d) Recyclable materials. Every household waste generator in the city of Syracuse shall source separate recyclable materials as defined herein. Separated materials must be placed in approved recycling containers either provided for by the city, county, Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency, or a licensed private hauler... (e) Recyclable collection... (1) Recyclable materials shall be set out...