Trash & Recycling in Tompkins County, NY (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Tompkins County, New York.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Tompkins County Code § 140-14 bars anyone from setting solid waste at curbside without a disposal-fee tag on the can or bag, and bars haulers from picking up untagged waste. Waste must go in a garbage can or plastic bag when practical, and every licensed hauler must sell single tags to the public.
Tompkins County Mandatory Trash Tag System
Significant RestrictionsTompkins County Code § 140-14
All container program solid waste placed at curbside for collection must, to the extent practical, be placed in a garbage can or a plastic bag. ... All containers holding container program solid waste collected by solid waste haulers in Tompkins County must bear a tag stating the current disposal fee. ... It shall be a violation of this article for any person to place solid waste at curbside fo...
Bin Placement Rules
Tompkins County Code § 140-7 requires anyone who sets a curbside recycling container out for pickup to remove the empty container from the curb, sidewalk or other collection spot by 8:00 p.m. on the day collection happens at that address. The same 8:00 p.m. deadline applies if a hauler refuses solid waste because recyclables were not separated out. The Solid Waste Manager and police enforce it.
Tompkins County Curbside Bin Removal Deadline
Some RestrictionsTompkins County Code § 140-7
Empty curbside recycling containers shall be removed from the curbside or other place of collection by the waste generator responsible for placing the recycling container at curbside no later than 8:00 p.m. the day on which collection is made from the premises. ... the person responsible for initially placing those materials for collection shall remove those materials from any curb, sidewalk, s...
Recycling Requirements
Tompkins County requires every waste generator to source-separate regulated recyclables from the rest of their trash before it is collected or delivered to a disposal facility, and bans commingling recyclables with garbage. Haulers can refuse mixed loads, and violators face fines starting at $15 and rising to $2,500 for repeat offenders.
Tompkins County Mandatory Recycling Law
Some RestrictionsTompkins County Code § 140-6
§ 140-6. Source separation and waste handling. A. Solid waste generated or originated within the county that is left for collection or that is delivered by the waste generator to a solid waste management facility shall be handled and disposed of as follows: (1) Prior to initial collection or transport, such solid waste shall be source separated by the waste generator into regulated recyclable...
Illegal Dumping
Tompkins County Code § 140-32 bans disposing of solid waste anywhere except an authorized Part 360 disposal facility, and § 140-33 makes a first offense punishable by a $100-to-$500 fine and up to 15 days in jail, rising to $500-to-$1,000 and up to six months for a repeat offense within a year.
Tompkins County Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsTompkins County Code §§ 140-32, 140-33
No person shall dispose of solid waste in the County of Tompkins except at: ... A disposal facility exempt from the requirements of 6 NYCRR Part 360 if its exempt status is unaffected by such disposal ... First offense. Conviction of a first offense under this article shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500, and/or a term of imprisonment not to exceed 15 days, tog...
Recycling Rules
Tompkins County limits recyclables collection to licensed or county-authorized haulers and requires residents to pull empty curbside recycling bins in by 8:00 p.m. on collection day. Haulers may refuse to pick up trash that hasn't had recyclables removed, and violations can bring a criminal appearance ticket.
Tompkins County Recycling Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsTompkins County Code § 140-7
§ 140-7. Collection of regulated recyclables. A. Authority to collect. (1) Only persons acting under the authority of a county recycling hauler shall collect, pick up, remove, or cause to be collected, picked up, or removed, any recyclables placed in or adjacent to a recycling container for collection by the county as part of a county-sponsored program. ... B. ... Empty curbside recycling cont...
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