Colonie, NY Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Section 112-16 of Colonie's Solid Waste chapter tells residents how to prepare yard waste for pickup: place it in a rigid container marked with a Town of Colonie recyclables sticker, or bag it in a compostable paper bag, and bundle larger material like sticks and brush under rules the Town Board promulgates separately. ' In practice, that means a Colonie resident can keep grass clippings, leaves, and other yard waste on their own property in a compost pile or bin instead of setting it at the curb, without needing a permit under this chapter.

The trade-off is the health-and-nuisance condition built into the same sentence: a compost pile that becomes a public-health hazard or generates offensive odors falls outside the exemption and back under the chapter's general enforcement. Solid Waste chapter violations, including a nuisance created by improperly managed composting, are enforced by the Town of Colonie Police Department, Building Department, and Department of Public Works under § 112-21, and are punishable under § 112-20's tiered schedule: up to $500 for a first offense, a 30-day suspension plus up to $1,000 for a second, and a one-year revocation plus up to $2,500 for a third, with each day of a continuing nuisance counted separately.