Colonie, NY Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Colonie's yard-waste and composting program is operated by the Division of Environmental Services (https://www.colonie.org/departments/envservices/leaf-yard-waste). Yard-waste material is collected by County Waste from April to November on a rotating weekly schedule by fire district and is hauled to the Town Yard Waste Composting Facility located on the Town Sanitary Landfill site at 1319 Loudon Road, which has operated since 1987. Residents place yard waste at the curb the night before scheduled pickup in biodegradable paper bags or rigid containers marked with special stickers. Acceptable materials include grass clippings, leaves, hedge and shrub trimmings, garden clippings, and branches/brush up to 3 inches in diameter and 4 feet in length tied with string in manageable bundles (or in biodegradable bags). Residents are directed not to rake leaves into Town streets due to safety and stormwater concerns. Finished compost is distributed free of charge to Town residents only at the Landfill Residential Convenience Station, 4 Arrowhead Lane, during landfill operating hours (Monday through Saturday), with ID required. Backyard home composting is encouraged and does not require a Town permit. Best practices consistent with Cornell Cooperative Extension and NYS DEC guidance: set the bin 5-10 feet from property lines, use a rodent-resistant design, balance browns and greens, and compost only plant-based food scraps and yard waste (no meat, dairy, oils, or pet waste). The Town's composting facility operates under NYS DEC permitting at 6 NYCRR Part 361-3 (https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-york/6-NYCRR-361-3.2). NY ECL Article 27 Title 22 (§27-2201 et seq.) governs designated food-scraps generators and large-scale organics recycling.