Rochester, NY Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

Refuse Code § 20-15D covers bulk refuse, defined elsewhere in Chapter 20 as discarded furniture, bedding, mattresses, large appliances, tree and hedge trimmings and other bulky household material too large or heavy for a City-issued or alternate container. Under § 20-15D, bulk items such as tree trimmings, hedge trimmings and discarded lumber must be securely tied in bundles that weigh no more than 60 pounds, run no more than four feet long, and measure no more than 18 inches in diameter. Any nails in discarded lumber must be removed entirely, or bent over and secured so the point isn't exposed.

If there isn't enough space between the sidewalk and curb, or alongside the roadway, to hold the bundles, the Commissioner of Environmental Services can direct the owner or occupant to place the material at some other convenient, accessible location on scheduled collection days. Building refuse from major repairs or remodeling that's too large or heavy for a container follows the same bundling standard under § 20-15E. Separately, construction waste generated by contractors is excluded entirely from City collection under § 20-15F; contractors must arrange their own lawful disposal, and that waste is not picked up curbside no matter how it's bundled.