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

The Town of Tonawanda's solid waste chapter, enforced by the Superintendent of Highways and the Code Enforcement Officer, lets residents place bulky items curbside without a special appointment. Code § 181-4G(1) allows major appliances (refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, stoves) and large household furnishings (chairs, sofas, tables, beds, carpets) to go out for collection on the property's already-scheduled waste day, the same day totes go to the curb. Section 181-4G(2) makes it unlawful to discard a refrigerator or freezer in the public right-of-way unless its door, or the door's latching or locking mechanism, has first been removed or dismantled, a child-safety measure the Town enforces strictly.

Bulky items sit outside the tote system used for regular garbage and recyclables under § 181-3.1, but they must still wait for the scheduled pickup date rather than being left at the curb early. Contractor-generated bulk debris follows a stricter, separate rule: under § 181-10, brush, tree parts and construction or demolition material a contractor removes cannot sit in the right-of-way for more than 24 hours after the work is finished, and the contractor, not the Town, must haul it away. Violations of the waste chapter are reported to the Superintendent of Highways under § 181-19, and the Superintendent, the Code Enforcement Officer or their designees may issue appearance tickets under § 181-20 returnable in Town of Tonawanda Justice Court.