New Haven, CT Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

Section 30¾-12 governs curbside collection for New Haven, Connecticut residential buildings with no more than six dwelling units; condominiums, nonprofit organizations, and other entities the Department of Public Works excludes from coverage are not covered. Subsection (j), "Establishment of collection schedules," states that collections "will be made on a regular schedule prescribed by the department of public works," and that "changes in the time of collection will be announced before taking effect," so residents aren't caught off guard by a shifted route.

The schedule only works because of the placement rules layered around it. Under subsection (f), containers must go out on the sidewalk next to the curb, no earlier than twelve hours before the next scheduled collection, and must come back in within twelve hours of pickup; they cannot block the public right-of-way. Containers or bundles are capped at seventy-five pounds combined weight under subsection (g), and loose rubbish that could blow into the street or a neighbor's property is separately banned under subsection (h).

If a crew skips a stop, subsection (i) requires the collector to report the noncollection to the DPW director and give the resident a copy explaining why; valid reasons include abnormal amounts, inaccessible or frozen containers, containers over the weight limit, construction debris mixed in, and containers holding recyclables, hazardous waste, or medical waste. Residents with an unresolved pickup can raise it through the complaint process in subsection (m), addressed to the DPW director or a designee.

Enforcement runs through subsection (n): any person who violates the section or the regulations DPW issues under it "shall be fined up to the maximum amount authorized by state statutes or this Code," and "each day that the violation continues shall constitute a separate offense," so a container left out past the twelve-hour window can accrue daily fines until it's removed.