Schenectady, NY Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Container size range
- 10 to 45 gallons
- Bag requirement
- Plastic refuse bags, tied at top
- Fee schedule setter
- Commissioner of General Services
- Council review window
- 45 days before new fees
- Cross-jurisdiction waste
- Prohibited both in and out of City
Summary
The City of Schenectady's Department of General Services collects and disposes of residential solid waste citywide under a mandatory service model. Waste must go out in tied plastic bags or in containers between 10 and 45 gallons on the scheduled collection day.
The Department shall collect and dispose of all residential solid waste (including institutional, mixed residential and multiple residential users electing to receive and which qualify for City solid waste collection service) originating in the City, and, as further limited by this article, all solid waste from such commercial uses as may elect and qualify to receive City solid waste collection services. ... All residential solid waste shall be placed in plastic refuse bags tied at the top for collection whether placed in containers or placed separately at the curb. Containers shall be no less than 10 gallons and no more than 45 gallons in size.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4990798; v11 updated 2026-04-13; through 04-13-2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 161-21, part of the Mandatory Recycling Law's Article II on Waste Collection, requires the Department to collect and dispose of all residential solid waste originating in the City, including institutional, mixed residential and multiple residential users that elect and qualify for the service. Commercial users are added at the Commissioner of General Services' discretion under Subsection B, only where doing so will not compromise service to residential customers, and the Department will not collect industrial, infectious or hazardous waste under any circumstance.
The section fixes the physical standard for what can go to the curb: residential solid waste must be placed in plastic refuse bags tied at the top, and any container used must hold no less than 10 gallons and no more than 45 gallons. The City also bars importing waste from outside its borders for pickup, and bars moving waste generated at one City address to a different, noncontiguous address for collection; either move is treated as a violation subject to the penalties in § 161-26A and D.
The Commissioner sets the collection fee schedule itself, subject to City Council review at least 45 days before any new fees take effect, and unpaid collection fees become a personal lien on the owner's property under § 161-22. 1.
Violations & Fines
Depositing waste that did not originate in the City, or moving waste to a different address to be collected, is prosecuted under the penalties set out in § 161-26A and D of Chapter 161. Failing to arrange adequate private hauling as a non-City-service commercial or institutional user is a separate violation, punishable under Chapter 1, Article I, § 1-14.1, and unpaid collection fees attach as a lien on the property from the 30th day after the quarterly billing date.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size trash can does Schenectady require for curbside pickup?
Does the City of Schenectady collect trash for businesses?
Can I bring trash from outside Schenectady to dispose of in the City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Schenectady
New York rules heatmap·Compare Schenectady to another location·View the New York trash & recycling overview
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