Rockland County, NY Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Mandatory service
- Municipal, hauler, or self-haul
- Governing section
- § 350-5
- CFC appliance rule
- No crushing/venting at curbside
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Health Commissioner
- Max penalty
- $1,000 per violation, per day
Summary
Rockland County requires every household and business to arrange regular removal of its solid waste, yard waste, scrap metals and recyclables under County Code § 350-5. Service can come from a municipal contract, a licensed hauler, or the generator hauling the material directly to the Solid Waste Management Authority's designated facility.
In order to provide for public health and safety and to facilitate the conservation of vital resources, each person shall provide for the removal of yard waste, solid waste, construction and demolition debris, scrap metals and designated recyclables from the property on which they are generated either through a service provided by a municipality or hauler or by direct haul by such person to the designated facility as determined by the authority to serve the municipality where such person resides or has a place of business, and which receives each such type of waste.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 350 does not set one countywide pickup day; because Rockland is divided into five towns and their villages, the physical collection schedule is set at the town or village level or by the resident's private hauler contract. What the county does mandate, in § 350-5A, is that each person shall provide for the removal of yard waste, solid waste, construction and demolition debris, scrap metals and designated recyclables from the property on which they are generated through a municipal service, a licensed hauler, or by hauling it themselves to the designated facility serving their municipality.
Section 350-5B repeats the same mandatory-service duty for commercial entities. The rule exists, per § 350-1A, because the management of solid waste is treated as an inherent responsibility of local government, and the County wants guaranteed, reliable removal to support its flow-control and recycling goals adopted in the 1991 integrated solid waste management plan. Section 350-5C separately bans placing any appliance containing CFCs like freon at curbside in a way that lets it be crushed or the refrigerant escape. Section 350-5D exempts medical facilities' infectious and regulated medical waste, which is governed elsewhere.
Any hauler performing this collection service must hold a Department of Health permit under Article III of the Sanitary Code, including a background check and fingerprinting of the hauler's principals under § 350-4B.
Violations & Fines
Failing to arrange for regular removal, or placing a CFC-containing appliance at curbside so it could be crushed, is a violation of Chapter 350. The Commissioner of Health may impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation under § 350-15C(3)(a), with each day of continued noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rockland County set my trash pickup day?
Am I required to have trash service if I haul my own waste?
What happens if I put out an old refrigerator improperly?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rockland County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Rockland County to another location·View the New York trash & recycling overview
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