Amherst, NY Trash & Recycling: Holiday Pickup Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Exception window
- December 1 through January 15
- Normal tree limb rule
- Cut to 4 ft, bundled 2 ft thick, 60 lbs max
- Governing section
- Amherst Code § 169-16(C)(1)
- Setout timing (general)
- No earlier than noon day before pickup
- Enforcing agency
- Town of Amherst Refuse Control Office
Summary
Amherst lifts its normal cut-and-bundle rule for Christmas trees for a five-and-a-half week window: holiday trees can go straight to the curb through December and the first fifteen days of January. Outside that window, the same trees would have to be cut to four feet and tied like any other brush.
Holiday trees may be placed at the curbline or pavement line for collection during December and the first 15 days of January without being cut and bundled as otherwise herein required.
Full Breakdown
" Ordinarily, § 169-16(A)(4) requires tree trimmings, logs, branches and trunks to be cut to no more than four feet in length and tied in bundles no more than two feet thick, with no bundle exceeding 60 pounds. The holiday-tree exception suspends that cutting and bundling requirement for the specific stretch from December 1 through January 15, letting residents set a whole tree at the curb rather than dismantle it first. of collection day under § 169-6(B) and (C), and the Refuse Control Office continues to set the collection calendar and route schedule under § 169-4.
Amherst's code, as read, does not contain a separate provision shifting weekly collection days when a holiday such as Thanksgiving or Independence Day falls on a scheduled route day; the only holiday-specific accommodation found in Chapter 169 is this tree exception.
Violations & Fines
Placing a holiday tree curbside outside the December through January 15 window without cutting and bundling it under § 169-16(A)(4) is treated as noncompliant waste preparation and is subject to the Article I penalty schedule at § 169-22: a written warning for a first offense, rising to $50-$100, $100-$150, $150-$300 and $300-$500 for repeat offenses within twelve months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to cut up my Christmas tree before putting it at the curb?
What is the normal rule for tree limbs the rest of the year?
Does Amherst shift collection day when a holiday falls on my route day?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Amherst
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