Albany City Code Chapter 313 governs curbside trash and recycling. Household refuse must be containerized in metal or plastic containers (max 50 gallons) with fitted lids, or in heavy-duty plastic bags. Containers may be placed at curbside no earlier than 7:00 PM or dusk the day before collection and must be out by 12:01 AM on collection day. Department of General Services collects weekly for residences under 5 units.
Albany City Code Chapter 313, Article I (Removal of Garbage) sets the rules for household refuse collection within the city. Section 313-2 requires that all garbage be containerized using either heavy-duty plastic bags or metal/plastic containers with a maximum volume of 50 gallons and fitted with lids. Loose refuse, overflowing cans, and improperly secured bags are violations and may be left uncollected by the Department of General Services (DGS).
Timing of placement is regulated. Under §313-2, refuse for collection must be placed at curbside prior to 12:01 a.m. on the scheduled collection day, but not before 7:00 p.m. or dusk (whichever first occurs) on the prior day. This narrow window is intended to limit how long bins sit on the public sidewalk and to reduce rodent and odor problems in the city's dense residential neighborhoods. The Department of General Services collects on a route schedule Monday through Friday; pickup may begin as early as 4:00 a.m.
Albany operates a curbside collection program for residential dwellings of fewer than five units. Buildings with 5 or more units are required to use a private hauler under the city's multifamily waste mandate. Recyclables must be source-separated under §313-23 (Source Separation of Recyclables) and placed in the blue bin issued by the city. Yard waste — grass, leaves, brush — must be placed in biodegradable paper bags approved for that use, and the bags must not contain plastic, stones, bricks, or other contaminants and must be manageable by one person. Large items such as stoves, refrigerators, overstuffed furniture, and wrapped mattresses or boxsprings require a special pickup arranged with DGS in advance.
Improperly containerized or prematurely set-out refuse can result in non-collection and a notice of violation. Fines for sanitation code violations under Chapter 313 typically run $50–$250 per offense, with repeat violations rising higher and being addable to the property tax bill as a lien. Litter and illegal dumping carry steeper penalties up to $1,000. Report missed collection or illegal dumping to DGS at (518) 434-CITY (2489) or via SeeClickFix / 311.
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