Bristol, CT Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Code of Ordinances § 10-6(c) sets the sorting rule for curbside rubbish: solid waste that does not meet the definition of 'acceptable curbside collected rubbish' will not be collected, recyclable materials may not go in the rubbish barrel at all, and every bit of rubbish must be bagged inside the barrel with the lid closed. Subsections (e) and (f) restate the point from both directions: no 'curbside acceptable recyclable' material may be placed in the rubbish container, and any barrel holding material on the Code's 'unacceptable curbside collected rubbish' list, which names items like leaves, brush, demolition debris, hot ashes and oil-based paint, simply will not be collected.

Every curbside barrel is subject to inspection by the collector or the city to confirm proper separation. When an inspection turns up a violation, the director or a designee must give the generator written notice; if the problem recurs, a second notice warns that the city may impose fines, bill the department's cost of correcting the placement, charge for an additional barrel, or recover the cost of picking up waste displaced from an overfilled barrel. Scavenging materials from a curbside barrel, or dumping bags, debris or bulk items into someone else's city-supplied barrel, is separately prohibited.