Clay, NY Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Vehicle requirement
- Covered vehicles only (§ 194-13)
- Fine, uncovered/scattering
- $100 per offense (§ 194-20)
- Improper set-out removal deadline
- By 6:00 p.m., same collection day (§ 194-12)
- Who must remove refused waste
- Generator and adjoining property owner (§ 194-12)
Summary
Town of Clay Code §§ 194-12 and 194-13 govern how licensed haulers must carry out pickup, not just when. Waste and recyclables must move in covered vehicles, haulers cannot let material escape onto the street, and residents must clear back any load a hauler refuses by 6:00 p.m. the same day.
§ 194-12. Removal of uncollected waste. Where certain solid waste, recyclables and/or other waste materials were not collected because those materials were not placed or prepared by the waste generator in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, the person who placed such materials for collection and the owner of the property adjoining the curb where such waste materials were placed shall remove those wastes from the location as soon as possible after the hauler has refused collection and, in any event, by 6:00 p.m. on the designated collection day. § 194-13. Restrictions on use of vehicles and handling of waste. The collection, removal, and carrying of solid waste, recyclables and/or material, and the transportation of solid waste, paper, and recyclables on any highway, street, alley, or lane of the town must be done in covered vehicles. No hauler shall throw or scatter or cause to be scattered or deposited or to escape from the vehicle any solid waste or recyclables on the streets or public places.
Full Breakdown
Section 194-13 of the Town of Clay Code requires that the collection, removal and carrying of solid waste, recyclables or other material, and its transportation on any highway, street, alley or lane of the town, be done in covered vehicles; no hauler may throw, scatter, deposit or allow any solid waste or recyclables to escape from the vehicle onto streets or public places. Section 194-12 addresses the flip side: if certain waste is not collected because the generator failed to place or prepare it correctly under the chapter, the person who set it out and the owner of the property adjoining the curb must remove it from the location as soon as possible after the hauler refuses collection, and in any event by 6:00 p.m. on the designated collection day.
Both sections sit in Chapter 194, adopted September 18, 2000 by Local Law No. 1-2000, and are enforced by the Town Code Enforcement Officer, Town Building Inspector, Town Fire Inspector, Highway Superintendent, Onondaga County Sheriff's Department, New York State Police and Department of Environmental Conservation officers under § 194-19C. A hauler using an uncovered vehicle or scattering waste on the streets is fined $100 per offense under § 194-20, and the same $100 fine applies to a failure to remove improperly set-out waste under § 194-12, with each day of continued noncompliance a new offense under § 194-19A.
Violations & Fines
Collecting in an uncovered vehicle or letting waste scatter onto the street each carries a $100 fine under § 194-20's schedule for § 194-13, and failing to clear back improperly set-out material under § 194-12 carries the same $100 fine. Every day a violation continues is charged as a separate offense under § 194-19A, on top of any hauler license revocation the Town Board pursues under § 194-6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do garbage trucks have to be covered in the Town of Clay?
What happens if my trash is left at the curb because I set it out wrong?
Can a hauler litter while collecting trash in Clay?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clay
New York rules heatmap·Compare Clay to another location·View the New York trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Pickup Rules & Schedules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle pickup rules & schedules.