Schenectady, NY Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Section 161-21, part of the Article III framework the City Council rewrote by Ordinance No. 2023-04 and again by Ordinance No. 2024-22, defines who gets city trash pickup and how bulky items move through that system. Subsection A commits the Department to collecting and disposing of residential solid waste, including institutional, mixed-residential and multi-residential users that elect and qualify for city service, and it bars depositing waste that did not originate in the City of Schenectady for city collection. Subsection B repeats the chapter's basic container rule for regular collection: residential solid waste must go out in plastic refuse bags tied at the top, whether bagged separately or placed inside a container, and any container used must hold no less than 10 and no more than 45 gallons.

For bulky and excess items collected beyond the regular bagged pickup, such as stoves, dishwashers, dryers, washers, mattresses, couches, chairs, tables and window air conditioners, § 161-21D requires the resident to affix a solid waste sticker before the item goes to the curb on the regular schedule. Stickers cost $5 each and are sold at the Bureau of Receipts at City Hall and other Mayor-designated locations, but every property owner receives three of these excess-waste stickers free each calendar year, mailed directly to the occupant of each residential collection point.