Tonawanda, NY Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Chapter 181 establishes the Town's waste and recycling program under Section 181-3, putting the Superintendent of Highways in charge of writing implementing rules known as the Town of Tonawanda Recycling Regulations, subject to Town Board approval and amendment under Section 181-6. Properties served by the Town's own collection use Town-owned totes described in Section 181-3.1, first supplied by the Highway Department and replaced at a cost the Town Board sets. Residents and businesses that instead hire a private hauler are not exempt from separating recyclables: Section 181-7A requires anyone using a private collector to separate recyclable material, including newspaper, cardboard, glass, cans and plastic, from nonrecyclable refuse before the contractor picks it up, and Section 181-7B requires every licensed private collector to actually provide recycling collection wherever an economic market exists.

Private collectors themselves must register annually with the Town Clerk, pay a fee set by the Town Board, and report the tonnage of garbage and recyclables they haul under Section 181-7C. Enforcement runs through the Superintendent of Highways and the Code Enforcement Officer, who may issue appearance tickets under Section 181-20. A violation of the program or its regulations escalates from a written warning on a first offense up through a $250 fine for a fifth or later violation within twelve months, under Section 181-22.