Ulster County, NY Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Materials required
- Glass, metal, plastic, paper, cardboard
- Applies to
- All persons in the County
- Authority
- Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency
- Multifamily plan due
- March 1 annually
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000/day
Summary
Ulster County requires every resident and business to separate glass, metal, plastic, paper and cardboard from the trash before disposal, enforced by the Resource Recovery Agency.
A program is hereby established within Ulster County for the mandatory source separation of regulated recyclable materials from the solid waste stream. Regulated recyclable materials established under this article shall, as defined in § 304-9, include the following: glass, metal cans, plastics, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, paperboard, and mixed paper. All persons shall separate regulated recyclable materials from solid waste before either setting out solid waste for collection pursuant to lawful procedure or disposing of it in an authorized solid waste management facility.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4818905; v25 updated 2025-11-18; through 11-18-2025).
Full Breakdown
County Code § 304-12 establishes a mandatory source-separation program covering glass, metal cans, plastics, newspaper, corrugated cardboard, paperboard and mixed paper: the materials the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency calls 'regulated recyclable materials.' Section 304-13 requires every person in the County to pull these items out of the solid waste stream before setting trash out for collection or delivering it to a disposal facility, following separation rules the Agency posts online and at transfer stations. Multifamily buildings of five or more units must file a Recycling Plan with the Agency each March 1, and commercial or institutional generators with 10 or more employees must file their own waste-reduction plan. Haulers and facilities that mix recyclables back into solid waste are separately liable under the article.
Violations & Fines
Failing to separate recyclables from trash, or mixing them with solid waste, is a violation carrying civil penalties up to $1,000 per day under § 304-26.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has to be recycled in Ulster County?
Do apartment buildings have separate recycling rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ulster County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Ulster County to another location·View the New York trash & recycling overview
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