Brookhaven, NY Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Town Code Ch. 46, adopted 1988
- Collection frequency
- Once each week (§ 46-5B)
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Recycling & Sustainable Materials Mgmt.
- Scavenging penalty
- $25-$500 fine or 15 days jail
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
Summary
Brookhaven runs a mandatory curbside recycling program inside its garbage districts under Town Code Chapter 46. Residents must source-separate newspaper and other designated recyclables and set them out weekly on the Town's published schedule; the Department of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management enforces it.
Upon the effective date of this chapter, there is established within existing garbage districts in the Town a program ("curbside program") for separate collection of newspaper from all non-physically-disabled residents of the districts... Collection of newspaper pursuant to the curbside program established by this section shall be made once each week. Collection shall occur in accordance with a schedule advertised by the Town.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4966897; v79 updated 2026-05-28; through 05-28-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 46, adopted November 15, 1988, establishes the curbside program "within existing garbage districts in the Town" for separate collection of newspaper from all non-physically-disabled residents, and lets the Town Board expand it by resolution to paper, cardboard, commingled glass/cans/plastic containers and vegetative yard waste. Section 46-5B fixes collection at once each week on a Town-advertised schedule. The program automatically extends to any new garbage district on formation, and to other areas the Town Board designates 30 days after a resolution and newspaper notice. Enforcement runs through the Department of Recycling and Sustainable Materials Management, whose Commissioner may adopt rules implementing the chapter (§ 46-11).
Section 46-12 makes it unlawful for anyone other than an authorized hauler to take designated recyclables already placed at the roadside or in a recycling collection area, and separately unlawful to place non-designated material in or near a collection area, or to obstruct Town or Department personnel enforcing the chapter. Under § 46-13 the Town or its collectors may refuse to pick up solid waste from anyone who has clearly failed to source-separate.
Violations & Fines
Any unlawful conduct under Chapter 46, including unauthorized scavenging of set-out recyclables, carries up to 15 days imprisonment, community service, or a fine of not less than $25 and not more than $500, or a combination, per § 46-15A. Each continuing day of violation is a separate offense (§ 46-15B), and the Town may also sue in equity for an injunction under § 46-16.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is recycling mandatory in the Town of Brookhaven?
Can someone else take my recycling off the curb?
What happens if I don't separate my recyclables?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brookhaven
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Recycling Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Suffolk County handle recycling rules.