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Broome County, NY Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
§ 317-28, multifamily buildings and complexes
Who's covered
apartments, condos, co-ops, hotels, motels, resort colonies
Owner duty
provide, maintain neat and sanitary dropoff area
Condo associations
association responsible where one exists
Tenant duty
separate recyclables, deposit at dropoff as directed

Summary

Apartment buildings, condos, cooperatives, hotels, motels and resort colonies in Broome County must run their own recycling dropoff program wherever curbside collection isn't used. Owners and managers keep the dropoff area clean and available under section 317-28, and tenants are responsible for sorting their own recyclables into it.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Broome County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

A. Apartment complexes, condominium complexes, cooperative apartments, hotels, motels and bungalow or resort colonies shall be required to establish a private dropoff program for the source separation of recyclable materials for collection and transportation to a recycling facility where curbside collection is not practiced or desired. B. The owner and/or manager of every multifamily apartment building or condominium within the County shall provide and maintain, in a neat and sanitary condition, recycling dropoffs to receive all recyclable materials generated by residents of the building or complex.

Full Breakdown

Section 317-28 of the Mandatory Source Separation Law carves out a separate rule for multifamily and lodging properties that don't get individual curbside pickup. Apartment complexes, condominium complexes, cooperative apartments, hotels, motels, and bungalow or resort colonies must establish a private dropoff program so residents and guests can source-separate recyclables for pickup and transport to a recycling facility. The duty to provide and maintain that dropoff falls on the building's owner or manager, who must keep it in a neat and sanitary condition and stocked to receive every category of recyclable material the county requires under section 317-26, from paper and glass to metals and plastics.

Where a condominium association runs the property, the association itself takes on that maintenance responsibility rather than any individual unit owner. Tenants and residents still carry their own duty: it's on them to separate designated recyclables from their household trash and deposit them at the dropoff the way the property's management directs. This section sits inside the same Article IV that makes source separation mandatory countywide, so a landlord who skips the dropoff program, or lets it become unsanitary or unusable, is out of compliance with the same law that penalizes any other generator's failure to separate recyclables.

Violations & Fines

Article IV doesn't carry its own separate fine schedule for landlords; noncompliance with the dropoff-program duty is enforced as a violation of the Mandatory Source Separation Law under section 317-17, the same section that penalizes any other failure to source-separate, with a fine of up to $500, up to 15 days in jail, or both, and possible loss of hauling or disposal privileges for a responsible hauler.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my apartment building have to offer recycling in Broome County?
Yes. Under section 317-28, apartment complexes, condominiums, cooperatives, hotels, motels and resort colonies without curbside pickup must set up a private recycling dropoff program. The owner or manager, or the condominium association where one exists, is responsible for providing and maintaining it in a neat, sanitary condition.
Whose job is it to sort recyclables at an apartment complex?
Both sides have a role. The property owner or manager must provide and maintain a clean, working dropoff area under section 317-28, while each tenant is responsible for separating designated recyclables from their household trash and depositing them there as the property's management directs.
What can happen if a landlord doesn't provide a recycling dropoff?
It's treated as noncompliance with the Mandatory Source Separation Law and enforced under section 317-17, the same penalty section covering any failure to source-separate: a fine of up to $500, up to 15 days in jail, or both, and repeated noncompliance can draw attention from the Division of Solid Waste Management, which administers the program countywide.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Broome County

All Broome County rules

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