Glen Cove, NY Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Glen Cove built its recycling law to satisfy the New York State Solid Waste Management Act of 1988, which required municipalities to adopt laws regulating and enforcing separation of solid waste into marketable, recyclable or reusable components, as § 235-1B(2) states directly. Section 235-22 dates the mandatory curbside program to its effective date, August 9, 1988, and makes participation mandatory for every residential, commercial, industrial and institutional entity within the City rather than optional or fee-based. The list of what counts as a recyclable is not frozen in the code text: § 235-22 lets the City Council expand or shorten it by resolution as markets for particular materials change, and § 235-2's definitions currently cover clear, amber, brown and green glass; aluminum, tin, ferrous and bimetal cans; scrap and bulk metal, excluding tanks, boilers and pipe over four feet; newspaper and other paper products; and PET and HDPE plastic containers.

Lead-acid batteries and motor oil are treated as recyclable but are kept out of the curbside pickup and must go to a dedicated drop-off or retailer instead. Section 235-20 extends the whole article to every person owning property or residing or doing business within the limits of the City, and the Director of Public Works supervises collection and can adjust operating rules under § 235-21 as long as they do not conflict with the article's intent.