Tompkins County, NY Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Tompkins County Code § 140-7
- Bin removal deadline
- 8:00 p.m. on collection day
- Collectors allowed
- Licensed or county recycling haulers only
- Hauler reporting
- Quarterly, by Feb/May/Aug/Nov 1
- Enforcement
- Appearance tickets under § 140-10
Summary
Tompkins County limits recyclables collection to licensed or county-authorized haulers and requires residents to pull empty curbside recycling bins in by 8:00 p.m. on collection day. Haulers may refuse to pick up trash that hasn't had recyclables removed, and violations can bring a criminal appearance ticket.
§ 140-7. Collection of regulated recyclables. A. Authority to collect. (1) Only persons acting under the authority of a county recycling hauler shall collect, pick up, remove, or cause to be collected, picked up, or removed, any recyclables placed in or adjacent to a recycling container for collection by the county as part of a county-sponsored program. ... B. ... Empty curbside recycling containers shall be removed from the curbside or other place of collection by the waste generator responsible for placing the recycling container at curbside no later than 8:00 p.m. the day on which collection is made from the premises.
Full Breakdown
Section 140-7 of the Tompkins County Code, part of the Mandatory Recycling Law in Chapter 140, controls who may collect recyclables and how curbside collection must run. deadline. The rule does not stop private reuse: a person may arrange private collection, sale, or donation of recyclables, but those materials cannot be set out curbside on or immediately before the scheduled county collection day, and any applicable reporting requirements still apply. Section 140-8 separately requires haulers to keep records of noncompliance notices given to customers, including name, address, and issuance date, delivered to the Solid Waste Manager quarterly (February 1, May 1, August 1, November 1).
Violations of these collection rules fall under the same § 140-10 enforcement scheme covering the rest of Article I, letting police officers, peace officers, and the Solid Waste Manager issue appearance tickets for noncompliance.
Violations & Fines
Collecting recyclables without being a licensed hauler or county recycling hauler, or leaving an empty curbside recycling container out past 8:00 p.m. on collection day, violates § 140-7. Enforcement runs through § 140-10's appearance-ticket process, with fines escalating from $15 for a first violation up to a $2,500 misdemeanor after repeat offenses within 24 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is allowed to collect my recycling in Tompkins County?
By when do I need to bring in my recycling bin?
Can a hauler refuse to pick up my trash if I didn't separate recyclables?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tompkins County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Tompkins County to another location·View the New York trash & recycling overview
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