Amherst, NY Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Section 169-5C sets Amherst's yard waste preparation rules within the broader waste-preparation article. Yard waste, defined in § 169-3 as grass, leaves, brush, plants, weeds, garden and lawn dirt, and fireplace or wood-stove ash, must be placed out for collection on the same day as normal garbage, packed in solid-bottom containers or paper yard waste bags; the code is explicit that no yard waste may be placed in any plastic bag for pickup. Brush and tree parts that result from work the owner or occupant performed personally, not a hired contractor, may be set out with the yard waste if tied into bundles no longer than four feet, no more than 24 inches in diameter, and weighing no more than 60 pounds; smaller amounts of brush may instead go in solid-bottom containers.

Section 169-5C(3) preserves residents' right to use their own yard waste for compost, mulch or other agricultural, silvicultural, gardening or landscaping purposes instead of setting it out. Contractor-generated brush is treated differently: § 169-8A requires commercial contractors to haul away all brush and tree parts they remove rather than leaving them in the public right-of-way, except temporarily while the work is underway. Every bundle or filled container, yard waste included, is also capped under § 169-5J at 48 inches in length, 40 gallons in volume, or 60 pounds in weight.