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

Islip regulates leaves through Chapter 21, Solid Waste, where the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Control sets the schedule. Section 21-2 defines YARD WASTE as leaves, grass clippings, garden debris, shrubs, branches and similar agricultural waste material as designated by the Commissioner, and § 21-4B gives the Commissioner authority to designate the day or days on which waste is placed out for collection. Chapter 21 prints no leaf collection dates, so the dates come from the Town's own documents.

The rules below reach residences only. Section 21-2 defines a RESIDENCE as a building or parcel of land having three or fewer dwelling units, located within and serviced through a Special Garbage and Refuse District, and § 21-4 is the section written for those residences. The Town's guide applies only to residential homes and household waste and does not include Fair Harbor residential collection. Commercial properties fall under § 21-5, which makes it unlawful to obtain solid waste and recyclables collection from a person not licensed under the chapter.

The 2026 WRAP Recycling and Events Calendar lists Fall Unlimited Yard Waste as October 26 to December 19 and says to refer to the seasonal mailing card for your collection schedule. The Town holds Unlimited Yard Waste Collection three times a year, and the 2026 calendar prints Winter (January 5 to 16), Spring (April 13 to May 16) and Fall. During these programs, leaves, logs, stumps, branches and brush are collected curbside separately from garbage.

The Town's Residential Collection and Disposal Guide sets the set-out rules. Its Leaves entry says natural yard waste such as leaves must be bagged, pailed, under 50 lbs. Its Yard Waste entry lists leaves with branches, logs, bushes, brush and weeds and says all of it must be bagged, pailed or securely bundled, under 4'x 2'x 2', under 50 lbs., with the dirt removed. All pails and garbage must be placed out prior to 6:00 a.m. on the scheduled day, in one unobstructed curbside location in front of your home. The guide lists no loose-pile or leaf-vacuum option.

Outside the program, a limited number of yard waste items go out with the regular garbage, or you can take them to the MacArthur Compost Facility. Open burning of leaves is prohibited under § 19-34.1 unless a permit has first been obtained from the state or local air and water quality management authority.