New Haven, CT Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Subsection (e) of § 30¾-12 sets the container standards for New Haven's residential solid waste collection, and paragraph (2) carves out yard waste specifically: "Yard waste, including but not limited to shrubs, sticks, branches and brush, that is collected, but not placed in containers (when permissible under this section), shall be tied in one (1) foot by one (1) foot bundles, and shall not exceed three (3) feet in length, and four (4) inches in diameter." Bundles share the same seventy-five-pound combined weight cap that applies to any container or bundle under subsection (g), and they must follow the same placement window as regular trash: out no earlier than twelve hours before the scheduled pickup and back in within twelve hours after, per subsection (f).

Branches or brush that exceed the three-foot length or four-inch diameter limit don't qualify as curbside yard waste. Subsection (l) lets the DPW director set rules for collecting bulk items "that exceed the size and weight limits as set forth above," and residents get two bulk assignments per calendar year; no one may place bulk material at the curb without an authorized appointment with the department. An oversized pile left at the curb without an appointment, or a bundle that's too heavy, can be refused: subsection (i) lists "abnormal amounts" and "bulky items and containers" among the valid reasons a crew may skip a pickup.

Leaves are not covered by this bundling rule. New Haven runs leaves through a separate mandatory leaf collection program under § 30¾-14, which requires leaves to go into paper leaf bags or barrels rather than being tied with brush; that section specifically bars mixing other yard waste or material into the paper leaf bags. Violations of the yard-waste and container rules in § 30¾-12, including its regulations, are fined under subsection (n) up to the maximum amount state law or the city code allows, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense.