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

County Code § 304-19 requires everyone in Ulster County to keep yard waste, grass clippings, leaves, twigs, branches, weeds, brush and clean wood, as defined in § 304-9, separate from solid waste so it can be collected and composted rather than landfilled. Municipalities may run their own composting facility or send yard waste to one the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency designates; a hauler may deliver to a private composter only if no facility is designated. The section explicitly protects backyard composting, so residents who compost their own leaves and clippings at home are not required to set them out for county collection. The Agency may issue further rules governing preparation and separation of yard waste, posted online and at transfer stations.