Rockland County, NY Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Bag type required
- Biodegradable Kraft leaf bags
- Excluded from yard waste
- Trees and tree stumps
- Governing section
- § 350-8
- Landscaper rule
- Must deliver to designated facility, § 350-13
- Max penalty
- $1,000 per violation
Summary
County Code § 350-8 requires residents to keep yard waste, grass clippings, leaves and brush, separate from other trash and bag it in biodegradable leaf bags for curbside pickup, unless their town or village directs otherwise.
In order to provide for public health and safety, each person creating his or her own yard waste shall provide for the separation of yard waste from all other types of waste and shall provide for the placement of such yard waste into biodegradable leaf bags at curbside for collection by a hauler, or as directed by the municipality where the person resides or has a place of business.
Full Breakdown
Section 350-8A requires that each person creating his or her own yard waste provide for the separation of yard waste from all other types of waste and place it into biodegradable leaf bags at curbside for collection by a hauler, or as directed by the municipality where the person resides. The Code's § 350-2 definition of "YARD WASTE" covers grass clippings, leaves and brush generated in the county, expressly excluding trees and tree stumps, and lets the Rockland County Solid Waste Management Authority add other green waste categories by resolution.
"BIODEGRADABLE LEAF BAGS" are defined as Kraft paper bags used for storing and composting yard waste. Section 350-8B requires that all yard waste placed at curbside be delivered to a designated facility, and § 350-8C extends the same delivery requirement to yard waste a landscaper collects or consolidates from a job site. Landscapers face separate obligations under § 350-13: they may not take yard waste anywhere but a designated facility, may not mix it with other waste, and must file written quarterly volume reports to the Department of Health and the Authority, unless the landscaper has an Authority-approved green waste recycling program under § 350-3F.
Violations & Fines
Mixing yard waste into a solid-waste or recyclables container, or a landscaper delivering it to an unauthorized site, violates §§ 350-8 and 350-13. The Commissioner of Health can impose a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation under § 350-15, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What bags must I use for leaves and grass clippings in Rockland County?
Are tree stumps picked up as yard waste?
Do landscapers follow different rules than homeowners for yard waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rockland County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Rockland County to another location·View the New York trash & recycling overview
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