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

Waterbury treats leaves as a separated material, not trash. Section 50.35 establishes a program for the mandatory separation of compostable leaf waste material and yard trimmings from garbage or rubbish, with collection made under the supervision of the Superintendent of Waste Disposal. Section 50.37 then sets the curb rules: during the collection period residents place leaf waste, grass and lawn clippings in the manner the Board of Public Works prescribes, and until the Board prescribes something else the default is paper leaf bags set at the curbside on the designated collection days in a way that gives city crews access. Only leaf waste and yard trimmings may go in those bags.

The code defines the bag. A paper leaf bag is a Kraft paper sack of 30-gallon capacity, two-ply, 50-pound wet strength, with decomposing glue and a reinforced self-supporting square bottom. Plastic trash bags are banned for leaves during the collection period under § 50.37(C), and leaves cannot share a refuse container with other solid waste. The Bureau of Refuse Pick-up Guidelines page says the same thing in plain terms: grass clippings and leaves must be in bio-degradable paper bags only, and brush must be cut and tied, no more than 4 inches in diameter and no longer than 4 feet long.

The code sets the default calendar. Section 50.36 defines collection days as four Wednesdays in November and/or additional days the Superintendent designates, and the collection period as the month of November plus any additional times the Superintendent designates. The city's 2026 Refuse Collection Schedule, published by the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Refuse, marks yard waste collection days on its October, November and December grids, so the printed calendar controls when to set bags out, not the November default. The calendar marks Columbus Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas as No Collection days, and it marks Veterans Day (Wed Nov 11) as regular collection with Yard Waste Collection that day. It also says any refuse concern can be addressed by calling 203-574-6857.

There is also a drop-off option. The city-owned Mark Lane Transfer Facility at 220 Mark Lane accepts yard waste, again only in compostable yard waste bags for grass and leaves. That page lists brush as cut and tied, less than 4 inches in diameter and no more than 6 feet in length, which is longer than the 4-foot curbside limit, so cut to four feet if the brush is going to the curb. Each household gets four free pick-up-truck-size dumps of yard waste a year, and you need a valid Connecticut driver's license showing Waterbury residency.

Because leaves set out under the program belong to the city, § 50.38 makes it a violation for anyone other than authorized city agents to collect or pick up the leaf waste material placed at the curb.