May 7, 2024

NYC Trash, Recycling, and Garbage Pickup Schedule

When your space feels clean, it becomes a welcoming and pleasant place to spend your time. But if you’re surrounded by trash and recycling, you can go from relaxed to riled up in an instant. Whether you are a resident of New York City or are taking advantage of the Big Apple from an Airbnb or rental property, it’s important to properly dispose of your trash. Here, we’ve got a complete breakdown of the city’s trash pickup schedules, along with tips to help you make the most of this service. 

When is My Neighborhood’s Trash Pick-Up?

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) offers a convenient schedule showing pick-up dates for all five NYC boroughs. You can find the pickup schedule for your specific area by visiting the DSNY website or downloading the app.

Many neighborhoods have their trash collected several times per week, but you can count on having your trash collected at least once every week. To find out your pickup date, you can use the convenient address search feature on the DSNY website.

Trash pick-up is free for all NYC residents. If you’re moving into a residence that has never had collection service from DSNY before or that has been vacant, you can easily submit a new collection request. You will need to provide your name, a daytime phone number, and a copy of the Certificate of Occupancy for the residence. A temporary certificate of occupancy that is not expired is also acceptable. After your request is submitted, it is typically reviewed within two weeks.

So, what exactly should you include in your trash? You should discard any items that cannot be recycled, reused, or donated. Trash that can go in your bins or bags may include pet waste, film plastics (like bubble wrap or plastic wrap), CDs, wooden furniture, textiles, dishes, and more. When possible, recycle paper and glass items and compost food waste and yard waste.

Recycling Pick-Up

NYC residents have access to a recycling pickup service once per week in addition to trash pickup. The city’s recycling program currently accepts cardboard, paper, metal, plastic, glass, and cartons.

When you’re deciding what to recycle, first ensure that your items are empty or free of food debris. All kinds of metal are acceptable, from aluminum foil to empty paint cans to metal hardware and more. Glass bottles and jars are excellent recyclables, but you should not recycle other sources of glass like eyeglasses or mirrors. You can recycle drink cartons and boxes by removing the plastic film inside and recycling it separately.

Some items can be recycled but must be disposed of separately and cannot be mixed in with your other recyclables. These materials include electronics, medical waste, non-alkaline batteries, and anything labeled “hazardous” or “flammable.” If you need to dispose of any of these materials, contact DSNY or visit their website for more information. 

A quick note: Starting in October 2024, DSNY will be extending Curbside Composting service to all residents of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. (Residents of Brooklyn and Queens already have access to this service.) Your compost is (or will be) collected on your regular recycling pick-up day.

Garbage Pick-Up Holidays

NYC observes several major holidays that impact the regular garbage pick-up schedule, including President’s Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, and others. For a full list of holidays that impact sanitation services, visit the DSNY website or social media platforms.

In most cases, garbage pick-up will be delayed by one day. You’ll still place your trash outside at the normal time but will simply act one day behind schedule. By the following week, the pickup schedule will be back to normal.

Helpful Rules and Etiquette for Garbage Pick-Up

Have your bins out to the curb on the evening before your trash pick-up date. If your trash is in a bin, wait until after 6 PM; if you’re placing bags on the curb, wait until after 8 PM. Once your trash is picked up, try to bring your bins back in as quickly as possible. The same timing applies to recycling pick-up. If you’re using bags for your recycling, they must be clear.

When you’re placing your bins or bags outside, be mindful of food traffic. Any NYC resident knows just how many people walk down any given street each day, and trash can be a big obstacle (physically and literally) to moving through the city smoothly. Leave your bins as close to the curb as possible, and if your street is particularly busy, try to move your bins as soon after pick-up as you can.

Don’t overfill your bins, and make sure they’re not too heavy to lift. If you’re struggling to move your bin, there’s a good chance that a sanitation worker would struggle, too! Clean your trash bins occasionally to cut down on odors and avoid attracting insects and rodents.

If you have something particularly large or heavy to dispose of, you can set it outside next to your trash. There are special disposal rules for a few items, though. If you need to dispose of one of the following items, visit the DSNY website for specific instructions:

• Mattresses and box springs
• Carpets, rugs, and lumber
• Electronics
• Refrigerators and air conditioners
• Construction debris

We’ve already mentioned the final piece of etiquette, but it’s worth repeating: dispose of what you must, but try to recycle and compost as much as possible. New Yorkers get rid of more than 10,000 tons of garbage every day, and every item we can keep out of landfills makes a difference!

Working with White Glove Cleaner

Taking out the trash is a key part of keeping a clean home, but sometimes, it can feel overwhelming to stay on top of it. The good news is that you don’t have to handle all of your household cleaning alone.

White Glove Cleaner is one of the most trusted cleaning services in New York City, serving both residential and commercial customers. As part of our standard cleaning routine, we will gather and bag your trash and recyclables, so you can simply put out the bins or bags and be done!

White Glove Cleaner provides both one-time and recurring cleaning services, so you can schedule a special cleaning before a big event or have us return weekly, biweekly, or monthly to maintain a clean and tidy space. Our team members are individually vetted and background checked, and we provide our own equipment and cleaning solutions, saving you time and money. Learn more about our cleaning services including specialty offerings like home disinfecting services, move-in/move-out cleaning, or green cleaning by contacting White Glove Cleaner today.