New York City Department of Sanitation: reviews, rating and service info

New York City Department of Sanitation collection is free at the curb for most residential buildings, on days set by address, for trash, recycling and compost. Compost runs weekly on the recycling day. Properties with one to nine units must set trash out in an official NYC Bin, and full enforcement began September 8, 2026. Find your days with the collection schedule lookup linked from 311.

Serves: New York City.

What they collect and how often

Recycling covers metal, glass, plastic, cartons and paper, in labeled bins or clear bags. Food and yard waste must stay out of the trash and go in a labeled compost bin of 55 gallons or less with a lid, collected weekly on the recycling day.

Find your collection day

Enter the address in DSNY’s collection schedule lookup, linked from 311’s schedule article. If the days shown are wrong for your building, report it through 311 or 212-639-9675.

Set-out rules

Bins with lids go out after 6 p.m. the night before, bags after 8 p.m., and everything by midnight. Buildings with one to nine units must use an official NYC Bin for trash. Buildings with 10 or more units may still use a lidded bin, or bags after 8 p.m., until Empire Bins reach them. A missing bin or wrong set-out costs the owner $50, then $100, then $200 within 12 months.

Holidays

Collection can change on Sanitation holidays. DSNY skips most federal holidays and asks residents to check close to each date. The 2026 dates still ahead are Monday, October 12; Tuesday, November 3 (Election Day); Wednesday, November 11; Thursday, November 26; and Friday, December 25. Snow and severe weather can also delay or suspend routes.

Bulk, brush and special items

Up to six large items a collection day go out free between 6 p.m. and midnight: mostly metal or rigid plastic items with recycling, everything else on the trash-only day. Mattresses and box springs go out sealed in plastic on the trash-only day, or they are left behind and the owner can be fined $50, then $100, then $200. Refrigerators, air conditioners and other appliances with Freon need a CFC removal appointment first.

Hazardous waste, electronics and drop-off

DSNY’s Special Waste Drop-Off sites, one per borough, open Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., except legal holidays and severe weather, for NYC residents. They take lithium-ion and other batteries, e-waste, vapes, fluorescent bulbs, up to five gallons of paint, 10 quarts of motor oil and four car tires. SAFE Disposal events also take cleaners, pesticides, gasoline, gas cylinders, medications and sharps.

Missed pickup and contacts

Report a missed collection through 311, online or by phone, from 8 a.m. the day after your collection day, and leave the material at the curb; DSNY collects within five days of the report. Misses are not accepted for suspended days or wrong set-outs. For help, call 311 or 212-639-9675.

What this is not

Buildings whose owners chose a private carter, buildings without a certificate of occupancy and some areas under rezoning are not on DSNY routes. Empire Bins are locked on-street containers, required for buildings with 31 or more units and optional at 10 to 30, installed district by district: Manhattan district 9 first, Brooklyn district 2 in fall 2026, all by 2032. They are not the NYC Bin.

On Trashbagging

• New York City trash pickup and recycling rules and New York trash and recycling rules.
• Guides: lithium-ion batteries, mattresses, paint, household hazardous waste.

Context photo: Manhattan skyline in New York City. Sujit kumar, 2007-11-30. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source. Resized for web.