Provided by Private Hauler Bin (Trash)
Trash must be placed in carts provided by your private hauler. Bins should typically be placed at the curb the night before or by 6:00 AM on collection day. Follow your specific carter's container weight limits.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household refuse
- ✓Food packaging and wrappers
- ✓Non-recyclable paper and plastics
- ✓Styrofoam
Provided by Private Hauler Bin (Recycling)
Monroe County mandates single-stream recycling. Place all clean and empty recyclables loosely in the bin. Do not bag your recycling in plastic garbage bags, as this causes severe sorting issues at the facility.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flattened cardboard
- ✓Office paper, magazines, and mail
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic shopping bags
- ✕Electronic waste
- ✕Batteries (alkaline and lithium)
- ✕Tanglers (hoses, cords)
- ✕Scrap metal
Yard Waste Bin
The Highway Department collects brush at the curb. Ensure branches are stacked with cut ends facing the same direction. Leaves must be unbagged and kept on the grass edge, completely out of the paved gutter.
Accepted Items
- ✓Brush and shrubs
- ✓Tree branches (6 to 8 feet in length)
- ✓Clean wood (cut to 4-foot lengths without nails)
- ✓Leaves (during fall collection only)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
On-demand via private hauler arrangement.
Placement
Do not place bulky items at the curb without first scheduling and confirming a pickup date with your private hauler to avoid violating local town nuisance and right-of-way ordinances.
Accepted
- ✓ Sofas and large furniture
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Appliances (via private hauler rules)
- ✓ Rolled carpeting
Not Accepted
- ✕ Televisions and computer monitors
- ✕ Household hazardous waste
- ✕ Liquid paint
- ✕ Tires (except during specific town spring week)
Private haulers will charge additional per-item or volume-based fees for bulk item removal, as this is not covered by standard weekly subscription rates.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Major private haulers generally observe these six core holidays. If a holiday falls on a weekday, curbside trash and recycling collections are pushed back one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Highway Department brush and leaf operations do not run on town-observed holidays. During peak fall leaf season, a holiday closure simply means the vacuum trucks will resume their continuous route the following business day.
Because you contract privately, always consult your specific hauler (e.g., Casella, WM, Oaks) for their precise holiday schedule, as minor holidays like Columbus Day or Veterans Day may not trigger a delay.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep the Gutters Clear
Never rake your fall leaves directly into the street or gutter. Wet leaves form a dam over storm grates, leading to severe localized street flooding. Always keep your leaf piles on the grass easement behind the curb.
No Grass Clippings for the Town
The Gates Highway Department does not collect grass clippings during their weekly brush routes. You must either mulch your grass clippings into your lawn or bag them to be thrown away by your private garbage hauler.
Unbag Your Fall Leaves
When participating in the town's fall leaf vacuuming program, leave the piles completely loose. The industrial vacuum trucks cannot process plastic or paper lawn bags, and any bagged leaves will simply be left behind.
Seasonal Information
Spring
MayDuring the first week of May, the Gates Highway Department typically offers a special tire collection, picking up a maximum of two unmounted passenger tires per household.
Fall
Late October - Mid-DecemberStandard brush collection is suspended to allocate all equipment and manpower to leaf vacuuming. Collection speeds are highly dependent on weather; wet or frozen leaves take significantly longer to process.
Winter
JanuaryThe Highway Department collects discarded Christmas trees at the curb throughout January as weather permits. Ensure all lights, ornaments, and stands are completely removed before setting the tree out.
About Gates Waste Management
Private Garbage Subscription System in Gates
The Town of Gates does not provide municipal trash or recycling collection for household refuse. Instead, residents must set up a private subscription with one of the town-approved haulers, which include Casella Waste Systems, Waste Management, Oaks Disposal Service, White Trash Rubbish Disposal, and a few others. Because you independently contract with these carters, your exact collection day, billing rates, and specific cart rules are entirely determined by the company you hire.
Robust Municipal Brush Collection Program
While household trash is privatized, the Gates Highway Department takes great pride in offering a dedicated weekly brush collection service. Starting in April and running until the fall leaf season, town crews sweep neighborhoods to collect organic yard debris. They utilize specialized equipment, deploying standard packer trucks for smaller shrub clippings and heavy-duty Prentiss loaders with mechanical claws for larger tree logs and branches. The collected brush is heavily recycled into mulch or composted at the Monroe County Ecopark.
Fall Leaf Vacuuming Operations
From late October through mid-December, the Highway Department shifts its focus entirely to fall leaf collection, pausing the standard brush pickup. Crews follow a continuous route through the town, vacuuming up massive piles of leaves. A critical town rule is that leaves must never be raked directly into the street gutters, as they easily clog storm drains and cause roadway flooding during autumn storms. Instead, residents must pile unbagged leaves on the grass easement immediately adjacent to the road.
Utilizing the Monroe County Ecopark
Private garbage haulers are strictly prohibited from accepting electronics, wet paints, and household hazardous waste. Fortunately, Gates residents have incredibly close access to the Monroe County Ecopark located at 10 Avion Drive. This centralized facility serves as the premier drop-off destination for safely disposing of computer monitors, televisions, old chemicals, and other hard-to-handle items that threaten local groundwater if improperly landfilled.
Drop-off Facilities
Monroe County Ecopark
10 Avion Drive, Rochester, NY 14624
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is responsible for garbage collection in the Town of Gates?
The Town of Gates does not offer municipal garbage collection. Residents are responsible for hiring a town-approved private waste management company, such as Casella, Waste Management, Oaks Disposal, or White Trash Rubbish Disposal.
When does the town pick up fall leaves?
The Gates Highway Department runs its leaf vacuuming program from late October through mid-December, weather permitting. Leaves must be left loose and unbagged on the grass edge near the road, not in the paved gutter.
Will the town Highway Department pick up my old couch or mattress?
No. The Highway Department only collects yard brush, leaves, and very small piles of dirt or concrete. For furniture, mattresses, and appliances, you must contact your private garbage hauler to arrange a bulky item pickup for a fee.
What should I do with my grass clippings?
Grass clippings are strictly excluded from the town's weekly brush collection. You should either leave the clippings on your lawn as natural fertilizer or dispose of them in your regular household trash bin serviced by your private hauler.