Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Ithaca
Trash Day
Trash is collected once weekly, Monday through Thursday, depending on your street and neighborhood route.
Recycling
Recycling is collected every other week on the same day as your trash pickup by Tompkins County Solid Waste.
Yard Waste
Yard waste is collected seasonally from April through November on weeks opposite recycling, on your regular trash collection day.
Set Out Time
By 4:00 AM on collection day (or placed out the evening before)
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Ithaca utilizes a Pay-As-You-Throw program, meaning trash collection is funded through pre-purchased tags sold at City Hall and local retail markets (like Wegmans and GreenStar) rather than billed as a recurring monthly line item.
Billing Cycle
Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) via trash tags; City water and sewer utilities are billed Quarterly
Accepted Methods
Online, ACH/Direct Debit, Credit Card, Debit Card, Mail, In-Person
Resident-provided bag or can Bin (Trash)
Requires one $6.00 Trash Tag per 35 lbs. Trash cans or plastic bags may be used. Containers must not exceed 32 gallons and the total weight cannot exceed 70 pounds. Place out the night before your scheduled collection.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Food wrappers
Green (County bin) or Resident-provided (up to 50 gallons) Bin (Recycling)
Collected every other week. Containers must not exceed 40 pounds when full. Do not put items in plastic bags; place them loosely in the bin.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean cardboard and mixed paper
- ✓Paper coffee cups (empty, no lid/straw)
- ✓Plastics #1, #2, and #5
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Metal cans
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Black plastic containers
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Food and beverage cartons (milk, juice, soup)
- ✕Electronics and batteries
Yard Waste Bin
Collected on weeks opposite of recycling (April-Nov). Requires a $1.50 Yard Waste Tag per bundle/bag. Must use bio-degradable paper bags or open trash cans. No plastic bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Brush (bundled, max 4 ft long)
- ✓Branches (max 2 inches diameter)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
No municipal curbside bulk pickup.
Placement
Items must be hauled directly to the Tompkins County RSWC at 160 Commercial Ave during standard operating hours.
Accepted
- ✓ Refrigerators and freezers
- ✓ Furniture and mattresses
- ✓ Scrap metal
- ✓ Tires (Category 1a/1b)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Hazardous waste (unless during specific HHW event days)
Disposal fees apply and are calculated based on the specific material type, size, and total weight of the load dropped off at the RSWC.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Trash is not collected on any major holiday or the day the holiday is officially observed by administrative offices. Trash collection will be pushed back by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste follows the exact same holiday delay schedule as regular trash but is typically collected later in the afternoon.
For exact recycling date shifts during holiday weeks, refer to the Tompkins County Recycling calendar, as they manage the county-wide curbside pickup schedule.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Spring/Summer
April to NovemberCurbside yard waste collection kicks off in early April and continues through the end of November, or until the first major snowfall. Remember that yard waste is picked up on the weeks opposite your recycling collection.
Winter
December to FebruaryDuring significant snowstorms, trash collection routes may be delayed. Ensure your bags and bins are placed clearly visible at the curb and not buried behind snowbanks so crews can safely access them.
Post-Holiday
Late December to JanuaryNatural Christmas trees stripped of all lights, tinsel, and ornaments can be dropped off entirely free of charge at the Tompkins County Recycling and Solid Waste Center (RSWC) yard waste area through the end of January.
Local Tips & Community Info
The Pay-As-You-Throw Trash Tag System
The City of Ithaca employs a unique pay-as-you-throw model to manage municipal solid waste. Unlike municipalities that charge a flat tax fee for garbage, Ithaca requires residents to attach official Trash Tags to their refuse. As of 2026, each individual tag costs $6.00 and covers up to 35 pounds of household garbage. You can purchase these tags in sheets of six for $36.00 at the City Hall, Cornell Campus Store, GreenStar Co-Op, and various local supermarkets including Wegmans and Tops. The tag must be securely wrapped around the neck of a plastic bag or attached to the handle of your garbage can for easy visibility by the sanitation crew.
Container Weight Limits and Set-Out Rules
Strict limits apply to how much you can throw away per container. You may use plastic bags or standard trash cans, but the cans must not exceed 32 gallons in capacity. If you place multiple bags inside a single garbage can, you must attach a tag for every 35 pounds of waste, and the absolute maximum weight for any single filled container is 70 pounds. Residents are allowed to place their properly tagged garbage at the curb up to 24 hours before their scheduled collection day. Because Department of Public Works (DPW) crews begin their routes at 4:00 AM, it is highly recommended to set your bins out the night before.
Tompkins County Single-Stream Recycling
Curbside recycling in Ithaca is managed cooperatively with the Tompkins County Department of Recycling and Materials Management. Residents use covered bins to mix allowable recyclables, including cardboard, glass, metals, and plastics. A major update for the 2026 recycling guidelines now permits residents to recycle everyday paper beverage cups—a significant change driven by new processing technology that separates the plastic lining from the paper fiber. Just ensure the paper cups are completely empty and both lids and straws are removed. Styrofoam, however, remains strictly prohibited from the curbside bins.
Seasonal Yard Waste Requirements
From April through November, the city offers dedicated curbside yard waste collection on the weeks opposite your normal recycling pickup. Similar to standard garbage, yard waste requires specific tags to cover operational costs. Yard waste tags are priced at $1.50 per item and can be purchased at the same retail locations as trash tags. Acceptable organic materials like leaves and grass must be placed in biodegradable paper lawn bags or open, un-lidded trash cans. Branches must be tied with twine into bundles shorter than 4 feet and weighing less than 50 pounds, with individual branches not exceeding 2 inches in diameter.
Modifying Schedules for Major Holidays
The City of Ithaca DPW pauses collection operations for major federally recognized holidays. When administrative offices are closed for a holiday, all subsequent trash and yard waste collections for that week are delayed by exactly one day. For example, if a holiday lands on a Monday, Monday's route is picked up on Tuesday, and Friday's route is serviced on Saturday. Always verify your specific neighborhood's schedule during holiday weeks by utilizing the city's digital Resident Services Search Tool.
Drop-off Facilities
Tompkins County Recycling and Solid Waste Center (RSWC)
160 Commercial Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do City of Ithaca trash tags cost and where can I find them?
As of 2026, trash tags cost $6.00 each or $36.00 for a sheet of six. They can be purchased at City Hall, GreenStar Co-Op locations, Wegmans, Tops, Agway, and several other local retailers.
What time do I need to put my garbage out for collection?
Sanitation crews begin their routes exceptionally early, starting at 4:00 AM. Therefore, the city advises placing your tagged garbage at the curb the night before your scheduled collection day.
Are paper coffee cups accepted in Ithaca's recycling program?
Yes. Following the latest Tompkins County recycling updates, clean and empty paper cups are now accepted in your curbside bin. However, you must throw away the lid and straw in the regular trash.