Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Kingston
Trash Day
Trash is collected once per week, Monday through Thursday, depending on your street/neighborhood route.
Recycling
Recycling is collected weekly on your regular collection day, alternating weekly between paper/cardboard (yellow lid tote) and commingled glass, plastic, and metal (blue lid tote).
Yard Waste
Yard waste is collected bi-weekly on Fridays seasonally (spring through early December), alternating Fridays depending on your neighborhood trash day.
Set Out Time
By 6:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Standard residential curbside trash and recycling collection is covered through general city property taxes. Additional trash totes can be requested through the Department of Public Works for an annual fee.
Billing Cycle
Included in Property Taxes
Accepted Methods
Online, Mail, In Person
Pro Tip / Discount
Senior citizen, low-income disability, and veteran exemptions are available for municipal property taxes through the City Assessor's Office.
Brown Tote Bin (Trash)
All refuse must fit completely inside the closed brown tote. No extra bags, boxes, or personal cans will be serviced. Overfilling or placing items on the ground will lead to uncollected trash and potential municipal fines.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Styrofoam and packing peanuts
- ✓Broken ceramics
Blue Tote / Yellow-Lidded Tote Bin (Recycling)
Items must be sorted based on the alternating dual-stream schedule. Never bag your recyclables. Cardboard must be flattened, and all food residue must be rinsed from plastic and glass containers.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastics, glass, and metal cans (Blue Week)
- ✓Corrugated cardboard and mixed paper (Yellow Week)
- ✓Mail, magazines, and paper bags (Yellow Week)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic shopping bags
- ✕Biodegradable packing peanuts
- ✕Hardcover books (unless cover is removed)
- ✕Hazardous waste
- ✕Styrofoam
Yard Waste Bin
Organic debris must be placed in biodegradable paper bags or dedicated open containers—never inside the brown refuse tote. Branches must not exceed 4 feet in length and 3 inches in diameter, and they must be tied into manageable bundles.
Accepted Items
- ✓Fallen leaves
- ✓Garden debris
- ✓Small chipped branches
- ✓Tree prunings and shrubs
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By Appointment
Placement
Do not drag bulk items or appliances to the curb without first calling DPW dispatch to pay any required fees and lock in an authorized pickup date.
Accepted
- ✓ Couches and bulky furniture
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Refrigerators, A/C units, and dehumidifiers
- ✓ Televisions and electronics
Not Accepted
- ✕ Household hazardous waste (chemicals, oil, paint)
- ✕ Unpermitted construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Liquid latex or oil-based paints
Curbside rates include $25 for a mattress or couch, and $35 for freon appliances. Residents can save money by driving these items to the Transfer Station, which charges lower drop-off rates (e.g., $15 for furniture).
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
The Department of Public Works suspends collection operations on major observed holidays. When a holiday falls on your standard trash day, collections for that day and the remainder of the workweek will generally be delayed by one day.
Yard Waste Exception
Friday yard waste collections may be suspended or shifted depending on the week's holiday schedule, so check the official DPW calendar for alternating week disruptions.
Always refer to the exact DPW calendar matrix for specific holiday shifts, as minor holidays may affect administrative offices but not direct field routing.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Spring/Summer
April to NovemberCurbside yard waste and brush collection activates in mid-April. Depending on your designated trash day, yard waste is collected on specific Fridays alternating with the city's paper/cardboard recycling schedule.
Fall
October to NovemberHeavy leaf drop requires strict adherence to bagging rules. Leaves must be packed into biodegradable paper yard bags or open rigid bins. Sweeping leaves into the public roadway is a code violation.
Winter
JanuaryDPW crews perform targeted Christmas tree collections strictly during the month of January. You must completely strip the tree of all ornaments, tinsel, wires, metal stands, and plastic transport bags before leaving it at the curb.
Local Tips & Community Info
Kingston DPW's Automated Curbside Collection
The City of Kingston Department of Public Works (DPW) provides comprehensive curbside refuse collection utilizing a modernized, automated truck fleet. Every residential property is assigned specific municipal carts—one for standard household garbage and another for recyclables. Because the trucks rely on mechanical arms to lift and empty the bins, proper placement at the curb is absolutely critical. Residents must set their carts out by 6:00 a.m. on their scheduled collection day, ensuring the metal lift bar faces the street and the wheels face the house. You must also leave at least three feet of clearance around each cart, keeping them away from parked cars, utility poles, and mailboxes.
Single-Stream Recycling Protocols
To boost recycling rates and simplify the process for homeowners, Kingston utilizes a single-stream recycling system. This means you do not need to separate your cardboard, glass bottles, metal cans, and rigid plastics; they can all be co-mingled in your designated recycling cart. However, the DPW strictly prohibits plastic grocery bags, styrofoam, and tanglers like hoses or electrical cords in the recycling stream. Placing your recyclables inside a plastic garbage bag before tossing them in the cart will result in a rejected pickup, as these films get caught in the mechanical sorting gears at the processing facility.
Seasonal Leaf and Brush Removal
Keeping your yard pristine is supported by Kingston's seasonal organic waste programs. During the spring and fall months, the DPW coordinates city-wide brush and leaf pickups. Leaves must be raked into the tree board area (the space between the sidewalk and the curb) rather than directly into the street, where they could clog storm drains and cause localized flooding. For brush and branches, residents must cut the wood into lengths no longer than three feet and securely tie them into manageable bundles. Large logs, root balls, and tree stumps are never collected at the curb and require a private contractor.
E-Waste and UCRRA Disposal Facilities
When dealing with materials that cannot be tossed in your curbside bins, Kingston residents rely heavily on the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA). Items such as discarded televisions, computers, heavy appliances, and automotive tires are banned from standard garbage trucks due to environmental regulations. Homeowners must transport these specific items to the UCRRA facility. Additionally, the county agency hosts highly anticipated Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events annually, providing a safe avenue to dispose of old paint thinners, garden pesticides, and corrosive household chemicals.
Navigating Holiday Schedule Shifts
The DPW observes several major federal holidays throughout the year, including Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. During a week containing a recognized holiday, garbage and recycling routes scheduled on or after the holiday are typically delayed by exactly one day. For instance, if a holiday lands on a Monday, the Monday route will be collected on Tuesday, and this cascading delay will continue through Saturday. To avoid missing your pickup window, residents should consult the official Kingston DPW calendar distributed annually or check the city's digital alerts page.
Drop-off Facilities
UCRRA Kingston Transfer Station & MRF
999 Flatbush Road, Kingston, NY 12401
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do I need to place my garbage cart at the curb in Kingston?
Your municipal refuse and recycling carts must be placed at the curb no later than 6:00 a.m. on your designated pickup day to ensure they are emptied by the automated trucks.
Do I have to sort my recycling into different bins?
No. The City of Kingston uses a single-stream recycling system. You can mix your flattened cardboard, glass, metal, and clean plastics in the same recycling cart, provided they are loose and not bagged.
Where can I safely dispose of an old television or computer monitor?
Electronic waste is prohibited from curbside trash collection. Kingston residents must take e-waste directly to the Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency (UCRRA) for proper environmental processing.