PKGO toter with Black Lid Bin (Trash)
All garbage must be placed inside plastic bags before going into the black-lidded PKGO toter. Place at the curb no earlier than 5:00 PM the night before pickup and space bins 3 feet apart with handles facing the home.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
PKGO toter with Blue Lid Bin (Recycling)
Items must be placed loosely in the blue-lidded toter. Do not use plastic bags. Rinse all food and beverage containers completely clean before recycling.
Accepted Items
- ✓Clean glass bottles and jars
- ✓Plastic bottles and tubs
- ✓Metal and tin cans
- ✓Newspapers, magazines, and junk mail
- ✓Flat and corrugated cardboard
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic grocery bags
- ✕Pizza boxes
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Scrap metal
- ✕Paper towels
- ✕Electronics
Yard Waste Bin
Must be placed in biodegradable paper bags, a clean un-lidded garbage can, or tied into bundles. Place at the curb no earlier than 5:00 PM on Tuesday for Wednesday collection. Plastic bags are strictly prohibited.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Garden debris
- ✓Brush and branches (under 3 inches thick, cut to 3-foot lengths)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By paid appointment or bi-annual free drop-off
Placement
For scheduled curbside service, items must not be placed out prior to the night before the scheduled pickup day. For the drop-off program, resident must accompany the load to the Transfer Station.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture
- ✓ Carpets
- ✓ Bedding
- ✓ Major appliances (freon items require a $15 fee)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction debris
- ✕ Propane tanks
- ✕ Hazardous waste
- ✕ Yard debris mixed with bulk
Curbside pickups require a $35 baseline fee (waived for seniors 65+). Special surcharges apply: $15 for mattresses/freon units and $10 for tires.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Holidays generally delay service. Always check the official city holiday schedule, but keep in mind that if regular sanitation routes are bumped to a Wednesday, that week's yard debris pickup is completely suspended.
Yard Waste Exception
Suspended during any holiday week where standard trash and recycling routes overlap into Wednesday.
Any week featuring a holiday modifies the pickup schedule; call the DPW at 845-451-4111 if you are unsure of your specific adjusted day.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Skip the Plastic Bags for Recycling
The fastest way to get your blue-lidded PKGO toter rejected is by bagging your recyclables in plastic grocery bags. Plastic film tangles in the sorting facility's gears, so all paper, glass, and plastic must go loosely into the bin.
No Pizza Boxes Allowed
While clean corrugated cardboard is highly encouraged, the city's recycling guidelines explicitly prohibit pizza boxes. The grease and food residue contaminate the paper fibers during the recycling process. Throw greasy boxes in your black-lidded trash toter.
Keep Dirt and Rocks Out
Neither your yard debris piles nor your standard PKGO toters can be used to dispose of rocks, dirt, concrete, or hot ashes. These heavy materials damage collection equipment and pose safety risks to sanitation workers.
Seasonal Information
Spring
April to MaySpring yard debris collection officially kicks off in April. Additionally, May marks the first of the two annual free bulk drop-off windows at the Howard Street Transfer Station for sanitation fee-paying residents.
Autumn
October to NovemberWednesday yard debris collection remains active through November, giving you ample time to clear fall leaves. Do not rake leaves directly into city streets; they must be bagged in biodegradable paper or placed in an open can.
Winter
December to MarchYard waste pickup officially halts after the first measurable snowfall. During severe weather, Poughkeepsie follows an inclement weather 'Rule of Thumb' delay: missed early week (Mon/Tue) pickups typically shift one day forward, while late week (Thu/Fri) pickups shift to the next week.
About Poughkeepsie Waste Management
The Main Street Dividing Line for Trash Routes
In the City of Poughkeepsie, your weekly sanitation schedule depends entirely on which side of Main Street you reside. Properties situated on the Northside (areas north of Main Street) receive twice-a-week garbage collection on Mondays and Thursdays, with recycling picked up on one of those days depending on the specific street. Residents on the Southside (areas south of Main Street) are serviced for garbage on Tuesdays and Fridays. Regardless of your zone, all bins must be placed curbside no earlier than 5:00 PM the night before collection and removed within 16 hours after pickup.
Standardized PKGO Toters
To improve neighborhood cleanliness and collection efficiency, Poughkeepsie utilizes standardized, city-issued PKGO toters. Homes are provided with 95-gallon or 65-gallon carts—black lids designated for household garbage and blue lids strictly for single-stream recycling. For sanitation crews to safely operate the collection trucks, all household garbage must be tied in plastic bags before being placed inside the black-lidded toter, while recyclables must remain completely loose in the blue-lidded bin. Make sure the cart handles face your house, and leave at least three feet of clearance between the two bins.
Wednesday Yard Debris Protocols
From early April through the end of November—or until the first measurable snowfall, whichever comes first—the Department of Public Works dedicates Wednesdays to collecting organic yard waste. You have three approved options for setting out leaves and trimmings: biodegradable paper bags, a clean open garbage can without a lid, or tied into manageable bundles. Branches and trimmings must never exceed three inches in diameter or three feet in length. Notably, if a holiday forces regular garbage routes to shift to Wednesday, yard debris collection is completely suspended for that week.
Bi-Annual Free Bulk Drop-Off Program
While curbside bulk pickup requires scheduling and a paid fee, the City of Poughkeepsie offers a fantastic perk for residents who pay the sanitation user fee. Twice a year, typically in May and September, the city runs a Bulk Service Program allowing residents to bring one full pickup truck load of household bulk items to the Howard Street Transfer Station absolutely free of tipping fees. You must present a valid photo ID and a utility bill proving residency. Note that specific items, such as mattresses or freon-containing appliances, still incur mandatory $15 recycling surcharges.
Drop-off Facilities
City of Poughkeepsie Transfer Station
26 Howard Street (End of Howard St. off Hudson Ave), Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the City of Poughkeepsie pick up my trash on Mondays or Tuesdays?
Your schedule is determined by Main Street. If you live on the Northside (north of Main St), your garbage days are Mondays and Thursdays. If you live on the Southside (south of Main St), your days are Tuesdays and Fridays.
Can I throw pizza boxes in my blue-lidded recycling toter?
No. The City of Poughkeepsie strictly prohibits pizza boxes in the recycling toter because grease and food residue ruin the cardboard recycling process. Place them in your black-lidded garbage toter.
How do I get rid of an old refrigerator or air conditioner in Poughkeepsie?
You can schedule a curbside bulk pickup by calling 845-451-4111 or drop it off at the Transfer Station during the bi-annual bulk events. Note that any appliance containing freon requires a $15 environmental disposal fee.
What happens to my yard waste pickup during a holiday week?
If a city holiday pushes the normal Monday or Tuesday sanitation routes into Wednesday, the Department of Public Works will completely suspend Wednesday yard debris collection for that week.