Missed Trash, Recycling, or Compost Collection

If you participate in the Curbside Composting program, you can report missed collection starting at 8 AM the day after your collection day.

Please note that you can’t make a complaint if you didn’t follow disposal rules:

• Food or food-soiled paper must be put out in your brown compost bin
• Yard waste, grass, or leaves must be put out in your brown compost bin, paper bags, or rigid plastic containers.
• Branches or limbs must be put out in bundles no more than 2 feet by 4 feet or broken down to fit in your brown compost bin, paper bags, or other rigid plastic containers.

In general, there is no collection on sanitation holidays, but that is subject to change. You can check back near the date of the holiday to confirm the collection schedule.

Usually:

• If a holiday occurs on your trash or compost collection day, put your items out after 4 PM that day for collection beginning the next day.
• If a holiday occurs on your recycling collection day, put your items out after 4 PM the day before your next scheduled recycling collection day.

2022 Sanitation Holidays

City Property

You can make a complaint about uncollected trash in front of City-owned property that normally receives pick-up from a City garbage truck.

Only a building official at the site may make a complaint. The official must provide a name and contact number.

Public Schools

Missed collections can only be reported by school officials.

To report a missed collection, or for information on school schedules, you must contact the DOE Division of School Facilities in Long Island City. Contact information for School Facilities is available through the school.

If you put items out the evening before a non-collection day, you could be given a ticket, also known as a Notice of Violation.

DSNY ticketing agents know when an area has a trash and recycling collection backlog. A reported backlog reduces the chance that you will get a ticket when your items were put curbside during the correct timeframe but haven’t been picked up yet. You still may get a violation.

If you receive a ticket after reporting a missed trash or recycling collection, get a copy of the Service Request you filed. You should also submit evidence for an Environmental Board hearing.

Learn how to pay, dispute, or check the status of a ticket on the City-Issued Violation or Summons page.