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Refuse Control /  Solid Waste & Recycling Policies

Policies

All residents are required to recycle and adhere to the following rules to ensure that all waste material is picked up weekly:

All garbage and recyclables shall be securely placed in appropriate Town issued garbage or recycling totes to prevent material from falling out and being distributed throughout the neighborhood.

Private or personal containers for disposal of garbage are not allowed!

  1. All garbage and recyclable material shall be placed within five feet of the right-of-way by 7 am on the day of collection, but not before 12 noon the day before your scheduled collection. Empty containers must be removed on the day of collection, no exceptions.

  2. From April 1st to November 30th each year, all yard waste (grass, weeds, leaves, shrubs, and plant trimmings, limbs, and branches) will be collected separately from garbage, trash, and lumber. During this period, yard waste material should be in garbage cans with the lids removed, bushel baskets with solid bottoms and two manufactured handles, or 2-ply paper yard waste bags sold at local grocery or home remodeling stores. These containers must not exceed 60 pounds when full. Yard waste in any type of plastic bag or debris bound with plastic or wire will not be picked up. Brush, limbs, and branches up to 6” in diameter shall not exceed four feet in length, even if placed in cans, or must be securely bundled with a biodegradable material (not to exceed 60 pounds per bundle). NO DIRT, SOD, OR GRASS CAN BE ACCEPTED IN ANY CONTAINER!

  3. ***NOTE*** Fall Leaf-pickup is done by the Amherst Highway Department; check www.amherst.ny.us for pick-up announcements.

  4. NOTE: From December 1st to March 31st any yard waste material will be collected with your garbage.

  5. Stumps, logs, and excessive amounts of tree trimmings will be collected by scheduled pick-up only, please call 631-7117 for a reservation. For weekly collection, treated wood ties (NOT RR Ties!) must be cut into two-foot lengths and will be disposed of with your regular garbage due to contaminants.

  6. All lumber must be cut into 4-foot lengths and secured in tied manageable bundles not to exceed 60 pounds in weight with nails removed or bent over. No railroad ties can be accepted in yard-waste, garbage, or recycling due to chemical contaminants.
  7. Alternate Yard Waste Method-

    The CJ Krantz Compost Facility is located at 560 Smith Road and is opened to Amherst Residents beginning April 1st. Please call 689-1280 for hours.

    TIRES ARE NOT ACCEPTED AT THE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT AND ARE NOT PICKED UP CURBSIDE!

  8. Small amounts of fencing, plasterboard, drywall, paneling, plywood, bookcases, or doors must be cut into 4’x4’ sections and neatly stacked. All other smaller pieces must be securely bundled, not to exceed 4 feet in length or 60 pounds per bundle.

  9. Corrugated cardboard (including large appliance boxes) must be free of foreign objects, including Styrofoam! Any oversized cardboard MUST be broken down and bundled or containerized!

  10. All white goods & large metal items – ovens, washers, dryers, dishwashers etc. and miscellaneous metal items, basketball poles (Metal portion only), will be picked up by The Amherst Highway Dept. by appointment ONLY twice per month. Please call 631-7119 to schedule. Doors must be removed from refrigerators and freezers subsection 169-5.E-2 or Resident may face fines up to $250 and or Town court appearance(s) for violations of this ordinance.

  11. Small, manageable metal can be taken to the Amherst Highway Dept., 1042 N. Forest Road. Call 631-7117 for instructions and hours. Metal items, including pipes, should not exceed 8 feet in length. Gutters must be broken down and should not exceed 8 feet in length, per item.

  12. Bulky Items, such as furniture, mattresses, and box springs can be placed at the curb with garbage. No more than eight (8) items can be placed out per week in addition to garbage tote(s) or property owner will be subject to a $250 move out/ clean out fee assessed by citation. For flooding, or other disasters, please call the Office of Refuse Control for additional pick-up options at 631-7119 Monday through Friday, 7am to 3pm.

  13. Pianos and organs must be disassembled. Electronics from organs must be removed and treated as electronics (See #17).

  14. Carpets, carpet padding, pool liners, large pieces of plastic, and pool covers must be cut in 4-foot widths, rolled and tied, not to exceed 60 pounds. Residents are limited to no more than 8 rolls per week for disposal, see #14 for large projects.

  15. Any major construction project, including, but not limited to, renovations, roof repairs, or remodeling projects require the property owner to contact a private service for disposal of the material; this material will NOT be accepted curbside by the Town of Amherst.

  16. Professional tree services must include branch removal, chipping, and stump grinding.

  17. Disposal of brick, stone, concrete, and propane tanks is the responsibility of the property owner. Residents may bring these materials to the Highway Department at 1042 North Forest Road.

  18. Electronics- Electronic devices can no longer be accepted curbside; they must be taken to the Amherst Highway Dept. 1042 North Forest Road. The Town of Amherst does NOT pick up televisions curbside!

  19. Oil based paint, chemicals, flammable liquids, and any other household hazardous waste cannot be placed out with your garbage. Local Sherwin Williams Paint stores will accept up to 5 gallons of paint free of charge from each resident for paint recycling. For other materials and information, call Hazman at 716-998-8073.

If you have any further questions or problems, please call the Office of Refuse Control, at 631-7119 OR email us at: refuse@amherst.ny.us

About Amherst

The Town of Amherst was established in 1818 and celebrated its 200th Anniversary in 2018. The town has a geographical area of 53.6 square miles and a population of greater than 122,000.

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  • Williamsville, NY 14221