Waste & Recycling

1. Overview

The Waste & Recycling Division works each day towards the safe and sanitary collection of waste and recyclables that result in a clean and healthy Hartford community.

This page is designed to help you better understand the rules and regulations around waste and recycling collection in the City.  We will begin by checking your property eligibility and share the City's rules and regulations around trash, recycling, and bulky waste collection.  

Please also take note of the parking restrictions on your street as it pertains to sanitation days. Please see streets approved for parking on sanitation day.

Find My Trash Day Please enter your street address in the top right corner of the map and click on the dot that appears to find your trash collection day.

2. Property Eligibility

The City of Hartford, Department of Public Works, collect trash and recycling from the following properties

• Single family home
• Multifamily 6 units or less
• Condo association of 6 units or less

All others, please contact your management company or landlord for assistance

If you are unsure of your property eligibility, you can check by entering your street address in the top right of the map below and clicking on dot that appears.

3. Trash Collection Rules Including Parking

Once you have determined your property eligibility, here are some things to keep in mind.

1. The City of Hartford only services trash placed in City issued trash bins unless other arrangements have been made
2. Trash and recycling bins are to be placed curbside after 4pm the day before collection day.  See previous section to confirm collection day.
3.  Once trash is collected, remove trash bins from the curb within 24 hours after collection.
4. Trash collection can be delayed by one day due to City Holiday schedule.  Learn More

5. Parking is prohibited on most streets on trash collection day, except vehicles with a valid handicap tag. 

As part of a citywide pilot program, please see proposed parking zones during trash collection days.  Please note that the same rules apply when trash is delayed due to a City holiday.

Find My Trash Day Please enter your street address in the top right corner of the map and click on the dot that appears to find your trash collection day.

4. Recycling Collection Rules and Approved Items List

HARTFORD RECYCLES! It works because of YOU!

With the Single-stream recycling program, you no longer need to separate your recyclables from each other.

Connecticut now has a universal list of what belongs in your recycling bin and what doesn’t. All items should be EMPTY, RINSED, CLEAN and OPEN. Do not SHRED, BOX, BAG or BUNDLE items.

Here's a chart to help you recycle like a pro!

(PDF, 473KB)

For more information visit 

5. Bulky Waste Collection Rules

Bulky waste are large solid waste items such as appliances, electronics, small bundles of tree branches, tires, furniture, mattresses and other items too large to fit reasonably in standard-issued collection containers.  Bulky waste does not include any hazardous or toxic materials.

How to Schedule a Collection

1. Call: Residents must call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 or Public Works at (860) 757-9983 to Schedule Pick Up for all bulk items. 
2. Place Items Curbside: Bulk items must be placed curbside after 4PM THE NIGHT BEFORE the scheduled pickup.
3. All 1 – 6 unit non-commercial properties receive TWO (2) FREE pick up per unit, of FIVE (5) OR FEWER items per year. Residents with additional items for disposal can schedule additional collections at a cost of $75 per collection, or obtain a $10 permit (max 4 visits) and transport items to the transfer station directly.
4. Collection Examples:
   • 1 Family Home = 2 Free Yearly Pickups
   • 2 Family Home = 4 Free Yearly Pickups
   • 3 Family Home = 6 Free Yearly Pickups
   • 6 Family Home = 12 Free Yearly Pickups

Do's and Don'ts of Bulky Waste Disposal

1. Determine if you are eligible

   YES Occupant, owner or tenant of a single family home Occupant, owner or tenant of a multifamily with 6 or fewer units

   NO Commercial Property Apartment Complex Multifamily with more than 6 units

2. Call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 to schedule a collection schedule a collection.
   • Provide a list of items for collection 
   • The next available collection date will be provided. Please confirm collection date prior to disconnecting.
3. Place listed and approved items curbside AFTER 4 PM the night before or BEFORE 7 AM on collection date as scheduled.

• Items should not be placed in roadways or blocking sidewalks.

DON'T

1. Do not place items curbside without first scheduling a collection.  Doing so can result in fines.
2. Do not place more than the maximum of five (5) allowed items curbside for collection. Additional items will not be collected.
3. Do not place items different than the ones specified with DPW curbside for collection. Items not listed will not be collected. 

   Residents with additional items for disposal can schedule additional collections at a cost of $75 per collection, or obtain a $10 permit (max 4 visits) and transport items to the transfer station directly.

The fine for placing bulk items curbside WITHOUT a scheduled pick-up is $99

6. Yard Waste Disposal (Leaf Bags, Tree limbs, Branches and Other Brush Debris)

The Leaf Collection Program is designed to allow residents to dispose of fallen leaves prior to the first heavy snowfall.  During the Program, residents are asked to identify the disposal options that work best for their household as listed below and follow the zone schedule for collection.

For more detailed information on yard waste disposal, please see the Leaf Collection Section

7. Household Hazardous Waste Collection

Each spring and fall, the MDC conducts a regional household hazardous waste collection program at a series of local sites in member and non-member towns. The program offers a number of benefits to residents and municipalities:

Hazardous waste cannot be simply thrown out with the trash, flushed, or poured down the drain because it passes the problem along to the environment, polluting the air and the water.  So the MDC sponsors a HazWaste Program to collect the waste and dispose of it through safe, environmentally responsible practices. 

2024 HOUSEHOLD HAZWASTE COLLECTION SCHEDULE

2024 HazWaste Schedule PDF
All collections are held on Saturdays from 8AM to 1PM unless noted. 

Click here to Visit the MDC Website for More Information

8. City Observed Holidays Impacting Trash Collection

Below is the list of citywide holidays that can result in the delay of trash collection. 

• New Year's Day
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Lincoln's Birthday
• Washington's Birthday
• Good Friday
• Memorial Day
• Juneteenth Freedom Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Columbus Day
• Veteran's Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

 For more information please contact Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311.

9. Reasons Why Your Trash Was Not Picked Up

• Trash Bins not issued by the City of Hartford
• Trash Bins placed out items that the garbage company doesn’t accept such as construction materials or hazardous waste
• Trash Bins was over the weight limit
• Something was blocking the garbage truck from servicing your container
• Trash Bins were set out after the truck went by your house. DPW ask that you roll your trash bins to the curb after 4 pm the night before the day of collection or before 7 am the day of collection.

If none of the above is true, please call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 for assistance in getting your trash collected

If you receive a red Waste & Recycling Notice, a trash violation occurred at the property. The notice will list the violation/infraction using a number system. 

The violations are as follows:

• Infraction #10 - hazardous waste left on the curb
• Infraction #26 - bins left on the curb 24 hours after collection

A DPW Inspector may send a follow-up letter and can fine your property if the problem continues.

10. Reasons Why the Garbage Truck Didn’t Come

• Holiday week – the observance of certain holidays may result in trash collection being delayed by one day.
• Weather delay - If the weather presents a danger to the garbage collectors, services will often be delayed
• Property Not-serviceable – if you live in an apartment complex or multifamily with more than 6 units, your property is not services by the City of Hartford.  Please contact management
• Human Error – Sometimes we make mistakes and may miss your property unintentionally. Please call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 if this happens.

11. Hartford Area Private Waste Haulers