Department of Public Works Set to Issue Citations for Trash Cart Violations

The City of Syracuse Department of Public Works (DPW) announced on Tue., Oct. 31, 2023 that it will issue citations beginning Wed., Nov. 1 2023 to property owners who do not follow setout requirements for trash carts.

DPW expanded the city’s sanitation cart program citywide in Sep., 2023.

According to the city, sanitation crews issued warning notices without citations or fines at properties that did not follow setout requirements during the past seven weeks.

Fines are $100 for households that fail to correct violations after receiving a citation.

DPW says the most common mistakes resulting in warning notices were: not using the city-provided trash cart; leaving additional trash outside the new cart; overfilling carts so the cover doesn’t close; and failing to bag all trash placed in the carts.

The city says that as of Nov. 1, DPW will not pick up trash that is improperly set out, and crews will issue a citation notice. Property owners will have 24 hours to pull back their trash setout to avoid having to pay the fine. The trash can be set out properly for pickup the following week. Excess trash can also be transported to an Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency (OCRRA) drop-off site. Locations and fee information for OCRRA drop-off site can be found at ocrra.org.

“Most properties are abiding by the setout requirements. We are grateful to residents for adapting to the carts so quickly,” said Jeremy Robinson, DPW commissioner. “We don’t want to issue citations and impose fines, so we urge residents to review the information materials distributed with the carts or available on syr.gov/carts.”

Fines continue to be $350 related to a health and sanitation violation such as an illegal setout.

The city’s requirements for trash setouts are:

• Do place only bagged waste in your carts. Unbagged materials are unacceptable.

• Do securely close the cart lid to prevent litter and scavenging.

• On your regular collection day, place your cart at the end of your driveway or in front of your house between the sidewalk and street.

• Do store your cart on the side of the house or garage, behind the house or garage, or in your garage when it is not your collection day.

• Call Cityline at (315) 448-CITY (2489) if you have an item that does not fit in your cart.

• Don’t store your cart in front of your residence.

• Don’t place recyclables in your cart. Recycling carts will be rolled out to the city in 2024. Continue to use your current recycling container.

• Don’t place prohibited items, such as yard waste, hazardous/toxic waste, paint, TVs and other electronics, demolition waste, medical/pathological waste, explosives, or radioactive materials in your cart.