Collection Schedule and Upcoming Recycling Events. To be added to the email list for upcoming events; please email sattridge@city-buffalo.com

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

34 and More is Buffalo’s public initiative to increase the city’s recycling diversion rate—currently 29.30 percent—and exceed the national average of 34%. Recycling has never been easier, and benefits everyone. Use these guides to determine what goes in the green tote, what goes in the blue tote and what to drop off, as well as the city’s laws for refuse and recycling collection. See how easy it is to reach 34 and more!

Click here to view the City of Buffalo 2018 Annual Recycling report: 2018 Annual Recycling Report

Do you want to see how your neighborhood is doing with its curbside recycling? Check out this link that was created for the City of Buffalo by Zerocycle Inc. The City uses this information to target specific neighborhoods that need extra help to boost their recycling! http://reports.zerocycle.co/buffalo/index.html

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If you are a City resident, stop into Thin Ice on Elmwood and pick up your free pail today! Stay tuned for the Spring drop off schedule!

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‼️ Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event ‼️

The next event is planned for Saturday, June 27th from 8 AM - 1 PM.

Residents are required to make an appointment to attend a free collection. Covid-19 protocols will be in effect.

Visit Erie County Department of Environment and Planning's website to make your appointment today:

https://www2.erie.gov/recycling/index.php?q=hhw


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‼️UPDATE‼️

 

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Recycling Reinvented is a 6-month public awareness campaign with the goal of reducing contamination in the City of Buffalo's residential recycling totes, while increasing recycling overall!

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♻️ Introducing, “Recycling Reinvented” - our latest public awareness campaign designed to help our residents recycle more and recycle better! ♻️ #RecyclingReinvented

Mayor Byron W. Brown Encourages Residents to Support the City’s New Campaign: Recycling Reinvented

Buffalo, NY – Mayor Byron W. Brown today encouraged residents to participate in his latest public awareness campaign, called Recycling Reinvented. Recycling Reinvented is a 6-month campaign that includes targeted messaging with the goal of reducing contamination in the City’s residential recycling totes, while increasing recycling overall.

Over the next few weeks, City residents will be exposed to targeted print and bus ads, social media posts, and radio and tv public service announcements, announcing the start of the Recycling Reinvented campaign, which focuses on four recycling contaminant areas: Plastic, Food Waste, Yard Waste and Clothing Items. In the following months, public awareness messages will focus exclusively on each of the four targeted recycling areas.

“The city of Buffalo is working at the cutting edge of recycling, using specialized technology and smart collaborations to further improve key aspects of service,” stated Mayor Brown. “We are proud of the work we’ve been doing since the launch of the 34andMore Recycle Buffalo and encourage City residents to support Recycling Reinvented, which focuses on the larger area of contaminants that is affecting cities across the United States.”

The effort to educate residents about what is recyclable has proven to substantially reduce contaminants in other cities, which saves cities money and makes the recycling process more efficient. The campaign will also involve participation from Block Club members citywide who will be asked to take part in a ‘Tote Tagging” program in their neighborhood.

“When people put the wrong items in their recycling carts, handling those materials costs taxpayer dollars,” stated Susan Attridge, Director of Recycling and Refuse. “We want to help our residents correct these issues and recycle right. Our city is quickly becoming an environmental leader—not just in the U.S. but [also] in the world—and better recycling is an important step on that journey.”

Under the direction of Mayor Brown, the City of Buffalo continues its strong commitment to increase its recycling and recovery programs. In 2012, the City of Buffalo switched to single stream curbside recycling for all residential structures as well as commercial entities in the designated commercial districts, followed by the launch of the 34andMore Buffalo Recycles program, with a recycling goal of 34%, the national recycling average. Since then, overall recycling rates increased from 15.9% in 2012 to 29.30% to date.  This steady progress has been aided by several new recycling initiatives: 34andMore Recycling Campaign Blitz, Let’s DO This! Neighborhood Recycling Competition, Community Dare to Repair Café program, the Environmental Champions Program, in partnership with Buffalo Public Schools, and now the Recycling Reinvented campaign.

Mayor Brown continues to encourage all city residents, visitors and business owners to recycle. By building on the positive momentum, he hopes to achieve his recycling goal of 34%–the national recycling average. For more information about Buffalo’s Recycling program, please visit www.buffalorecycles.org

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DARE TO REPAIR CAFE

Mayor Byron W. Brown and The Dare to Repair Cafe are partnering on a community event where individuals can bring broken items (lamps, vacuums, toys, etc.) to the repair cafe and have expert volunteer “fixers” try to repair the item alongside them for free. While there is no guarantee that an item can be fixed,participants are sure to learn something new and have fun along the way. It’s not just about fixing things, it’s about reducing waste and building community!

The next Dare to Repair Cafe is on February 27, 2020 at the Dudley Branch Public Library from 5 PM - 7 PM.

Please visit  www.thetoollibrary.org/daretorepair

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WESTERN NEW YORK COALITION FOR DONATED GOODS

The Western New York Coalition for Donated Goods (WNYCDG) is a collaboration of nonprofit organizations whose goal is to promote both the community and the environment through the donation of clothing and other goods.  The coalition was formed in May 2014 through the efforts of Mayor Byron W. Brown and  Goodwill, Salvation Army, Buffalo City Mission, AMVETS,  St. Vincent de Paul and Hearts for the Homeless.  Habitat for Humanity and Buffalo Reuse have expressed an interest in participating once we move on to construction material.  For a complete listing of drop-off locations visit: http://www.buffalony.gov/382/Streets-Sanitation

 

 

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Recyclable
material list

More Info

Clothing & textile recycling

More Info

Laws for refuse & recycling collection

More Info


Food Waste

More Info

FAQs

Yes, this is recyclable. The wet strength of paper is a measure of how well the web of fibers holding the paper together can resist a force of rupture when the paper is wet. To increase wet-strength, additives are added to the paper to make it stronger. Examples of wet strength paper are: Frozen Food Box, Beer Packaging, Pop Box, Soda Box, Pop Package, Fridge Packaging, Freezer Packaging, Pop Packaging, Soda Packaging, Fridge and Freezer Packaging.

City of Buffalo currently has a diversion rate of 29.3.%.  The Diversion Rate, based on weight,  includes all materials that are pulled out of the waste stream and recycled for which there is data available.  The curbside recycling rate is 16%.  Mayor Byron Brown’s 2018 Annual Recycling Report is available here: 2018 Annual Recycling Report

 

More household waste is produced between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than any other time of the year–about 6 million tons of added waste  nationwide.  Enjoy the holidays and recycle when you can!

 

Yes. The City of Buffalo has a mandatory recycling ordinance.

Multiple-dwelling buildings are required to provide recycling to their tenants.

Recycling helps the environment by conserving natural resources. Recycling helps stabilize the User Fee because recycling is less costly than garbage disposal. The more we recycle, the more we save.

No. Recyclables are not thrown out. They are valuable resources that are sold to make new products.

Recycling and garbage are picked up on the same day every week by different trucks—Republic Services, the City’s recycling contractor, picks up recycling; the City Sanitation Department picks up garbage. Please call 311 to determine your collection day, or visit the Collection Schedules tab at the top of this website.

If you miss your weekly recycling pickup, or if the truck misses your stop, please leave your green tote out and call 311. A truck will return.

Single-stream recycling is when all recyclables are collected in the same container. There was a time when paper had to be kept separate from the rest of the recyclables; that is no longer necessary.

Western New York Coalition for Donated Goods was formed to make it easier for residents to locate donation opportunities for used clothing and furniture. For a list of locations, please visit  https://www.buffalony.gov/382/Streets-Sanitation

Yard waste—trees, shrubs, grass clippings—that is left at the curb during the leaf pickup period in the fall are composted. If residents want to ensure that yard waste is composted other times of the year, they can drop off yard waste at the Engineering Garage, 1120 Seneca St., Buffalo, 14210.

All yard waste collected during leaf collection in the fall, as well as Christmas tree pickup after the holidays, is composted.

Compost and wood chips are available to residents at Engineering Garage, 1120 Seneca St., Buffalo, 14210.

Both Styrofoam and plastic bags present operational problems for the Material Recycling Facility, where recyclables are processed. Clean, white Styrofoam can be brought to Thermal Foams for recycling (call first for an appointment). New York State law requires that stores provide drop-off bins for plastic bags. Bring your plastic bags to the grocery store for easy disposal.

The City has many commodities that handle recycling and garbage:
Garbage—East Side Transfer Station
Recycling (collected curbside)—Modern Recycling – Material Recycling Facility
Electronic waste—Electronic Recyclers International
Yard waste—Buffalo River Compost Facility
Tires—Geiter Done of WNY
Scrap metal—various metal recyclers in Buffalo

The City of Buffalo sponsors occasional special collection events throughout the year. Residents should call 311 for more information.

An “Oops Tag” will be placed on your green tote if it contained material that is not recyclable. Residents should remove the contaminant and put it in the blue tote.

Yes. All recyclable plastic that touched food should be rinsed with water.

The City of Buffalo curbside collection program accepts all plastic bottles and food containers labeled with recycling codes 1 through 7. The exception is styrofoam and plastic bags.  They DO NOT go int ht e green tote.

We recommend you first try to donate or resell unwanted furniture or household items, whenever possible. However, the City hosts bulk trash pickup days in each of the council districts. Residents should call 311 for dates.

Request a Tote

Every city address, including apartments, should have its own green recycling tote. If you do not have a green recycling tote, or need a new one, please call 311 or fill out this form and the City will contact you for arrangements.

Business Pledges

The City of Buffalo needs everyone's help to increase the city's recycling rate. That includes businesses as well as residents. The following businesses have already pledged to recycle, encouraging both colleagues and customers to do their part and recycle more. The city thanks them for their support. If you own or manage a business in the City of Buffalo, join this list and pledge today!