Syracuse–Onondaga County Multifamily Compliance Hub: 3+ Unit Recycling — Bulk & C&D Disposal — Electronics — Household Toxics — Paint
Onondaga County's Source Separation Law requires source separation of designated recyclable materials and expressly regulates
Apartment Complex Waste Generators.
Under the law, an Apartment Complex is a building containing
more than two residential units.
Owners/operators of covered apartment complexes have specific recycling-service, container, labeling, and resident-information responsibilities.
[1]
State legislative watch:
New York Assembly Bill A5248 (2025–2026) would enact the
“New York State Waste Recycling and Reduction Act” and create a proposed statewide
commercial-building recycling program for paper products and specified single-use plastic products.
As of August 11, 2026, A5248 remains
active in the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee and has not been enacted into law.
[10]
For bulky waste and certain construction or demolition material that cannot be handled through the property's normal downstream collection arrangement,
OCRRA operates the
Rock Cut Road Transfer Station — 5808 Rock Cut Road, Jamesville
.
Resident household loads and landlord/business loads use
different operating hours and fee structures.
[2]
The Source Separation Law defines an Apartment Complex as a building containing more than two residential units. The owner and/or operator is classified as an Apartment Complex Waste Generator. [1]
Recycling service: management must provide recycling services for tenants unless the tenant is required to arrange directly for that recycling service. [1]
Common-area containers: the property must provide recycling receptacles or containers in sufficient number and capacity for the recyclable materials generated by tenants. [1]
Convenience standard: recycling receptacles must be located at least as conveniently for tenants as trash receptacles. [1]
Labeling & education: management must ensure interior and exterior recycling containers/receptacles are properly labeled and provide residents with recycling information identifying the County recyclable materials they must source-separate. [1]
Onondaga County Source Separation Law | OCRRA Apartment Recycling
2025–2026 Legislative Session: Assembly Bill A5248 would enact the “New York State Waste Recycling and Reduction Act.” The official New York State Legislature page currently lists the bill as ACTIVE — In Assembly Committee, with the current committee identified as Assembly Environmental Conservation. The latest listed action is January 7, 2026: referred to Environmental Conservation. [10]
Not current law: A5248 has not been enacted. Syracuse and Onondaga County property managers should treat it as a legislative-monitoring and readiness item, not as a present State, County, OCRRA, or municipal compliance mandate. [10]
Proposed “commercial building” definition: A5248 would apply to a building—or any portion of a building—used for buying, selling, or otherwise providing goods or services, or for lawful business, commercial, professional-services, or manufacturing activities. [10]
Critical Onondaga multifamily distinction: the County Source Separation Law classifies an Apartment Complex Waste Generator as a Nonresidential Waste Generator for that local recycling framework. That local classification should not be treated as automatically equivalent to A5248's proposed “commercial building” definition. A purely residential 3+ unit apartment property should not be described as covered by A5248 solely because Onondaga County uses a nonresidential waste-generator classification. [1] [10]
Mixed-use multifamily relevance: if enacted in its current form, A5248 is most clearly relevant to retail, restaurant, office, professional-services, leasing-office, manufacturing, or other qualifying commercial portions of mixed-use apartment properties. Residential multifamily and commercial/mixed-use analyses should remain separate. [10]
Proposed recycling mandate: the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation would be directed to establish a commercial recycling program requiring each covered commercial building to recycle paper products and specified single-use plastic products produced or used on site. [10]
Proposed collection options: a covered commercial building could arrange collection through a private carter, transport qualifying materials itself, or process qualifying materials onsite where DEC determines adequate recycling processes exist. [10]
Proposed owner / management education duty: commercial property owners and commercial-building management would be required to provide collection and educational resources, including regular guidance, training, updates, signage, and flyers for the workforce, tenants, and the public to support effective recycling sorting procedures. [10]
Proposed single-use plastic categories: A5248 identifies plastic bags; cling-film plastic food packaging; non-recyclable plastic bottles; plastic straws; plastic plates; non-reusable plastic containers; plastic cups, lids, and stirrers; plastic cutlery; plastic packaging rings; specified Styrofoam plates, take-away containers, and trays; and other single-use plastic products DEC may designate. [10]
Local-law protection: A5248 expressly states that it would not limit a local governmental agency from adopting, implementing, or enforcing recycling requirements that are more stringent or comprehensive. The Onondaga County Source Separation Law, OCRRA requirements, and applicable municipal rules would therefore remain independently relevant. [10]
Skaneateles distinction: the current Onondaga County Source Separation Law and OCRRA service-area rules contain Skaneateles-specific exclusions described below. Those local/service-area exclusions should not be treated as an automatic exemption from A5248 if the State bill is enacted and a property otherwise meets the bill's proposed commercial-building definition. [1] [10]
Proposed effective date: A5248 states that the Act would take effect on the 180th day after becoming law. Because the bill has not been enacted, there is currently no A5248 compliance-effective date. [10]
The Onondaga County Source Separation Law excludes persons located in the Town or Village of Skaneateles from its Waste Generator definition, and the law's enforcement provision also excludes those jurisdictions.
OCRRA's residential Household Toxics program likewise states that Town and Village of Skaneateles residents are not eligible because they are outside the OCRRA service area.
Properties in Skaneateles should therefore verify the applicable local waste and recycling requirements separately.
A5248 State-law watch: if A5248 is enacted, its proposed statewide commercial-building requirements would need to be evaluated separately; the current OCRRA / County service-area exclusion should not be assumed to create an A5248 exemption. [10]
Properties with retail, restaurant, office, professional-services, leasing-office, manufacturing, or other commercial space should separately identify those portions now. If A5248 is enacted in its current form, qualifying commercial portions could face additional State paper/single-use-plastic recycling, collection, signage, training, and education-resource duties. Until enactment, this is readiness planning—not a current compliance obligation. [10]
OCRRA Rock Cut Road: Resident Loads vs. Landlord / Business Loads
Rock Cut Road accepts trash, bulky items, and qualifying construction and demolition material, but OCRRA maintains separate resident and commercial operating periods. [2]
OCRRA limits resident hours to Onondaga County residents delivering their own household materials/projects. A hauler or contractor may not use the resident period on a resident's behalf. [2]
Current resident hours:
Monday–Friday: 3:30 PM–6:00 PM
Saturday: 7:30 AM–12:30 PM during the current summer schedule.
OCRRA states shorter Saturday hours resume in the fall.
[2]
Residents must unload their own material. OCRRA does not provide unloading assistance.
OCRRA expressly identifies landlords, contractors, and hired haulers as business customers using the commercial operating period. [2]
Current summer commercial hours — Monday through Friday:
Single-axle trailers / hand-unloading:
6:00 AM–2:00 PM
Dual-axle dump vehicles:
6:00 AM–3:00 PM
with OCRRA's published cash-arrival deadline applying.
[2]
OCRRA currently states that winter hours change beginning November 23, 2026. Verify the live facility page before traveling.
- Facility: OCRRA Rock Cut Road Transfer Station
- Address: 5808 Rock Cut Road, Jamesville, NY 13078 [2]
- Phone: (315) 453-2866 [2]
- Resident car entrance: currently $15 [3]
- Resident pickup / SUV / van / single-axle trailer: currently $30 [3]
- Tarp: truck-bed and trailer loads must be properly covered; OCRRA currently publishes a separate untarped-vehicle fee. [3]
2026 Landlord / Business Disposal Fees
OCRRA directs commercial customers to the scale and currently publishes the following
2026 commercial rates:
[3]
Municipal solid waste / trash:
Small-business customer with OCRRA agreement:
$111 per ton
Customer without OCRRA agreement:
$131 per ton
Minimum scale charge:
$30
Commercial construction & demolition:
Construction debris:
$80 per ton
Roofing material:
$80 per ton
Minimum scale charge:
$30
Property-manager caution:
current rates can change.
Confirm OCRRA's live fee schedule before budgeting a move-out, renovation, or bulk-cleanout project.
OCRRA states that household recyclables may be brought to its transfer station under its resident drop-off rules, but commercially generated cardboard, paper, and containers are not accepted as commercial recyclables at OCRRA transfer stations.
Apartment management should therefore maintain the property's normal downstream recycling arrangement rather than treating Rock Cut Road as a replacement commercial recycling facility.
Ley Creek: Closed Until Further Notice
OCRRA currently states that the
Ley Creek Drop-Off Site in Liverpool is closed until further notice
for long-term construction.
Residential and commercial customers are directed to Rock Cut Road,
but must use their respective operating hours.
[3]
Under the Onondaga County Source Separation Law, an Apartment Complex Waste Generator is a Nonresidential Waste Generator. [1]
- First violation: written warning.
- Second violation: fine of not less than $100 and not more than $500.
- Each subsequent offense: fine of not less than $250 and not more than $1,000 per violation.
Important: do not automatically describe every continuing day as a separate apartment-property offense. The Source Separation Law expressly uses “every day or instance” language for certain hauler/collector and recycling-facility violations, while the Nonresidential Waste Generator subsection uses a different penalty formulation.
Electronics: Not Accepted at OCRRA Transfer Stations
OCRRA does not accept electronic waste at Rock Cut Road or its other disposal locations.
Covered electronics must use an appropriate electronics-recycling pathway.
[4]
OCRRA currently lists several outside household electronics options and cautions that
those businesses do not report directly to OCRRA, so policies, fees, and accepted items may change.
One current household option:
OCRRA currently lists
The Salvation Army — 2433 Erie Blvd. East, Syracuse, NY 13224
as an electronics location.
OCRRA's current listing states that televisions are accepted except projection models and currently lists the service as free.
Call ahead before traveling.
[4]
Other current OCRRA-listed pathways include manufacturer take-back programs and participating electronics recyclers/retailers.
Covered electronics should not be placed in apartment trash or ordinary recycling containers. OCRRA currently identifies an additional $20 charge per electronic item found in applicable trash loads. Property managers should maintain clear resident instructions for TVs, computers, monitors, printers, and other covered electronics.
Household Toxics: Resident Appointment Program — Not for Business Waste
OCRRA operates a
free appointment-based Household Toxics program for eligible residents
at:
Miller Environmental Group
532 State Fair Blvd.
Syracuse, NY 13204
[5]
An OCRRA appointment is required.
OCRRA warns that customers arriving without the required appointment may be treated as private Miller customers and charged.
[5]
Current appointment periods published by OCRRA are:
Monday, Thursday, and Friday, 8:00 AM–3:00 PM,
plus the
first Saturday of each month, 8:00 AM–12:00 PM.
[5]
Eligible Onondaga County residents, excluding the Town and Village of Skaneateles,
may currently bring up to
20 gallons of acceptable liquids
and
30 pounds of acceptable solids
through the program.
Containers may be no larger than five gallons and fees may apply above the stated limits.
OCRRA currently limits residents to
two Household Toxics appointments annually.
[5]
OCRRA expressly states that business-generated toxics are not accepted through its Household Toxics program.
Property-maintenance chemicals, contractor waste, renovation chemicals, and other business-generated hazardous material should therefore use an appropriate commercial hazardous-waste pathway rather than a resident appointment.
Paint: PaintCare First — July 2026 Oil-Based Paint Update
New York's
PaintCare program provides participating paint-recycling locations for qualifying architectural paint.
OCRRA currently states that PaintCare is
free and open to residents and businesses in Onondaga County.
[5]
OCRRA currently states that participating PaintCare locations generally accept
up to five gallons per visit,
although individual locations may accept more and maintain their own hours and limits.
Verify the specific location before traveling.
[5]
Important July 2026 update:
OCRRA currently states that
oil-based paint is temporarily not accepted at Miller Environmental Group.
OCRRA directs customers to other PaintCare locations that currently accept oil-based paint.
[5]
Do not place liquid oil-based paint in ordinary trash.
Latex Paint: PaintCare or Proper Dry-Out
Eligible latex and water-based architectural paint may be handled through participating
PaintCare locations.
OCRRA also provides a trash-disposal pathway for latex paint that has been
completely dried.
Follow OCRRA's current dry-out instructions and leave the lid off so collection personnel can verify that the paint is solid.
[6]
Mattresses: Current $20 Special-Item Charge
OCRRA currently charges
$20 per mattress,
including foam mattresses of any size.
[3]
OCRRA states that if a mattress is
the only special item being delivered,
the standard vehicle entrance charge does not apply.
[7]
Box springs and bed frames are handled separately and may trigger the applicable vehicle entrance fee.
City of Syracuse Properties: Verify Municipal Bulk Eligibility First
Apartment managers inside the
City of Syracuse
should confirm the property's eligibility for City sanitation and scheduled bulk collection
before directing residents or staff to Rock Cut Road.
Municipal residential programs may depend on property classification, unit count,
service eligibility, material type, quantity, and preparation rules.
Properties or loads outside the City's applicable service should use the property's
approved downstream disposal pathway.
How National Doorstep Supports Syracuse–Onondaga Property Management
Compliance is operational.
National Doorstep helps property management establish documented onsite procedures
designed to support compliance with applicable recycling and waste requirements.
This can include resident education, container-access procedures,
contamination controls, service documentation, and clear instructions for
materials that do not belong in ordinary trash or recycling.
For covered Onondaga County apartment complexes,
resident education can reinforce the property's required recycling system,
proper labels, accepted materials, and the separate disposal pathways for
electronics, paint, toxics, mattresses, and bulky material.
National Doorstep service boundary:
National Doorstep operates
upstream from the property's municipal or private downstream waste/recycling hauling service.
Porters move properly prepared resident-setout ordinary waste and recycling
from apartment doors to
property-designated containers or collection areas on private property.
National Doorstep's standard doorstep service does not replace the downstream hauler
and does not perform off-site municipal solid-waste hauling.
Special-waste exclusion:
National Doorstep's standard doorstep service does not include the collection,
consolidation, transportation, or disposal of
household hazardous waste, covered electronics, paint, chemicals,
or other regulated special waste.
Resident education may identify the appropriate lawful disposal options,
while property-generated/commercial material should use the applicable
property-approved commercial pathway.
A5248 mixed-use readiness:
if A5248 is enacted in the future, National Doorstep's onsite documentation,
approved-stream separation, contamination monitoring, resident/tenant education support,
signage support, and collection-area procedures may help management operationalize qualifying requirements.
National Doorstep should not characterize A5248 as a current legal requirement unless and until
it becomes law and applicable DEC implementation rules are effective.
[10]
Service is implemented with ownership or authorized property-management approval.
CTA:
Request a Free Compliance Review for your Syracuse or Onondaga County Property
Assembly Bill A5248 is pending legislation and is not a current legal mandate as of August 11, 2026.
Property managers and residents should confirm current requirements with OCRRA, the applicable municipality, the property's downstream waste/recycling provider, and qualified legal or compliance professionals when appropriate, and should verify A5248's current legislative status before relying on the proposal.
EEAT / AUTHORITATIVE SOURCES: [1] Onondaga County Source Separation Law — Apartment Complex Definition, Recycling Duties & Penalties | [2] OCRRA — Rock Cut Road: Resident & Business Hours | [3] OCRRA — Current 2026 Residential & Commercial Disposal Fees | [4] OCRRA — Electronics Recycling Options | [5] OCRRA — Household Toxics, PaintCare & July 2026 Oil-Based Paint Update | [6] OCRRA — Paint & Paint Products | [7] OCRRA — Mattress Disposal | [8] OCRRA — Apartment Recycling Resources | [9] OCRRA — Transfer Station Site-Use Rules / Commercial Recycling Restriction | [10] New York State Assembly Bill A5248 — 2025–2026 Legislative Session (“New York State Waste Recycling and Reduction Act”; proposed commercial-building paper/single-use-plastic recycling program; proposed collection and education duties; local-law savings clause; proposed 180-day effective date; current status: Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee)
Syracuse and Onondaga County apartment owners, asset managers, regional managers, and property managers:
recycling is governed by the
Onondaga County Source Separation Law — Local Law No. 2 of 2012,
together with applicable municipal sanitation, collection, container, property-maintenance,
and nuisance requirements.
State legislative watch:
New York Assembly Bill A5248 (2025–2026) would enact the
“New York State Waste Recycling and Reduction Act” and create a proposed statewide
commercial-building recycling program for paper products and specified single-use plastic products.
As of August 11, 2026, A5248 remains
active in the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee and has not been enacted into law.
The County law creates a particularly important multifamily threshold: a building containing more than two residential units is an Apartment Complex, and the owner/operator is treated as an Apartment Complex Waste Generator / Nonresidential Waste Generator. Covered apartment properties have express recycling-service, container, labeling, convenience, and resident-information duties.
ONONDAGA COUNTY — 3+ UNIT APARTMENT COMPLIANCE RULE
More than two residential units = Apartment Complex.
The owner/operator is an Apartment Complex Waste Generator under the current Onondaga County Source Separation Law.
Recycling service: management must provide recycling service for tenants unless a tenant is required to arrange directly for that recycling service.
Capacity: provide common-area recycling receptacles or containers in sufficient number and capacity for tenant-generated County recyclable materials.
Convenience: recycling receptacles must be located at least as conveniently for tenants as trash receptacles.
Labeling: interior and exterior recycling containers/receptacles must be properly labeled and designated for recyclables.
Resident information: management must provide recycling information that identifies County recyclable materials residents are required to source-separate.
Onondaga County Source Separation Law | OCRRA Apartment Recycling
CITY OF SYRACUSE — 1–10 UNITS vs. 11+ UNITS
1–10 residential units: qualifying properties generally fall within Syracuse's household waste / City sanitation framework and must follow the City's applicable trash and recycling cart, setout, separation, and collection requirements.
11 or more residential units: the property falls within Syracuse's commercial waste-generator framework and must use the applicable private commercial collection arrangement.
Therefore, property managers should not apply City household-cart rules to a large apartment community merely because it is residential.
Syracuse Code — Chapter 14 Solid Waste | Syracuse Trash & Recycling
PENDING NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATION — ASSEMBLY BILL A5248
2025–2026 Legislative Session: Assembly Bill A5248 would enact the “New York State Waste Recycling and Reduction Act.” The official New York State Legislature page currently lists the bill as ACTIVE — In Assembly Committee, with the current committee identified as Assembly Environmental Conservation. The latest listed action is January 7, 2026: referred to Environmental Conservation.
Not current law: A5248 has not been enacted. Syracuse and Onondaga County property managers should treat it as a legislative-monitoring and readiness item, not as a present State, County, OCRRA, City, Town, or Village compliance mandate.
Proposed “commercial building” definition: A5248 would apply to a building—or any portion of a building—used for buying, selling, or otherwise providing goods or services, or for lawful business, commercial, professional-services, or manufacturing activities.
Critical Onondaga multifamily distinction: the County Source Separation Law classifies an Apartment Complex Waste Generator as a Nonresidential Waste Generator for that local recycling framework. That local classification should not be treated as automatically equivalent to A5248's proposed “commercial building” definition. A purely residential 3+ unit apartment property should not be described as covered by A5248 solely because of its County waste-generator classification.
Critical Syracuse distinction: Syracuse's current 1–10 unit household / 11+ unit commercial waste-generator split is a local collection classification. It should not be treated as automatically establishing A5248 coverage for a purely residential property.
Mixed-use multifamily relevance: if enacted in its current form, A5248 is most clearly relevant to retail, restaurant, office, professional-services, leasing-office, manufacturing, or other qualifying commercial portions of mixed-use apartment properties. Residential multifamily and commercial/mixed-use analyses should remain separate.
Proposed recycling mandate: the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation would be directed to establish a commercial recycling program requiring each covered commercial building to recycle paper products and specified single-use plastic products produced or used on site.
Proposed collection options: a covered commercial building could arrange collection through a private carter, transport qualifying materials itself, or process qualifying materials onsite where DEC determines adequate recycling processes exist.
Proposed owner / management education duty: commercial property owners and commercial-building management would be required to provide collection and educational resources, including regular guidance, training, updates, signage, and flyers for the workforce, tenants, and the public to support effective recycling sorting procedures.
Proposed single-use plastic categories: A5248 identifies plastic bags; cling-film plastic food packaging; non-recyclable plastic bottles; plastic straws; plastic plates; non-reusable plastic containers; plastic cups, lids, and stirrers; plastic cutlery; plastic packaging rings; specified Styrofoam plates, take-away containers, and trays; and other single-use plastic products DEC may designate.
Local-law protection: A5248 expressly states that it would not limit a local governmental agency from adopting, implementing, or enforcing recycling requirements that are more stringent or comprehensive. The Onondaga County Source Separation Law, Syracuse Chapter 14, OCRRA requirements, and applicable municipal rules would therefore remain independently relevant.
Skaneateles distinction: the County Source Separation Law contains a Skaneateles-specific exclusion, but that local County-law exception should not be treated as an automatic exemption from A5248 if the State bill is enacted and a property otherwise meets the bill's proposed commercial-building definition.
Proposed effective date: A5248 states that the Act would take effect on the 180th day after becoming law. Because the bill has not been enacted, there is currently no A5248 compliance-effective date.
The Onondaga County Source Separation Law expressly excludes persons located in the Town or Village of Skaneateles from its Waste Generator definition and excludes those jurisdictions from the law's County enforcement provision. Properties located in the Town or Village of Skaneateles should therefore verify the applicable local waste and recycling requirements rather than relying on the County Apartment Complex provisions described on this page.
A5248 State-law watch: if A5248 is enacted, its proposed statewide commercial-building requirements would need to be evaluated separately. Do not assume the present County-law exclusion creates an exemption from a future State requirement.
At a Glance: County Apartment Rule vs. Syracuse Collection Rule + A5248 Watch
Onondaga County — Apartment Compliance
- A5248 — pending State legislation: the County's “Nonresidential Waste Generator” classification does not itself establish A5248 commercial-building coverage.
- 3+ units: Apartment Complex Waste Generator classification.
- Source separation: required County recyclable materials must remain separated from ordinary solid waste.
- Service: management provides recycling service unless tenants are required to arrange it directly.
- Containers: sufficient common-area recycling capacity is required.
- Convenience: recycling must be located at least as conveniently as trash.
- Labels & education: properly label recycling containers and provide residents recycling instructions.
City of Syracuse — Service Model
- A5248 — pending State legislation: Syracuse's 1–10 / 11+ collection split should not be used as a substitute for analyzing actual commercial use under A5248.
- 1–10 units: generally use the City's household sanitation/cart framework when eligible for City service.
- 11+ units: commercial waste-generator/private collection track.
- City carts: only apply the household-cart procedures to properties actually served under that program.
- City cart violations: current City guidance provides a 24-hour correction opportunity before the published $100 fine.
- Large properties: maintain appropriate private commercial containers and recycling arrangements.
Syracuse / Onondaga County Multifamily Unit-Count Compliance Matrix
Swipe or scroll horizontally on smaller screens. The unit-count column remains fixed.
| Unit Count | County Classification | Property-Manager Implications | Primary Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any Unit Count Mixed-Use / Commercial Portion |
A5248 pending statewide commercial-recycling watch |
A5248 is pending legislation, not current law.
Its proposed coverage turns on whether a building or portion of a building is used for
qualifying commercial/business activity—not on residential unit count alone.
If enacted in its current form, qualifying commercial portions could face proposed paper and single-use-plastic recycling duties plus owner/management education-resource requirements. Keep this analysis separate from the County 3+ apartment classification and Syracuse's 1–10 / 11+ collection split. |
NY Assembly Bill A5248 — Pending |
| 1–2 Units | Residential Waste Generator |
County source-separation duties still apply outside the Skaneateles exception,
but the property is not classified as an Apartment Complex under the
specific 3+ unit provisions.
Inside Syracuse, eligible properties generally use the household City sanitation/cart framework. |
County Source Separation Law |
| 3–10 Units | County Apartment Complex Waste Generator |
The County's express apartment-management duties apply:
recycling service, sufficient common-area recycling capacity,
at-least-as-convenient placement, labels, and resident information.
Inside Syracuse, properties within this unit range may also fall within the City's household/cart collection framework when otherwise eligible. |
OCRRA Apartment Recycling
Syracuse Carts |
| 11+ Units | County Apartment Complex + Syracuse Commercial Waste Generator |
County apartment recycling duties continue to apply.
Inside Syracuse, 11+ unit properties fall within the commercial waste-generator collection framework and should not rely on the City's ordinary household-cart collection system. Management should maintain the appropriate private commercial trash and recycling container/service arrangement. |
Syracuse Chapter 14 |
The municipality matrix below describes current County and local requirements. Assembly Bill A5248 is pending State legislation and does not replace any current rule shown below. If enacted in its current form, it could create an additional statewide recycling layer for commercial buildings or commercial portions of mixed-use buildings. Keep residential multifamily analysis separate from commercial/mixed-use analysis.
Onondaga County Municipalities — Multifamily Property-Manager Information
Syracuse is the only incorporated city in Onondaga County. The County also contains 19 towns and numerous incorporated villages. The County Source Separation Law provides the regional multifamily baseline outside the statutory Skaneateles exclusion, while certain towns and villages impose additional collection, container, hauler, nuisance, or enforcement rules.
Swipe or scroll horizontally on mobile. The municipality column remains fixed.
| Municipality | Verified Framework | Relevant Property-Manager Information | Official / Authoritative Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse City |
County 3+ unit rule + City 1–10 / 11+ collection split |
Covered 3+ unit apartment properties must satisfy the County Apartment Complex
recycling requirements.
1–10 units: qualifying properties generally use the City's residential/household trash and recycling cart system. 11+ units: commercial waste-generator framework; private commercial collection is required. For properties subject to the household-cart program, current City guidance requires bagged trash inside the City trash cart, closed lids, correct setout timing, and proper separation of recyclables. DPW currently provides a 24-hour correction opportunity following a cart violation notice. The City's published fine for an uncorrected household-cart violation is $100. Separate health/sanitation violations can be subject to other penalties. |
Syracuse Trash Rules
Syracuse Carts Syracuse Chapter 14 |
| East Syracuse Village — Town of DeWitt |
Village Chapter 289 + County apartment baseline |
East Syracuse Chapter 289 requires mandatory recycling and includes
recycling as part of a hauler's standard waste-collection service.
The Village defines an eligible household as a household in a dwelling of four units or fewer, so larger apartment properties should not assume that the small-residential container system applies to them. The Village does not collect from dumpsters; properties using dumpsters must arrange collection at their own expense. For unauthorized waste associated with a building containing three or more dwelling units, Village Code places responsibility on the owner for the applicable notice/removal procedure. Village rules also regulate container condition, curb timing, snow/ice access, construction debris, and uncollected material. |
East Syracuse Chapter 289
Village of East Syracuse |
| North Syracuse Village — Cicero / Clay |
Village Chapter 128 + County apartment baseline |
Village Chapter 128 provides for weekly collection of garbage, refuse,
rubbish, and recyclables from qualifying residential and commercial properties
through the Village's contractual hauler.
Empty containers must generally be removed from the curb within 12 hours after collection. Current Article II penalties may reach $250 and/or 15 days imprisonment for applicable violations. Each week's continued violation constitutes a separate violation under the provision. Separate Village provisions require outdoor trash/recycling storage to remain neat and orderly and can regulate dumpster screening. |
North Syracuse — Collection
North Syracuse — General Provisions |
| Onondaga Town |
Town Chapter 237 + County apartment baseline |
Town Chapter 237 regulates solid-waste collection and municipal hauler licensing.
The Town requires applicable haulers to obtain a municipal hauler license and file an operating/recycling plan. The Town Code requires recycling collection to be included in applicable waste-hauler service arrangements and prohibits haulers from disposing of County-designated recyclables as solid waste. Town rules also address collection hours, removal of uncollected waste, covered vehicles, yard waste, and accumulation of waste. Property managers should ensure that the property's collection arrangement conforms to the Town requirements in addition to the County 3+ unit apartment rules. |
Town of Onondaga Chapter 237
Town of Onondaga |
| Camillus Town / Village |
County 3+ unit apartment baseline; verify local operating rules |
Outside the statutory Skaneateles exception,
covered 3+ unit apartment complexes remain subject to the County
recycling-service, container, convenience, labeling, and education requirements.
Town and Village rules may separately regulate dumpsters, collection procedures, nuisance conditions, screening, property maintenance, and local enforcement. Verify whether the property lies in the Town or incorporated Village of Camillus before applying a local ordinance. |
Town of Camillus |
| Cicero / Clay Towns |
County 3+ unit apartment baseline |
Covered apartment properties should provide the County-required
recycling infrastructure and resident information.
Confirm local dumpster, enclosure, nuisance, site-plan, and collection requirements separately. North Syracuse Village overlaps portions of Cicero and Clay, so a North Syracuse property requires Village-level review rather than application of Town rules alone. |
Town of Cicero
Town of Clay |
| DeWitt Town |
County 3+ unit apartment baseline |
Apartment complexes outside East Syracuse Village use the County apartment
recycling requirements as the primary verified multifamily baseline.
Verify Town-specific dumpster, property-maintenance, site-plan, nuisance, and collection requirements for the actual parcel. Properties inside East Syracuse Village should follow the separate Village Chapter 289 framework. |
Town of DeWitt |
| Geddes / Solvay Town / Village |
County 3+ unit apartment baseline |
Covered multifamily properties must maintain the County-required recycling
service and infrastructure.
Determine whether the parcel is inside the Village of Solvay or elsewhere in the Town of Geddes, because local refuse, dumpster, property-maintenance, and enforcement provisions may differ. |
Town of Geddes
Village of Solvay |
| Manlius Area Town / Fayetteville / Manlius / Minoa |
County 3+ unit apartment baseline |
The Town of Manlius contains the incorporated Villages of
Fayetteville, Manlius, and Minoa.
Property managers should identify the exact municipal jurisdiction before applying local refuse or property-maintenance rules. The County Apartment Complex requirements remain the regional multifamily baseline outside the Skaneateles statutory exception. |
Town of Manlius |
| Salina / Liverpool Town / Village |
County 3+ unit apartment baseline |
Apartment managers should verify whether the property is within
the Village of Liverpool or elsewhere in the Town of Salina.
Maintain County-compliant recycling capacity, convenient recycling locations, labels, and resident education, while separately checking municipal collection and property-maintenance requirements. |
Town of Salina
Village of Liverpool |
| Lysander / Baldwinsville Town / Village |
County 3+ unit apartment baseline |
Baldwinsville is shared among multiple town jurisdictions,
so confirm the actual parcel location before applying a town-level provision.
For covered apartment properties, maintain the County-required recycling service, sufficient receptacle capacity, convenient placement, proper labels, and resident education. |
Town of Lysander
Village of Baldwinsville |
| Skaneateles Town / Village |
Statutory County Source Separation Law exception |
Do not apply the County Apartment Complex provisions on this page automatically
to properties located in the Town or Village of Skaneateles.
The County statute expressly excludes those jurisdictions from its Waste Generator definition and enforcement section. Property managers should verify the current Town/Village recycling, collection, container, property-maintenance, and enforcement requirements directly. |
Town of Skaneateles
Village of Skaneateles |
| Other Onondaga County Municipalities | County 3+ unit baseline; local provisions vary |
Other municipalities include
Elbridge, Fabius, LaFayette, Marcellus, Otisco, Pompey,
Spafford, Tully, Van Buren
and their applicable incorporated villages.
For covered apartment properties outside Skaneateles, use the County's 3+ unit Apartment Complex requirements as the verified multifamily baseline. Before publishing a municipality-specific unit threshold, fine, dumpster requirement, or collection rule, verify the controlling local ordinance for the actual property address. |
NYS — Onondaga County Municipalities
County Town & Village Contacts |
Syracuse & Onondaga County Recycling / Sanitation Penalty Snapshot
- Onondaga County Apartment Complex / Nonresidential Waste Generator — first violation: written warning.
- County — second violation: fine of not less than $100 and not more than $500.
- County — subsequent offenses: fine of not less than $250 and not more than $1,000 per violation.
- No blanket daily apartment penalty: do not state that every continuing day automatically creates a separate Apartment Complex offense. The County statute uses explicit daily/instance language for certain hauler and facility violations, but not in the same manner for the Nonresidential Waste Generator penalty subsection.
- Syracuse household-cart violation: current City guidance provides a 24-hour opportunity to pull back an improperly set-out cart/material. The City's current published fine for a household that fails to correct a cart violation is $100.
- Separate Syracuse health / sanitation violations: illegal setouts, excessive trash or construction debris, litter/dumping, commercial trash conditions, and other sanitation violations may be enforced separately from the household-cart fine.
- North Syracuse: applicable Chapter 128 violations may result in a fine up to $250, imprisonment up to 15 days, or both; each week's continued violation may constitute a separate additional violation.
- Local ordinances vary: never apply Syracuse, East Syracuse, North Syracuse, or Town of Onondaga penalties to another municipality without checking its controlling code.
Syracuse & Onondaga County Multifamily Recycling Compliance Checklist
Swipe or scroll horizontally on mobile. The task column remains fixed.
| Task | Property-Manager Action | Compliance / Operational Detail | Helpful Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| ☑ Monitor A5248 | Identify whether the property contains retail, restaurant, office, professional-services, leasing-office, manufacturing, or another qualifying commercial portion. |
A5248 is pending legislation, not current law.
If enacted in its current form, covered commercial buildings/portions would be subject to
a proposed State recycling program for paper products and specified single-use plastics,
together with owner/management collection and education-resource duties.
Do not infer A5248 coverage from residential unit count alone, the County's Nonresidential Waste Generator classification, or Syracuse's 11+ commercial waste-generator collection classification. |
NY Assembly Bill A5248 |
| ☑ Confirm Municipality | Identify the exact city, town, and incorporated village containing the property. |
Syracuse is the County's only incorporated city,
but local rules also exist in towns and villages.
A mailing address alone does not necessarily identify the correct municipal code. Determine whether a property is inside an incorporated village such as East Syracuse, North Syracuse, Liverpool, Solvay, Fayetteville, Minoa, Manlius, or Baldwinsville. |
Onondaga Municipalities |
| ☑ Confirm 3+ Unit County Status | Determine whether the building contains more than two residential units. |
A 3+ unit building is an
Apartment Complex
under the County Source Separation Law.
The owner/operator is an Apartment Complex Waste Generator and has specific recycling service, capacity, convenience, labeling, and education duties. |
County Source Separation Law |
| ☑ Provide Recycling Service | Ensure covered apartment residents have an operational recycling pathway. |
The County law requires an Apartment Complex Waste Generator
to provide recycling service unless tenants are required to arrange directly
for that recycling service.
Do not provide trash service without an operational recycling pathway where the County Apartment Complex provisions apply. |
OCRRA Apartment Recycling |
| ☑ Provide Sufficient Recycling Capacity | Maintain enough common-area recycling containers for resident volume. |
The County law requires sufficient number and capacity
to accommodate the aggregate quantity of County recyclable materials generated by tenants.
Monitor overflow and contamination and adjust container size, quantity, or downstream collection frequency when necessary. |
Apartment Program Guidance |
| ☑ Meet Convenience Standard | Compare recycling-container locations with trash-container locations. |
County law requires recycling receptacles to be placed
at least as conveniently for tenants as trash receptacles.
Avoid forcing residents to travel materially farther for recycling than for ordinary trash where the County requirement applies. |
Source Separation Law |
| ☑ Label Interior & Exterior Containers | Clearly identify recycling receptacles throughout the property. |
County law expressly requires Apartment Complex Waste Generators
to ensure interior and exterior recycling containers/receptacles
are properly labeled and designated for recyclables.
Replace missing, damaged, or confusing labels promptly. |
OCRRA Supplies & Guidance |
| ☑ Educate Residents | Provide current recycling instructions at move-in and throughout occupancy. |
County law expressly requires apartment management to provide
recycling information identifying County recyclable materials residents must source-separate.
OCRRA currently offers free property-manager consultations, staff training, educational presentations, labels, and recycling supplies. |
OCRRA Apartment Resources |
| ☑ Use Current OCRRA Material Rules | Base resident instructions on OCRRA's current operational recycling list. |
Current accepted-material guidance can change over time.
Use OCRRA's live material instructions rather than relying exclusively
on the item-by-item list in an older statutory document.
Current OCRRA instructions generally direct residents to place accepted curbside recyclables loose rather than bagged. |
OCRRA Home Recycling |
| ☑ Check Syracuse 1–10 / 11+ Status | For Syracuse properties, verify unit count before applying City sanitation procedures. |
1–10 units:
generally household/City sanitation track when eligible.
11+ units: commercial/private collection track. Do not use the City's household-cart rules as the operating assumption for a large privately serviced apartment community. A5248 distinction: the 11+ City commercial waste-generator classification does not automatically make a purely residential building a “commercial building” under proposed A5248. |
Syracuse Chapter 14 |
| ☑ Correct Syracuse Cart Violations Quickly | For a property using the City cart program, respond immediately to DPW notices. |
Current City guidance states that DPW may refuse an improper setout
and issue a violation notice.
Property owners have 24 hours to pull back the setout to avoid the currently published $100 cart fine. |
Syracuse Trash / Fines |
| ☑ Control Bulk & Prohibited Waste | Separate furniture, electronics, hazardous waste, construction debris, and other special materials. |
Do not allow special materials to accumulate beside apartment dumpsters
or enter ordinary recycling containers.
Verify the property's municipal or private bulk-disposal pathway and current OCRRA disposal options for material outside ordinary service. |
OCRRA Disposal Search |
| ☑ Document Operations | Maintain a property-specific waste and recycling compliance file. |
Recommended records include:
• applicable County and municipal rules; • property unit count; • downstream service agreements; • container/enclosure maps; • resident instructions; • labels/signage; • service schedules; • contamination records; • photographs; • violation notices; • corrective actions. Documentation supports property management but does not itself guarantee regulatory compliance or dismissal of an enforcement action. |
OCRRA |
National Doorstep operates upstream from the property's municipal or private downstream trash and recycling hauling service. Porters move properly prepared resident-setout ordinary waste and recycling from apartment doors to property-designated containers or collection areas on private property. National Doorstep's standard doorstep service does not replace the property's downstream hauling/disposal service and does not perform off-site municipal solid-waste hauling.
A5248 mixed-use readiness: if A5248 is enacted in the future, National Doorstep's onsite documentation, approved-stream separation, contamination monitoring, resident/tenant education support, signage support, and collection-area procedures may help management operationalize qualifying requirements. A5248 should not be characterized as a current legal requirement unless and until it becomes law and applicable DEC implementation rules are effective. Service is implemented with ownership or authorized property-management approval.
Need a documented Syracuse / Onondaga County multifamily recycling program? National Doorstep can review the property's unit count, County Apartment Complex status, Syracuse household/commercial classification where applicable, recycling-container capacity and location, resident procedures, contamination controls, and onsite collection workflow.
The goal is to establish documented operating procedures designed to support property-management compliance while improving resident convenience and maintaining clear separation between ordinary resident waste/recycling and materials requiring a separate disposal pathway.
A5248 mixed-use readiness: for properties with qualifying commercial components, management can separately map paper and single-use-plastic streams, tenant/business education, signage, collection responsibility, and downstream routing so the property is prepared to evaluate A5248 if it becomes law. This is readiness planning—not a representation that A5248 is currently enforceable.
This page provides general operational and regulatory information for multifamily property owners and managers and is not legal advice. Requirements can vary based on municipality, unit count, service eligibility, County waste-generator classification, City household/commercial classification, incorporated-village boundaries, property configuration, downstream collection arrangement, material type, and current enforcement rules.
Assembly Bill A5248 is pending legislation and is not a current legal mandate as of August 11, 2026.
Property management should confirm current requirements with OCRRA, the applicable city, town, or village, and qualified legal or compliance professionals when appropriate, and should verify A5248's current legislative status before relying on the proposal.
Authoritative Ordinance & Property-Manager Sources
Onondaga County — Source Separation Law, Local Law No. 2 of 2012 | OCRRA — Apartment Recycling | OCRRA — Current Recycling Rules | City of Syracuse — Trash & Recycling | Syracuse — Trash Setout & Cart Violations | Syracuse — Trash & Recycling Carts | Syracuse Code — Chapter 14 Solid Waste | Village of East Syracuse — Chapter 289 | Village of North Syracuse — Chapter 128 Collection | Town of Onondaga — Chapter 237 | New York State — Onondaga County Municipalities | New York State Assembly Bill A5248 — 2025–2026 Legislative Session (“New York State Waste Recycling and Reduction Act”; proposed commercial-building paper/single-use-plastic recycling program; proposed collection and education duties; local-law savings clause; proposed 180-day effective date; current status: Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee)
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