How to prepare and put out trash and recycling

(a) The types of refuse and recyclable materials hereinafter described must be prepared for collection as follows: (1) In areas provided with manual collection, tree branches set out for collection may not exceed 9 inches in diameter and green waste must be cut into lengths not exceeding 3 feet. All green waste must be tied in bundles, which do not weigh more than 50 pounds each or prepared in a manner determined by the director in accordance with § 42-1.12 (b)(3). In areas with automated green waste collection, green waste must be placed in the city-provided green waste cart as designated by the director such that the cart lid fully closes. (2) In areas provided with manual collection, all empty cardboard and other fibrous cartons, wooden boxes and crates, and other similar empty containers must be flattened and securely tied in bundles not exceeding 3 feet in length nor weighing more than 50 pounds each. In areas with automated mixed recyclable materials collection, all empty corrugated cardboard boxes must be flattened and placed in the city-provided mixed recyclable materials cart as designated by the director such that the cart lid fully closes. (3) All other refuse except that mentioned in subdivisions (1) and (2) must be placed in city-provided refuse carts as designated by the director, or in areas provided with manual collection, in durable or nondurable containers described as follows: (A) Durable containers. The interior surface of the container must be smooth with no projections and the top diameter must be equal to or larger than the bottom diameter. The container must have a capacity of at least 10 gallons but not more than 35 gallons. The maximum weight of an empty container is 25 pounds. The maximum weight of a filled container is 75 pounds. Every container holding any garbage must have a tight-fitting lid. (B) Nondurable containers. Nondurable containers made of plastic film, paper, or cardboard may be used if the containers are able to contain their contents securely at all times. The maximum weight for filled nondurable containers is 50 pounds. The containers will be collected together with their contents. (4) All rubbish consisting of ashes, powders, dust, sawdust, broken bottles, glass, china, or other materials likely to cause injury to persons collecting the same must be securely wrapped or contained before being placed in the city-provided refuse cart as designated by the director for automated collection or in the resident-provided container for manual collection. (5) Except for food waste that the director designates as a recyclable material, garbage must be drained and securely wrapped before being placed in the container. (6) Recyclable materials designated by the director, except newspaper or other paper which is used to wrap or hold garbage or other refuse not designated as recyclable materials, must be prepared or placed in the city-provided mixed recyclable materials cart as designated by the director and will be collected under procedures determined by the director. (7) The director shall designate the city-provided cart into which food waste must be placed and may specify additional standards for the placement of food waste in the carts. (b) On or the evening before the scheduled day of collection, all refuse, green waste, and other recyclable materials as designated by the director prepared for collection as hereinabove provided, must be placed on the street, so as not to impede vehicular traffic, or sidewalk, so as not to impede pedestrian use, in a location readily accessible to the collector. The lateral location for each owner’s refuse within the sidewalk area must be limited to the street frontage abutting the owner’s property or where approved by the division. In apartment and business districts, refuse, green waste, and other recyclable materials as designated by the director may be placed within 20 feet of the curb, as defined in this subsection. Refuse, green waste, and other recyclable materials as designated by the director may be placed for collection within the sidewalk area (as defined in this subsection) of private roads and nonstandard private roadways when all of the following conditions are met: (1) All of the residents along the roadway must want such collection; (2) The roadway must serve at least three residences; (3) The roadway must have an unobstructed width of at least 12 feet not including parking lanes; (4) Horizontal and vertical curves of the roadway must meet subdivision standards; (5) Maximum roadway grade may not exceed 19 percent; (6) The owners of the roadway shall provide and maintain an all-weather road surface; (7) The roadway must have an adequate turnaround. If there is no turnaround, reversing of the truck must not exceed a distance of 100 feet; and (8) Reversing on a grade exceeding 10 percent is not required. (c) Containers may not be left on the street or sidewalk area after the day of collection. In cases of hardship, as determined by the director, automated carts may be left on the street or sidewalk area. (d) Bulky wastes will be collected under procedures determined by the director. Bulky wastes must be placed on the street, so as not to impede vehicular traffic, or sidewalk, so as not to impede pedestrian use, for collection no earlier than the evening before the scheduled day of collection. (1) In the event bulky wastes are placed on the street or sidewalk fronting a property earlier than the evening before the scheduled day of collection, the owner of the abutting property shall be responsible for the removal and storage of such bulky wastes. (2) In the event bulky wastes are placed on the street or sidewalk fronting a multi-unit residential building earlier than the evening before the scheduled days of collection, the property owner or the association of apartment owners of the abutting property shall be responsible for the removal and storage of such bulky wastes as set forth in § 42-3.4 (b). (e) Three-cubic-yard containers designed for mechanical handling, if used, may not be placed on the street or sidewalk, but must be placed within the property to be served in locations directly accessible to the pickup forks of the collection truck. Access roadway requirements for the collection of 3-cubic-yard containers will be those required for collection on private roads and nonstandard private roadways as provided in subsection (b), except that maximum roadway grade may not exceed 12 percent. )