SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Beginning Wednesday, November 1, the city of Syracuse Department of Public Works will start issuing citations for those that do not follow set-out rules for trash carts.

The fine is $100 for households not correcting a citation.

The city has been expanding the cart program citywide since September. Individual not following the rules has been given warning notices.

According to the DPW, the most common mistakes included not only failing to use the sanitation cart provided by the city but also leaving additional trash outside of the cart, overfilling the cart so that the cover wouldn’t close, and failing to bag all trash placed in the carts.

As of November 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 set out 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 drop-off site. Locations and fee information for OCCRA drop-off sites can be found at ocrra.org. 

The requirements for trash setouts are: 

  • 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. Persons who place illegal setouts will be fined $350.

Additional information can be found here.