Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities

Recycling is the law. If your recyclables are mixed with your garbage, they will not be picked up and you'll receive an orange Oops! sticker. Don't let your garbage be left behind. Make recycling a priority. Please keep glass, plastics, metal and paper (including newspaper, magazines, catalogs and junk mail) out of your garbage. If you are an owner of a multi-family dwelling, contact us for assistance to improve your recycling program.

Retrofit for material recovery facility
The Daniel P. Thomas Material Recovery Facility ("MRF"), where 90 percent of the residentially collected recyclable material in Westchester County is processed, recently underwent a five-month retrofit. Now high tech optical sorting equipment shoots thousands of laser beams per second through each plastic container to identify the resin type. This allows the county to continue recycling plastic containers coded 1 and 2 and also collect and recycle containers coded 3 through 7, including yogurt containers, plastic cups and take-out food boxes.

Mandated recyclables

• On June 1, 2011, plastic containers coded 3 through 7 were added to the county’s list of mandated recyclables, under the Westchester County Source Separation Law, and now residents must recycle plastics coded 1 through 7.
• Do not put plastic bags in your bin, these should be brought to retailers that are required by law to collect and recycle them. Also, continue to put styrofoam in the garbage.
• Read the Recycle Right Guide with Q&As (en español) and the Pocket Guide for more information.
• You can also call (914) 813-5425, the Recycling HelpLine, for more information or if you have additional questions.
• Many household items that cannot be set out for curbside collection can be safely disposed of at our Household Material Recovery Facility (H-MRF).
• Confidential documents can also be safely recycled using the county's Mobile Shredder.

Miss a recycling pick-up at your curb?
Contact your local sanitation department for a schedule of pick-ups of paper and "commingled" (glass, plastic and metal) recyclable materials.

If your city, town or village sanitation department picks up your recyclables, you can contact your Municipal Recycling Office directly. If you have a private hauler, contact them. If you live in an apartment building, your building manager or superintendent can tell you how trash should be separated in your building.

Waste reduction by donating and recycling used items
One significant way that everyone can contribute to environmental conservation is through waste reduction by reusing items. One way to do this would be by donating or selling items you want to get rid of. This can be done through a variety of different marketplace apps and websites and helps reduce additions to the waste stream. You may also want to consider donating used goods to charities, many of which will accept old furniture, clothing, toys, and other items for reuse.

The Source Separation Law sets the parameters for recycling in Westchester and promotes waste reduction in the County by maximizing recycling efforts. The law defines the types of recyclables, requires the separation of solid waste from recyclables at the point of generation, and gives the Department of Environmental Facilities authority to enforce the law. For more detail, please reference the full law.

In 2024, the SSL was updated to include the following provisions for nonresidential waste generators, which are enforceable by DEF:

1. Every Nonresidential Waste Generator with areas open to the public or visitors shall have separate disposal receptacles for Solid Waste and for Recycling that are clearly marked and identifiable. All such separate disposal receptacles shall be placed in close proximity to each other and shall be available on each floor, in each area, and in any food service area accessible to the public and/or visitors.

2. The separate disposal receptacles for Recycling shall be either single stream (pulp/paper and comingled/bottles/cans/cartons together) or dual stream (separate disposal receptacles for pulp/paper and separate disposal receptacles for comingled bottles/can/cartons), based upon the Nonresidential Waste Generator’s Source Separation Plan to manage recyclables.

3. Nonresidential Waste Generators may determine the size, shape, material, and color of any separate disposal receptacle, so long as the receptacles are clearly marked and identifiable so as to avoid the improper mixing of Solid Waste and Recyclables. DEF has prepared electronic signage files, which may be downloaded and used for the clear demarcation of the separate disposal receptacles. 
   • Garbage Signage
   • Glass, Plastic, Metal and Carton Signage
   • Paper and Cardboard Signage
   • Food Scraps Signage
   • Single Stream Signage (only for locations that collect pulp/paper and comingled/bottles/cans/cartons together)

4. Nonresidential Waste Generators (their lessee, assigns, operators, managers, etc.) shall comply with reasonable requests for access made by the Department or its Solid Waste Inspectors during the performance of inspections of areas referenced in this section.

To report a suspected violation, file the Recycling Complaint Form with the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities.

Besides civil and criminal penalties, licensed haulers, who collect solid waste and recyclables, may get their licenses revoked for non-compliance.  In order to operate in Westchester, all haulers are required to be licensed. The licensing program is managed by the Westchester County Solid Waste Commission.

Oops! stickers
While they are still available, Oops! stickers can be used by municipal sanitation departments to label improperly separated waste and recyclables that is left at the curb.

Contact us to request stickers.

Provisions within the county's Source Separation Law require private haulers and municipal haulers to report on solid waste collected in Westchester County. These reports enable Westchester County to fulfill one of its responsibilities as a New York State-designated "Solid Waste Planning Unit," which is to coordinate and analyze the solid waste generation and recycling efforts of all the municipalities and private haulers within its borders.

Private Hauler Report Form: First Half of 2024
Reporting is also a part of each company’s obligations for licensure by the Westchester County Solid Waste Commission. The current reporting period covers January 1– June 30, 2024. The cover letter and Private Hauler Report Form was sent to each licensed hauler and is also available here. Reports are due by August 16, 2024.

The Source Separation Law
The Source Separation Law (SSL)sets the parameters for recycling in Westchester and promotes waste reduction in the County by maximizing recycling efforts. The law defines the types of recyclables, requires the separation of solid waste from recyclables at the point of generation, and gives the Department of Environmental Facilities authority to enforce the law. The county examines the practices of licensed private haulers, municipalities, and waste generators at transfer stations, along collection routes and where garbage is generated and collected. Please reference the full law for more details, including information about the expansion to the SSL in 2024.

**A limited number of tours of the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) are available, please email  for more information.**

Tours of the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) educate visitors on the recycling process in Westchester County. MRF tours are free of charge and by appointment only for groups starting at the kindergarten level, including school classes, scout troops, and special interest groups. Tours may be scheduled for weekdays only.

Groups are taken to an observation tower to view machinery that separate, sort, and prepare materials to be sold to third-party manufacturers. The manufacturers recycle the materials into new end products. From the tower, viewers can also see the tipping floor, where truckloads of recyclables are delivered and dropped off. A brief presentation and educational video is shown to explain the purpose and benefits of recycling.

Tours typically last between 45 minutes and one hour. Teachers: when planning your tour, please make certain that you have adequate supervision for the children in your group. The MRF is a working waste transfer station and recycling center and safety is always a primary concern.

The MRF is located in Yonkers; Exit 6A/Stew Leonard Drive off the NYS Thruway/Interstate 87, just opposite Home Depot and Stew Leonard's. It is a busy transfer station that is closed to the public - except for pre-scheduled group tours.

A limited number of tours of the Material Recovery Facility (MRF) are available. please email  for more information.

The MRF's Recycled Material Art Gallery
Westchester County’s new Recycled Material Art Gallery is located within the MRF’s Education Center and features artwork from six local artists. All the pieces are constructed out of recycled or reused materials, with the exception of hand-painted murals, which focus on environmental themes. The installation of the ‘Trash as Treasure’ themed exhibit took six months and thousands of pounds of various recycled and reused materials.

The Recycled Material Art Gallery was officially unveiled in celebration of Earth Day on April 22, 2014. In August 2015, the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities was recognized with the SWANA Bronze Excellence Award in the Education Program category by The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) for the gallery.

The graphic to the right is a free-style, hand painting entitled "Turtle Swim" by Piero Manrique. He used semi-gloss house paints.