FIND ABOUT THE RECYCLING AND DISPOSAL PROTOCOLS FOR COLUMBIA COUNTY
Important Notice: Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 27, 2025
Please be advised that all stations and the Administrative Office
will be CLOSED on Thursday, November 27, 2025.
The Greenport Station and Scale WILL BE OPEN on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
Please note that the Administrative Office will remain CLOSED.
Did You Know? The Columbia County Solid Waste Department offers Dumpster Rentals!
Dumpster (Roll Off Container) rental is available.
Call the Administrative Office, 518-828-2737,
and reserve your dumpster today!
Click here for more information.
Did You Know? It is ILLEGAL in New York State to transport your waste without tarping it?
New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law, section 308:
"It shall be unlawful to operate on any public highway any open truck or trailer being utilized for the transportation of any loose substances, unless said truck or trailer has a cover, tarpaulin or other device of a type and specification approved by the commissioner of transportation which completely closes in the opening on the said truck or trailer while said truck or trailer shall be so operated, so as to prevent the falling of any such substances therefrom. However, if the load is arranged so that no loose substance can fall from or blow out of such truck, the covering is not necessary."
If you are transporting ANYTHING that can fly out of the car or the car/truck bed, then per NYS Law it MUST BE TARPED.
When transporting your waste please make sure to securely tarp all your trash. Not only is it required by law, but tarping your waste helps keep our roads clean and prevents trash from littering the roads and highways.
Please use a tarp when transporting your waste. NYSDEC Environmental Conservation Officers are monitoring ALL Columbia County roadways and issuing warnings and tickets daily. Please be aware that fines from NYSDEC can range from $1500 - $15,000.
Wish-Cycling is the act of throwing a material into the recycling bin and hoping that it will be recycled without knowing for sure if its locally accepted for recycling.
If we don't recycle materials properly, there can be many consequences for the recycling process including: damaging equipment, injuring workers, slowing the process down, increasing the cost of sorting, and decreasing the value of recyclables.
Recycling RIGHT helps your local recycling system to thrive, which creates many positive impacts for your community ((n.d.). https://recyclerightny.org/why-recycling-right-is-important).
Many plastic food and beverage pouches (such as those used for yogurt, juice, applesauce, and baby food) are not widely recyclable. This is because they are too soiled with food and difficult to sort from other recyclables due to their flexible nature. Likewise, instant soup and instant rice bags are often made from layers of mixed plastic and aluminum materials, which makes them difficult to recycle. It is best to avoid them or toss them in the garbage.
4. Receipts
Even though they are made of paper, receipts do not belong in your recycling bin. This is because most receipts are made with thermal paper containing chemical compounds that affect their ability to be made into new products. The best way to dispose of receipts is in the trash, but if you’re able to, next time skip the slip and if possible, ask for a digital receipt.
Although recyclable, batteries, electronics, and cell phones, do NOT belong in the regular recycling bin. They can cause dangerous fires in trucks and facilities so recycling these items requires specialized equipment.
Plastic bags are recyclable, but they DO NOT belong in your regular recycling bin. Why not? They are “tanglers”: things that can wrap around equipment at a recycling processing facility putting both the workers and machinery at risk. Other tanglers include clothing, ropes, strands of lights, hoses, wires, chains, blinds, cords, and metal hangers.
Did you know that certain forms of glass are not widely accepted in regular recycling programs? Because of the varying makeup of different types of glass, items such as wine glasses, assorted drinking cups, mirrors, light bulbs, and ceramics (whether broken, or whole) cannot be recycled.
The above graphics and information was provided by Recycle Right New York. For more information please visit their website: https://recyclerightny.org/
Recycling and Food Scrap Stickers
A sticker MUST be affixed to your vehicle to discard of recyclables and/or your food scraps.
Senior Residents (65+) can purchase a sticker at a discounted price at any participating Town Clerk office.
For more information please click here.
The original sticker must be affixed to your vehicle. Photocopies of the Recycling Sticker will be confiscated.
Columbia County, New York
Solid Waste Department
The Solid Waste Administrative Office is located at the
Greenport Transfer Station, 51 Newman Road, Hudson, NY
Administrative Office Hours:
Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 3:45 PM
518-828-2737
ccsolidwaste@columbiacountyny.gov
Greenport Transfer Station Hours:
SCALE Closes at 3:00 PM Daily
Monday - Saturday 7:30 AM - 3:45 PM
** All Correspondence and Payments will be sent
to the Mailing Address of:
The Columbia County Solid Waste Department
401 State Street
Hudson, NY 12534
PLEASE NOTE:
Sharps and Sharps Containers ARE NOT ACCEPTED
at ANY of the Solid Waste Stations.
Disposing of sharps with your recyclables or in with your household garbage
is a public health and safety issue.
COLUMBIA COUNTY SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT
MISSION STATEMENT
The Columbia County Solid Waste Division provides integrated solid waste management services to the residents and businesses of Columbia County by promoting waste reduction through reuse and recycling, while providing environmentally sound waste management at the most economical cost.
The success of our program is, in part, the result of the interaction between the Solid Waste Department and our County residents. We appreciate and respect the public's interest and welcome your suggestions, comments and recommendations. This cooperation will continue to protect and enhance our beautiful County for future generations.
