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New York City

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38 item guides7 categoriesReviewed September 22, 2026

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Batteries & electronics

8 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Alkaline batteries	Trash / Verify with the agency	What condition is it in?Read conditions before disposal.
Household batteries: identify the chemistry	Trash / Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	What condition is it in? · What chemistry does its label identify?Read conditions before disposal.
Rechargeable batteries, including lithium-ion	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	What condition is it in?Read conditions before disposal.
Single-use lithium batteries	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	What condition is it in?Read conditions before disposal.
Button and coin batteries	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	What condition is it in?Read conditions before disposal.
Lead-acid car batteries	Retailer take-back / Verify with the agency	What condition is it in?Read conditions before disposal.
Laptop computers	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	What condition is it in?Read conditions before disposal.
Televisions and computer monitors	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the display whole?Read conditions before disposal.

10 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Glass bottles and jars	Curbside recycling / Verify with the agency	What did the container hold most recently?Read conditions before disposal.
Milk, juice, and soup cartons	Curbside recycling / Verify with the agency	What did the container hold most recently?Read conditions before disposal.
Rigid plastic containers	Curbside recycling / Verify with the agency	What did the container hold most recently?Read conditions before disposal.
Metal food and beverage cans	Curbside recycling / Verify with the agency	What did the container hold most recently?Read conditions before disposal.
Plastic bags and film packaging	Trash	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Foam packaging	Trash	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Corrugated cardboard boxes	Curbside recycling	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Office paper, mail, and newspapers	Curbside recycling	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Books and notebooks	Curbside recycling	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Pizza boxes	Curbside recycling / Food & yard / compost	How soiled is the box?Read conditions before disposal.

8 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Ceramic dishes and drinking glasses	Trash	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Upholstered sofas and armchairs	Trash	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Mattresses and box springs	Trash	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Tables, chairs, and shelving	Curbside recycling / Trash / Verify with the agency	What is it mostly made of?Read conditions before disposal.
Rugs and carpeting	Trash	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Corded small appliances	Curbside recycling / Verify with the agency	Is it a cord-only appliance with no battery?Read conditions before disposal.
Refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners	Scheduled pickup / Verify with the agency	What refrigerant does the appliance label identify?Read conditions before disposal.
Passenger-car tires	Special drop-off	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.

4 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Food scraps	Food & yard / compost	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Leaves and grass clippings	Food & yard / compost / Verify with the agency	Who generated the yard waste?Read conditions before disposal.
Tree branches and limbs	Food & yard / compost / Verify with the agency	Does each resident-generated bundle meet the limits?Read conditions before disposal.
Natural Christmas trees and wreaths	Food & yard / compost	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.

1 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Clothing, shoes, and household textiles	Special drop-off / Trash	Are the textiles clean, dry, and odorless?Read conditions before disposal.

3 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
LED and incandescent light bulbs	Trash	Household, service, building, and amountRead conditions before disposal.
Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs)	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the fluorescent bulb intact?Read conditions before disposal.
Fluorescent tubes	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the fluorescent bulb intact? · How long is the tube?Read conditions before disposal.

4 guides

Item	Where it goes	Conditions
Leftover household paint	Special drop-off / Retailer take-back / Verify with the agency	Is the container intact and the product identifiable? · What type is identified on the label?Read conditions before disposal.
Leftover household cleaners	Special drop-off / Verify with the agency	Is the container intact and the product identifiable?Read conditions before disposal.
Unknown or unlabeled chemicals	Verify with the agency	Is there an immediate danger?Read conditions before disposal.
Used motor oil and transmission fluid	Retailer take-back / Verify with the agency	Is the container intact and the product identifiable?Read conditions before disposal.

This snapshot verifies selected NYC household items and DSNY service, not all materials or every receiving location.
The household-battery finder is an ambiguity aid; AA/AAA size never establishes chemistry.
Damaged batteries, broken fluorescent lamps, and unknown chemicals have agency-contact branches; no unverified preparation or transport instructions are supplied.
DSNY and NYC311 differ on oil-based paint and full aerosols at Special Waste sites. Oil paint is routed through verified retailer guidance; aerosol-site acceptance is not confirmed.
NYC311 fluorescent-length wording is inconsistent at exactly four feet. Only tubes shorter than four feet receive a confirmed site route.
Facility fees and appointment requirements are unknown where recorded as null. Hours are not an Open now claim and exclude holidays and severe weather.
Only one dated SAFE event is included. Expired events must not appear as current options; always verify the official schedule.
Source hashes identify original editorial notes, not downloaded HTML snapshots. No raw copyrighted city pages, logos, or photographs are published.