Frequently Asked Questions

No. Leaves must be in paper lawn or leaf bags or loose in a can.

No. Plastic bags of any kind are not accepted.

Latex or water-based paint is not hazardous. Let any paint in the can dry out and throw it out with regular trash. Oil-based paints or stains are hazardous and may be disposed of at the Town's STOP Programs, which are held every May and October. Dates are listed on the recycling calendar and on the Town's Website.

Due to the NYS Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act, small electronics may no longer be disposed of at the curb. Following is a list of items that may be disposed of at the Town's Yard Waste Facility on Young's Avenue, Riverhead, where there is a drop-off container, or at Best Buy on Route 58 in Riverhead:

What Electronic Equipment Can be Recycled?

• Computers (including desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, e-readers, etc.)
• Televisions
• Small-Scale Servers
• Monitors
• Keyboards
• Mice
• Facsimile Machines (only those intended for use with a computer and weighing less than 100 lbs.)
• Document Scanners (only those intended for use with a computer and weighing less than 100 lbs.)
• Printers (only those intended for use with a computer and weighing less than 100 lbs.)
• VCRs
• DVRs
• Portable Digital Music Players
• DVD Players
• Digital Converter Boxes
• Cable or Satellite Receivers
• Electronic or Video Game Consoles
• Any cable, cord, or wiring permanently attached to or incorporated into an above-listed product.

For more detailed information, please visit the NYS DEC website.

Waste Disposal Licenses may be obtained by completing the application, which can be found under Applications and Forms on the Town's home page, located on the Sanitation Department tab. Complete the form and submit it along with the required documentation prior to the year in which you would like to conduct business within the Town.

Fluorescent bulbs may be brought to the Town's S.T.O.P. Program, which is held in May and October. Dates are listed on the recycling calendar and on the Town's Website. 

The carters do not take fresh green grass clippings.  Residents may use a mulching blade on their mower, dispose of them on their own property, or purchase a Yard Waste Facility Permit.

In order to prevent youth substance use and avoid accidental overdose, it is important that residents monitor and safeguard their prescription and over-the-counter medications. To protect our environment, medication should not be thrown in the garbage or flushed. For the convenience of our residents, the Riverhead Town Police Department (210 Howell Avenue, Riverhead, NY) has a permanent Drop Box in which residents can safely dispose of their non-liquid medication. For confidentiality purposes, please remove or blacken identifying information prior to disposal.

There are two types of smoke detectors used in homes: Photoelectric and Ionization. 

Photoelectric detectors do not contain radioactive material and can be disposed of in your regular household trash. 

Ionization Detectors (most detectors in use are this type) do contain a small amount of radioactive material. Even though the amount is so small that it does not pose a risk to human health, it is not recommended that they be disposed of with household waste. Ionized smoke detectors should be returned to the manufacturer for disposal. Please contact the manufacturer to determine what type of detector you have and what their return procedure is. 

For residents who are part of the Town's Residential Garbage District, up to six (6) bulk items (appliances, scrap metal, furniture, mattresses, air conditioners, and rugs) shall be collected on your bulk day. All bulk items must be in safe condition, fluids drained, and placed curbside for pickup. Please take note that putting out more than 6 Bulk items is a violation of the Town Code. 

Needles and lancets should be disposed of in a heavy plastic container such as a laundry detergent or bleach type bottle with a screw on top.  Do not use glass containers or coffee cans, as they can break, and lids can come off easily.  Label the container "Contains Sharps" in a waterproof marker and dispose of it with household trash or take it to your local hospital.

No. This should go in your regular trash.

At this time, numbers 1 & 2 are accepted.

Pickup starts at 6 am.

• Household batteries such as Alkaline and carbon zinc batteries, including AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, can be disposed of safely with your regular household garbage.
• Rechargeable batteries are recyclable through vendors who sell them. 
• Car batteries are recycled through service stations that sell them.

• Open 5 days a week
• Thursday through Monday
• 7 am to 3:30 pm
• Closed for holidays or extreme inclement weather