What Can and Can't Go in a Dumpster in Connecticut

Yes — load it

• Household junk and furniture: sofas, tables, chairs, dressers, mattresses, clothing, boxes and general clutter.
• Construction and renovation debris: wood and lumber, drywall and plaster, flooring and tile, siding, cabinets, fixtures, insulation, pallets and packaging.
• Roofing: shingles and underlayment, which are heavy, so mind the weight limit.
• Concrete, brick, stone and asphalt — in limited quantities, within the weight limit, ideally in a dedicated smaller bin.
• Metal, plastic and cardboard — kept together where you can, so they can be recycled.
• Yard waste: grass clippings and leaves, branches and limbs cut to size, shrubs, bushes and plants, soil, mulch and sod, wood chips and storm debris.
• Appliances without refrigerant — ask before you load them.

Sorting pays. Light household debris can usually be mixed, but heavy materials such as concrete, dirt or roofing shingles should often be kept separate to stay inside the weight limit, and yard waste should be kept separate from household trash or construction debris. Tell us which you have when you book, and if you have questions about a specific material, ask before delivery.

What Connecticut law keeps out

Connecticut has two disposal rules that matter for a roll-off, and both items are on our no list anyway:

Three common myths. We found no Connecticut statute banning mattresses, paint or tires from the trash, so we do not tell you there is one. The state does run programs for them: HRRA notes that Public Act 13-42 set up a mattress program with free drop-off, and Public Act 11-24 set up the paint stewardship program. Facilities set their own rules too: HRRA's transfer-station rules list tires, asbestos, pressurized containers, liquid waste and hazardous waste as unacceptable waste. That is a facility rule, not a state law, but it is why those items stay out of our boxes.

Our no list, and why

Our own no list, as company policy: paints, solvents and automotive fluids; oil and fuel; batteries and electronics; propane tanks and fuel containers; tires; medical waste; asbestos; hazardous chemicals; and refrigerants, which means fridges, freezers and AC units stay out. For a yard waste box, keep out household trash and construction debris too. If you are unsure about something, call (475) 256-5131 before you load it; it is far cheaper than finding out at the facility.

Hazardous waste has its own state rule: HRRA notes that under CGS § 22a-454, no one may collect, store or treat hazardous waste material without a permit from CT DEEP. Mattresses are fine in our boxes, though they are bulky, so allow for the space; HRRA's free mattress drop-off is there if you would rather recycle one. And do not mix dirt, rock or concrete in with household junk without checking first, because the weight limits apply.

No — and where it goes instead

Check the drop-off's own list before you go: town stations are for their own residents, with permits, and most take little or no construction debris.

Asbestos and lead paint

The CT Department of Public Health's Asbestos Program says: "All facilities from sheds to commercial establishments are covered under the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies asbestos regulations." DPH also notes that federal notification applies to renovations at set thresholds "and for all demolitions, even when there is no asbestos present". DPH's abatement notice and an older DEEP renovation and demolition checklist give different timings, so check the current rule with DPH, (860) 509-7367, before the work starts.

That older DEEP checklist also says that before demolition, asbestos-containing material and, where an environmental survey shows it is needed, lead-based paint should be removed and properly disposed of. HRRA's definition of construction and demolition waste excludes asbestos, clean fill, radioactive material and hazardous waste. Asbestos never goes in our roll-offs. If an older home may have it, have it checked before the tear-out starts.

Covered loads and clean streets

Connecticut law says: "No vehicle shall be driven or moved on any highway unless such vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any of its load from dropping, sifting, leaking or otherwise escaping therefrom in such manner or quantity as to constitute a hazard or nuisance to other users of the highway" (CGS § 14-271(a)). For refuse trucks of 5,000 pounds or more carrying an open-top container, § 14-271(c) requires the contents to be secured with a screen or other material with openings no larger than two square inches. Towns add their own: Danbury requires every truck to be loaded so nothing is blown or deposited on any street (§ 36-80(c)), and Roxbury says: "All vehicles shall have canvas or other suitable covers" (§ 11-9(A)).

That is why the fill line matters. Debris must remain level with or below the top rim, because overfilled dumpsters cannot be transported safely. And keep debris inside the box: Bethel's dumpster chapter says a container must not be loaded so its contents spill into the street or sidewalk (§ 52-3).

Sorting: clean loads, mixed loads, yard waste and household junk

It pays to sort. A clean load of concrete, brick, stone or asphalt is the easiest to recycle and belongs in a smaller bin, inside the weight limit. Mixed remodel and tear-out debris is construction and demolition waste. Yard waste is best as its own load, kept separate from household trash or construction debris, and goes to green waste recycling where possible. Household junk from a cleanout is a fourth kind, and the one most likely to hide a car battery, a propane tank or a can of paint.

So keep brush and leaves in their own load, keep heavy concrete and brick apart from everything else, keep metal and cardboard together, and do not mix a household cleanout into a remodel box without telling us. Whenever possible, materials such as concrete, metal and wood are separated for recycling. If you are not sure where something belongs, call before you load it.