Our community composting program turns collected kitchen scraps and ground leaves into nutrient-rich compost. Our composting area is located off the grounds and uses controlled piling methods to create a valuable and sustainable resource.

The finished compost is incorporated into our gardens and landscapes throughout the grounds by our Gardens and Landscapes team.

We do not provide landfill waste containers. Landfill waste collection options for on-grounds residents include:

June 9–Sept. 7:

• Mondays and Thursdays: Residents north of Vincent Avenue.
• Tuesdays and Fridays: Residents south of Vincent Avenue.
• Any Day: On-grounds residents can take landfill waste to the dumpster in the rear of the Green Lot. Use Main Lot entrance.

The trash container(s) must be visible from the street by 7 a.m.

Before June 9 and After Sept. 7:

• Mondays: For all residents.
• Monday to Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. take landfill waste to the dumpster in the rear of the Green Lot. Use Route 33 entrance.
• If collection day falls on a major holiday, collection will be on the next business day.

The trash container(s) must be set out at the curbside by 7 a.m. for pickup.

Other Collection Option: On-grounds residents can take their landfill waste to:

• The Mayville Waste Management and Recycling Center at 96 Morris Street. Waste must be in the municipality trash bag, which can be purchased at the Center. Hours are Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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What can go in your landfill waste container?

• Normal household waste.
• Ashes or sawdust, thoroughly wet.
• Broken glass wrapped securely in multiple layers of newspaper.
• Animal waste wrapped in newspaper or plastic bags.
• Five gallon or smaller hazardous materials containers that are empty and dry.
• Water-based (Latex) paint must be dried with sand or kitty-litter. When completely dry, you can then include it with rest of your household waste (garbage). (Oil-based paint can only be accepted at a Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off event.)

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What cannot go in the landfill waste container?

For the disposal of landfill waste which we do not collect, contact Chautauqua County Landfill at 716-985-4785 or visit chqgov.com/landfill/landfill.

Any item in the following list with the * indicator cannot go in the landfill waste container; however, it can be set out during Community Household Waste Clean-up Days. 

Batteries: Boat, Cycle, Lawn Mower, Vehicle, Power-Tool: Recycle these at retail store where such batteries are sold.

Construction Waste: Including demolition waste. For example: dirt, rocks, tree trunks, treated lumber, carpets or large scraps.

Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) & Mercury: Many retailers who sell CFLs will provide drop-off recycling services. Alternatively, bring them to a Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off event.

Electronic Waste: Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products.

Household Hazardous Waste: For example, household cleaners, electronics, propane tank, toxic chemicals (anti-freeze, insecticides, solvents, acids, pool chemicals), flammable liquids.

Household Large Items: For example, box springs*, mattresses*, sleeper sofas, sofas.

Household White Goods: For example, refrigerators, ranges, water heaters, freezers, unit air conditioners, washing machines, clothes dryers. Includes any item containing, or that once contained, freon gas.

Liquid Paint:

• Oil-based paint is accepted at a Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off event.
• Water-based (Latex) paint should be dried with sand or kitty-litter. When completely dry, you can then include it with rest of your landfill waste.

Plastic Bags: Recycle plastic grocery bags at a local grocery store.

Sharp Items: Including needles, syringes, lancets, and other self-injection devices.

Vehicle Waste: Tires, motor oil (check with a local service station for disposal information).

We do not provide recycling containers. Our recycling collection is contracted to a private recycling collection company.

No need to sort your recyclables; our contractor provides zero-sort recycling. Set out your mixed recycling in a hard-sided container. We do not collect recyclables that are in a plastic bag; they look too much like trash at the recycling plant. Be sure to also check out our Community Compost Program.

On-grounds recycling collection options include:

June 9–Sept. 7:

• Wednesdays: All residents
• Any Day: On-grounds residents can take recycling to the dumpster in the rear of the Green Lot. Use Main Lot entrance.
• The recycling container(s) must be visible from the street by 7 a.m. Placement at curbside is appreciated.

Before June 9 and After Sept. 7:

• Mondays: All residents
• Monday to Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. take recycling to the dumpster in the rear of the Green Lot. Use Route 33 entrance.
• If collection day falls on a major holiday, collection will be on the next business day.

The recycling container(s) must be set out at the curbside by 7 a.m. for pickup.

Recycling Tip: Anything smaller than 2” x 2” will fall through the sorting equipment and cannot be recycled. These items should go in the trash. Caps are OK if you twist them back onto the container.

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What can be in your recycling container?

PLASTIC BOTTLES, JUGS, TUBS, & LIDS
For example: plastic drink bottles, milk jugs, yogurt cups, tubs and lids, shampoo bottles
Recycle Better tips: Rinse out containers to remove as much of the food residue as possible. This ensures the item remains in the recycling stream instead of being sent to the landfill because of food residue. To save room in your container, gently squish plastic bottles. Put the caps back on, discard pumps on bottles. No bags or other plastics, please!

PAPER
For example: office paper, newspaper, paper bags, magazines, mail
Recycle Better tips: Everything should be clean and dry. Staples and envelope windows are OK. No books please! We suggest you donate them instead.

GLASS BOTTLES & JARS
For example: beer bottles, other beverage bottles, pickle jars
Recycle Better tips: All containers must be empty, clean and dry. No Pyrex, ceramics, or window glass, please! Broken items belong in the landfill trash; donate unbroken items.

METAL CANS
For example: soda and beer cans, soup and vegetable cans, aluminum foil
Recycle Better tips: All must be empty, clean and dry. Ball up your clean foil. No miscellaneous scrap metal items, please!

CARDBOARD
For example: shipping boxes, cereal boxes, egg cartons, paper towel and toilet paper rolls
Recycle Better tips: Flatten the boxes to save room in your bin. Make sure everything is clean and dry. Throw away cardboard with a waxy coating.

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What does not belong in your recycling container?

The following items are not recyclable. Even worse, their presence can seriously disrupt the recycling process. Please take a look to make sure your container does not contain:

Certain Plastics: Plastic bags, like grocery and produce bags, plastic wraps, plastic pouches and air pillows. Grocery plastic bags are accepted at local grocery stores like Tops and Wegmans.

Clothes/Textiles: They wrap around the sorting equipment. Instead donate them through a local clothing drive, drop box or reuse store.

Tanglers: Unwanted cords, ropes, hoses and other tanglers wrap around the sorting equipment. These go in the landfill trash.

Scrap Metals: Copper, steel and brass metals are not recyclable. Only aluminum and tin cans can be recycled.

Our Facilities and Grounds team collects household and landscape waste materials once in the spring and fall. A summary of the collection schedule for our Community Clean-Up Days is here.

Household Waste Community Clean-up Days:

• Spring Clean-up Day: First Wednesday of June
• Fall Clean-up Day: Last Wednesday of August

Yard Trimmings and Brush Waste Community Clean-up Days

• Spring Clean Up: First Monday of June
• Fall Clean Up: Last Thursday of August

Your materials must be set out at the curb by 7 a.m. for pickup. Piles must be light enough for one person to lift; we will not collect large debris piles.

Surrounding towns and villages may host a Community Clean-up Day for their residents. Residents of Chautauqua Institution are not eligible to participate those programs. There are Chautauqua County-sponsored Household Hazardous Waste Drop-off events that Chautauqua Institution residents can participate in. Visit chq.org/landfill/landfill for the required registration form and event details.

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Household Waste We Will Pick Up During Community Clean-Up Days

These materials when placed in small piles, separated by like items:

• Household Non-Hazardous Waste
  • Landfill waste: see What Can Go In Your Landfill Waste Container? section, light fixtures (no CFL bulbs), small appliances like toaster, toaster oven, mixer
  • Household bedding material like box spring, mattress (not sleeper sofa)
  • Building material: door, plumbing, sink, toilet
• Metal Materials
  • Scrap metal
  • Building material: hardware, plumbing
• Wood Products
  • Building material
  • Chair

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Household Waste We Will Not Pick Up During Community Clean-Up Days

Refer to other sections and Local Recycling & Disposal Centers for disposal options. We will not pick up:

• Appliances containing, or that once contained, freon gas (items such as a refrigerator, freezer, air conditioning unit, dehumidifier)
• Brush, leaves and landscape materials
• Construction waste
• Electronics (items like computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, fax machines)
• Hazardous materials (items such as anti-freeze, chemicals)
• Recycling materials (see collection schedule)
• Tires
• White goods (items such as dishwasher, dryer, furnace, water heater, stove, trash compactor, washer)

We will not pick up piles containing any items listed in this section or piles not sorted by like materials.

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Yard Trimmings and Brush Waste We Will Pick Up During Community Clean-Up Days

Items can also be placed in a paper bag. In addition to all items listed in the Yard Trimmings and Brush Waste section, we also will pick up:

• Branches & small sticks up to 4 feet in length and less than 4 inches in diameter
• Landscape materials from contracted services: Large piles of yard trimming and brush debris created by landscape contractors.

FYI: Ground up leaves are an important component in our community composting program, which creates nutrient-rich compost for our Campus Operations’ Gardens and Landscaping team.

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Yard Trimmings and Brush Waste We Will Not Pick Up During Community Clean-Up Days

In addition to all items listed in the Yard Trimmings and Brush Waste section, we will not collect:

• Dirt, soil, rocks, or sod
• Lumber
• Large root balls or tree stumps
• Rubber mulch — dispose of this as trash
• Potted materials (pot must be removed)