Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Cheltenham
Pennsylvania waste collection runs weekly, with exact days varying by local township, borough, or city routing schedules.
State Mandate
Follow Act 101 guidelines for mandatory community recycling.
Resident's Choice (Max 20 gallons) Bin (Trash)
Place at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day. Limit of 6 (20-gallon) containers or 10 polyethylene bags per pickup. Max weight is 30 lbs per bag/container.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household refuse
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
Township-Issued Bin Bin (Recycling)
Do NOT flatten cans or plastic containers. Remove lids and caps from glass jars. Do not place recyclables inside plastic bags; keep them loose in the bin.
Accepted Items
- ✓Glass bottles and jars (lids removed)
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs (#1-#7)
- ✓Paper and cardboard (unsoiled)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Ceramics and dishware
- ✕Window glass and mirrors
- ✕Syringes and diapers
Yard Waste Bin
Rake leaves to the curb line no more than 14 days before your scheduled fall collection. Do not include twigs, branches, or grass clippings. Outside of leaf season, yard waste rules vary; check with Public Works.
Accepted Items
- ✓Loose leaves (during fall collection only)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Fridays by appointment only.
Placement
Place your scheduled items at the curb only after confirming your Friday appointment with the Public Works Department.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Large household appliances (white goods)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Televisions and computers (Covered Devices)
- ✕ Motor vehicle parts
- ✕ Plumbing fixtures and boilers
- ✕ Gas, oil, or propane tanks
- ✕ Paint or poisonous materials
There is a base fee of $25 for a bulk waste appointment. Additional surcharges apply for certain items, such as an extra $3.50 fee per large appliance.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If your scheduled collection day falls on an observed holiday, service is typically pushed back to the following day.
Yard Waste Exception
Fall leaf collection schedules are highly subject to weather delays and holiday schedule shifts.
Because Cheltenham uses a 4-day collection week (Monday-Thursday), Fridays are often used as make-up days during holiday weeks, which may impact bulk trash appointments.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Autumn
November - DecemberThe Township operates a loose leaf collection program. Leaves must be raked to the curb but kept free of branches and twigs to prevent damage to the vacuum machinery. Do not rake leaves into the street right after a sweep has passed.
Spring/Summer
April - SeptemberGrass clippings are not accepted as part of regular yard waste sweeps. The Township encourages 'grasscycling'—leaving the clippings on your lawn to act as a natural, nitrogen-rich fertilizer.
Winter
January - FebruaryInclement winter weather, such as snow or ice, may temporarily halt or delay refuse collection. When winter storms hit, monitor the Township website for adjusted A-D zone pickup schedules.
Local Tips & Community Info
Municipal Refuse Collection Regulations
In Cheltenham Township, residential garbage collection is managed internally by the local Public Works Department. To ensure neighborhoods remain tidy, collections for standard household refuse and recycling happen on the exact same day each week, based on your specific geographic zone (Areas A, B, C, and D running Monday through Thursday). Residents must have their materials placed curbside no later than 7:00 a.m. on their designated morning. The township enforces a strict volume limit: homes are allowed a maximum of six 20-gallon trash receptacles or up to ten heavy-duty polyethylene garbage bags per pickup. Each bag or can must not exceed a weight limit of 30 pounds to protect the safety of the sanitation crews.
Single-Stream Recycling Protocols
Cheltenham operates a single-stream recycling system, allowing you to combine all acceptable materials into one bin without separating paper from plastics. However, the township has specific processing rules that must be followed. Plastic grocery bags are strictly prohibited in the recycling bin because they jam the sorting facility's conveyor belts. Furthermore, residents are instructed not to flatten their metal cans or plastic jugs; the optical sorting machines rely on the 3D shape of containers to separate rounds from flats like cardboard. Make sure all glass jars are rinsed free of food residue and that all plastic caps or metal lids are completely removed before disposal.
Friday Bulk and Special Collections
If you need to dispose of bulky household furniture, large appliances, or non-combustible scrap metals, you cannot leave them out with your regular weekly trash. Cheltenham Township handles these oversized items exclusively by appointment on Fridays. Residents must call the Public Works Department in advance to get placed on the schedule. This special Friday service incurs a minimum base fee of $25, with additional per-item surcharges applied for white goods such as refrigerators, washing machines, or water heaters. Freon must be professionally removed from cooling appliances prior to municipal pickup.
Managing Yard Debris and Leaves
To comply with state environmental guidelines, Cheltenham Township prohibits mixing organic yard waste with standard garbage destined for the landfill. Throughout the designated growing and autumn seasons, the township provides organized leaf collection and yard debris sweeps. Residents should place grass clippings, small twigs, and fallen leaves in biodegradable paper bags or loosely in dedicated yard waste bins. Plastic bags will not be collected. Brush and tree branches must be tightly bundled, tied with twine, and cut to manageable lengths to ensure the collection trucks can efficiently load the material.
Schedule Adjustments for Holidays
When a federally recognized holiday falls on a weekday, the typical collection schedule is adjusted. If the holiday occurs on or before your normal refuse day (such as a Monday or Tuesday), your garbage and recycling pickup will simply be pushed back by one day for that specific week. Normal operations resume the following week. Residents are encouraged to check the official Cheltenham Township calendar during major holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Independence Day to verify their adjusted pickup date and avoid leaving bins at the curb for extended periods.
Drop-off Facilities
Cheltenham Township Public Works Facility (E-Waste Drop-Off)
8101 Old York Rd, Elkins Park, PA 19027
Materials Accepted
Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials (CHaRM) drop-offs
Various participating grocery stores and Montgomery County events
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum amount of trash I can put out in Cheltenham?
The township allows up to six 20-gallon containers or a maximum of ten trash bags per household each week. No single container or bag can weigh more than 30 pounds.
Why am I not supposed to flatten my recycling cans?
The township's recycling facility uses a single-stream optical sorter that relies on the three-dimensional shape of bottles and cans to separate them from flat paper and cardboard. Flattening them causes mechanical sorting errors.
How do I get rid of an old refrigerator?
Large appliances are collected by appointment only on Fridays. You must call Public Works to schedule the pickup, pay the base fee plus the appliance surcharge, and ensure any Freon is properly extracted beforehand.