Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Cranberry
Trash Day
Trash is collected once per week, Monday through Friday, with collection days determined by your neighborhood.
Recycling
Recycling is collected weekly on the same day as regular trash collection.
Yard Waste
Yard waste is collected weekly on your regular pickup day from late March/early April through mid-December, plus two designated weeks in January for live Christmas trees.
Set Out Time
By midnight the night before your scheduled collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Trash and recycling charges are bundled together with water, sewer, and stormwater on a single monthly municipal utility bill due on the last business day of each month.
Billing Cycle
Monthly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay (Direct Debit), eCheck, Credit/Debit Card, Electronic Bank Payment, Mail, In Person, Drop Box
Pro Tip / Discount
A $2 monthly credit is applied to utility accounts enrolled in both e-billing and automatic bill payment (AutoPay). No specific senior or low-income discounts listed.
Gray-Top Cart (Provided by Township) Bin (Trash)
All trash MUST be bagged before placing it inside the cart to prevent littering during the automated dumping process. Place the cart on a level area within 5 feet of the street by midnight the night before collection. Lids must close completely.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household trash
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Dried latex paint (hardened with kitty litter or sawdust)
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics and styrofoam
Green/Blue Cart (Provided by Township) Bin (Recycling)
Place recyclables completely loose in the cart. Never bag recyclables. Rinse all food residue from containers, remove all lids and caps, and toss the lids into the regular trash.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastics #1 through #6
- ✓Clear, brown, and green glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum, steel, and bi-metal cans
- ✓Cardboard (broken down smaller than 4 feet)
- ✓Newspaper, magazines, and junk mail
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags of any kind
- ✕Lids and caps from bottles
- ✕Styrofoam packing peanuts or blocks
- ✕Pizza boxes or soiled takeout containers
- ✕Light bulbs, ceramics, and mirrors
- ✕Plastics stamped #7
Yard Waste Bin
Yard waste is collected weekly from March through December. Do not mix yard waste with household trash or recyclables. Plastic bags are not permitted for yard waste.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Brush and tree trimmings
- ✓Garden waste
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
As needed, on your regular collection day, by purchasing a prepaid sticker.
Placement
Attach the purchased sticker where the driver can easily see it. Call 724-COLLECT (Option 2) to schedule the pickup and place the item at the curb on your normal trash day.
Accepted
- ✓ Sofas and upholstered furniture
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs (must be wrapped in plastic)
- ✓ Washers, dryers, and stoves
- ✓ Carpet rolls
- ✓ Extra 32-gallon trash bags (with $1.25 small item sticker)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Appliances containing Freon (refrigerators, AC units) unless Freon is certified removed
- ✕ Televisions, computers, and electronics
- ✕ Construction materials and demolition debris
- ✕ Bathtubs, pianos, and hot tubs
- ✕ Hazardous waste and chemicals
Small bag stickers are $1.25. Large items (furniture/mattresses) require an $11.00 sticker. Appliances without Freon require a $12.00 sticker. Stickers do not expire and are non-refundable.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a collection day falls on or after a weekday holiday, pick up will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week. If a holiday occurs before your collection day or falls on a weekend, your schedule will not change.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste collection follows the exact same holiday delay schedule as the standard trash and recycling routes.
Holidays falling on Saturday or Sunday do not disrupt the Monday through Friday collection schedule in Cranberry.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Winter
JanuaryCranberry Township sets aside the first two weeks of January for curbside Christmas tree pickup. Remove all ornaments, tinsel, lights, and tree stands. Trees must be cut into 4-foot sections and left bare; do not put them in plastic bags or inside the carts.
Spring through Fall
March - DecemberWeekly curbside yard waste collection is active from March to December. Ensure that no dirt, rocks, or household garbage accidentally mixes into your yard waste bundles.
Year-Round Weather
January - DecemberPlace your carts with the wheels facing away from the street, and keep them at least 5 feet away from mailboxes, parked cars, or snow banks to ensure the automated mechanical arm can safely grasp them.
Local Tips & Community Info
Variable Cart Rates and Automated Collection
Cranberry Township approaches residential waste management through a highly efficient, automated collection system. Sanitation trucks are equipped with specialized mechanical arms, requiring all standard household garbage to be placed exclusively inside official township carts. What makes this system unique is its variable base rate pricing model. Your monthly refuse fee is directly determined by the size of the trash cart you select. By choosing a smaller container, households that generate minimal waste can actively lower their monthly municipal utility costs.
Prepaid Stickers for Excess Garbage
There are occasions, such as after a family gathering or a deep spring cleaning, when your regular cart simply is not large enough to hold all your waste. To accommodate this, Cranberry Township utilizes a specialized Prepaid Collection Sticker system. Instead of leaving unapproved bags on the curb, which will be ignored by the automated trucks, residents must purchase these official stickers from the Customer Service desk. One sticker must be firmly attached to every extra bag of trash that does not fit into your designated cart to guarantee pickup.
Single-Stream Sorting and Cart Rules
Recycling is included at no additional cost for all residential utility customers. The township operates a single-stream program, allowing you to toss all acceptable plastics, glass, and metals into one cart without the hassle of sorting. However, strict contamination rules apply. You must never place recyclable items inside plastic grocery bags. The bags become entangled in the sorting machinery at the processing plant. All recyclables should be deposited loosely into the designated bin and wheeled to the curb on your regularly scheduled collection morning.
Self-Service Cardboard Compactor
The rise of online shopping often leaves families with more corrugated boxes than their curbside recycling cart can handle. To solve this issue, Cranberry provides a 24-hour, self-service Cardboard Compactor located directly behind the Municipal Center. This amenity is strictly for residential use. All boxes must be free of styrofoam and packing peanuts before being placed in the compactor. If the machine happens to be full, leaving piles of cardboard on the surrounding ground is strictly prohibited and monitored by municipal security cameras.
Seasonal Yard Waste and Green-Top Bins
Disposing of organic landscaping materials is fully integrated into the township's waste program without requiring extra fees. The yard waste collection season generally kicks off in late March and runs through the warmer months. Residents must place their grass clippings, twigs, and leaves into a specific green-top cart or into fully biodegradable paper lawn bags. Under no circumstances will yard waste sealed in plastic bags be collected by the crews. Make sure to remove any hidden rocks or heavy dirt clumps from the bags to ensure successful processing.
Drop-off Facilities
TC Recycling, LLC
126 Hutchman Road, Mars, PA 16046
Materials Accepted
Cranberry Township Municipal Center Cardboard Compactor
2525 Rochester Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066 (Located behind the building)
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How is my monthly trash bill calculated in Cranberry Township?
Your trash collection rate is variable and directly linked to the volume of your chosen garbage cart. Households that opt for smaller carts pay a lower monthly base rate.
What should I do if I have more garbage than my cart can hold?
You must utilize the Prepaid Collection Sticker system. Purchase official stickers from the township and attach one to every extra garbage bag placed outside your cart.
Can I leave extra cardboard boxes next to my recycling bin?
No. Excess cardboard that does not fit loosely in your recycling cart should be taken to the free residential Cardboard Compactor located behind the Municipal Center.