Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Lancaster
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.
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Trash and utility bills can be managed online through the City of Lancaster Utility Access portal, which offers a $1.05 per-invoice credit for enrolling in paperless billing.
Billing Cycle
Quarterly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Phone, Mail, In-Person, Bank Bill Pay
Pro Tip / Discount
A senior discount is available for homeowner-occupants aged 65 and older who submit the Senior Discount Form.
Varies (Resident provided or rented 96-gallon cart from Penn Waste) Bin (Trash)
Place curbside between 6 PM the night before and 5 AM on collection day. Remove empty containers by 8 PM. Limit 6 bags/cans (32-gal/30 lbs) per week.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household trash
- ✓Small bags placed inside larger heavy-duty bags or cans
Green or Blue (Free bins available from the city) Bin (Recycling)
Rinse all containers, remove lids and caps, flatten cardboard. Do not bag recyclables.
Accepted Items
- ✓Corrugated cardboard
- ✓Metal food and beverage cans
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs WITH a neck
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
Do NOT Include
- ✕Newsprint
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Foil
- ✕Cutlery
- ✕Pots
- ✕Wire hangers
Yard Waste Bin
Must be placed in biodegradable brown paper bags or bundled (max 4 ft long, 6 inches diameter, 30 lbs). No plastic tape or wire.
Accepted Items
- ✓Tree trimmings
- ✓Plant debris
- ✓Shrubbery clippings
- ✓Weeds
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Limited grass clippings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly limit of 1 oversized item (replaces 2 standard trash bags). White goods collected monthly.
Placement
Set out the oversized item on your normal collection day instead of two regular trash containers.
Accepted
- ✓ Sofas
- ✓ Stuffed chairs
- ✓ Mattress and box spring sets
- ✓ Carpet rolls (under 4 feet wide)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Large appliances/white goods (without tag)
- ✕ Construction debris
- ✕ Tires
Regular oversized items are free within the weekly limit. Large appliances (white goods) cost $15 per tag, and are collected on the third Friday of each month.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If your collection day falls on or after an observed holiday, service is delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste collections follow the same holiday delay schedule as regular trash and recycling.
If an observed holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, there is no change in service for the preceding or following week.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Fall
September - NovemberBag leaves from your private property in the city-provided biodegradable bags. Do not sweep private yard leaves into the street, as it overwhelms Lancaster's street sweepers.
Winter
December - JanuaryChristmas trees are collected on your regular trash day according to the city calendar. Keep an eye on holiday delays due to Christmas and New Year's Day, which push collection back by one day.
Spring / Summer
March - AugustEnsure your brown yard waste bags are kept dry until collection day. Wet organic waste combined with warm summer temperatures can cause bags to prematurely decompose and fall apart at the curb.
Local Tips & Community Info
City of Lancaster Refuse Regulations and Bag Limits
In the City of Lancaster, standard residential garbage removal happens on a weekly basis. For a quarterly rate of $85.80 in 2025, each household is permitted to set out up to six 32-gallon trash bags, provided that no single bag exceeds 30 pounds in weight. If you prefer a wheeled container over individual bags, large 96-gallon curb carts can be rented directly through the municipality’s contracted hauler for an extra $6 monthly fee. To maintain neighborhood tidiness, all refuse and recycling containers must only be placed curbside after 6:00 p.m. on the evening prior to your scheduled collection day, and they must be brought back in by 8:00 p.m. on the day of pickup. When not awaiting collection, bins are required to be stored discreetly at the side or rear of your property, avoiding front porches or lawns.
The Big 4 Curbside Recycling Protocol
Lancaster County actively fights recycling contamination by adhering strictly to a single-stream “Big 4” policy. Rather than guessing what might be recyclable, residents are instructed to only place four specific material categories into their free city-provided bins: corrugated cardboard, metal food and beverage cans, plastic bottles and jugs that feature a distinct neck, and glass bottles or jars. All containers must be rinsed thoroughly of food debris, and plastic caps or lids should be removed and tossed into the regular trash. Other paper products, such as magazines, mixed office paper, or shredded paper, cannot go into the curbside bin but can instead be dropped off for free at the Lancaster Recycling Drop-Off Center located at 850 New Holland Avenue.
Bulky Item Allowances and Appliance Disposal
For heavier household items like a worn-out sofa, a mattress set, or a tightly rolled carpet up to four feet wide, residents are allowed to set out exactly one oversized item each week. However, utilizing this bulky item allowance automatically restricts your standard trash limit for that week to a maximum of four regular containers. The bulky object must also be manageable enough for two sanitation workers to lift safely. Large household appliances, often referred to as “white goods” (including refrigerators, dehumidifiers, and washing machines), are handled via a separate process. These require the advanced purchase of a $15 appliance tag from the Treasury Office on West Chestnut Street. They are then picked up during the city's special monthly appliance collection route to ensure refrigerants are recovered properly.
Yard Waste and Safe Medical Waste Handling
From September through November, the city conducts seasonal yard waste collections. Residents can pick up complimentary yard waste bags directly at the New Holland Avenue drop-off facility. Filled bags of leaves and clippings are then picked up alongside the usual weekly refuse. Furthermore, Lancaster provides very specific instructions for home medical waste. Used sharps and needles must be enclosed in an opaque, hard plastic container with a secure screw-on cap. Residents should add a splash of bleach or alcohol to disinfect the interior, tape the cap completely shut, and throw the container into the normal garbage. Under no circumstances should medical waste ever be placed into a recycling bin.
Drop-off Facilities
Lancaster Recycling Drop Off Center
850 New Holland Ave, Lancaster, PA 17601
Materials Accepted
Treasury Office
39 West Chestnut Street, Lancaster, PA 17603
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Can seniors get a discount on their Lancaster trash collection bill?
Yes, property owners who are 65 years of age or older and permanently occupy their residence qualify for a discounted collection rate. You must complete and submit the official 'Senior Discount Form' directly to the city to apply for this ongoing benefit.
What happens if a piece of furniture is too heavy for standard bulk pickup?
If an oversized item is too cumbersome or heavy for two standard sanitation workers to lift safely into the rear of the truck, it will be left at the curb. You will then need to hire a private junk removal service or transport the item to a specialized waste transfer facility yourself.
Where can I get a replacement if my recycling bin breaks?
If your bin is severely damaged, simply tape a note reading 'Please Take' onto it and leave it at the curb for the hauler to dispose of. Residents can then pick up a brand-new, free replacement bin at the Recycling Drop-Off Center at 850 New Holland Avenue on weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.