Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Lower Providence Township
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-provided bin (or specialized bags for per-bag accounts) Bin (Trash)
Trash is typically collected twice a week. Place your bins curbside the night before your scheduled collection. Those on the 'per-bag' plan must use the official $6 bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Everyday household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging
- ✓Styrofoam
Typically blue or explicitly marked 'Recycling' container Bin (Recycling)
Single-stream recycling is collected once a week. Items can be mixed together loosely. Place at the curb the night before your scheduled service day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flexible Plastic Packaging (FPP) and plastic bags
- ✓Aseptic cartons (milk, juice, soup)
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Corrugated cardboard and office paper
- ✓Clear and colored glass
Do NOT Include
- ✕Electronics
- ✕Hazardous chemicals
- ✕Yard waste
- ✕Tires
Yard Waste Bin
Limit of 10 bags or bundles per week on Wednesdays. Must be in open-top containers or compostable paper bags. Plastic bags are prohibited. Bundles max 50 lbs.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Lawn clippings
- ✓Twigs and branches (max 3 feet long, under 3 inches diameter)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
One item per month
Placement
Place one item at the curb the night before collection. Mattresses and box springs must be completely wrapped in a disposable mattress bag before pickup.
Accepted
- ✓ Household furnishings
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs (must be sealed in plastic)
- ✓ Bicycles
- ✓ Carpet (cut into 3 or 4-foot sections and tied, max 10 rolls)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Tires
- ✕ Covered electronics (TVs, computers)
- ✕ Construction debris
- ✕ Hazardous waste and wet paint
One bulk item is free per month. You can schedule an extra bulk item pickup by calling ahead and paying an additional $50 fee per item. Freon appliances require scheduling at 484-518-7026.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a holiday falls on your standard collection day, a twice-a-week trash route is skipped until the next scheduled day. For once-a-week recycling routes, pickup is pushed back by one day.
Yard Waste Exception
All yard waste collections are fully suspended during the weeks of Christmas and New Year's Day.
When a holiday like Christmas falls on a recycling day, recycling is often pushed to Wednesday (the typical yard waste day) for those two weeks.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Utilize the Flexible Plastic Option
Unlike neighboring towns, Lower Providence allows you to put flexible plastic packaging—like grocery bags and pouches—right into your single-stream recycling bin thanks to J.P. Mascaro’s specialized facility.
Stop Bagging Yard Waste in Plastic
When setting out leaves or grass clippings for the Wednesday pickup, never use plastic garbage bags. The hauler will strictly leave them behind. You must use compostable paper bags or rigid, open-top containers.
No Root Balls or Thick Branches
If you are clearing out your landscaping, note that branches thicker than 3 inches in diameter and entire tree root balls are heavily restricted and will not be taken during the weekly yard waste collection.
Seasonal Information
Winter
December - JanuaryDuring the holiday weeks of Christmas and New Year's, there is absolutely no yard waste collection in the township. Undecorated Christmas trees are picked up during standard Wednesday collections outside of those holiday weeks.
Autumn
October - NovemberAs leaves fall across Montgomery County, residents can either bag them for the Wednesday yard waste pickup or take advantage of the township's premium vacuum leaf collection service, which is offered for an additional cost.
Spring & Summer
April - AugustAfter heavy spring and summer storms, yard waste volume can dramatically increase. If J.P. Mascaro trucks fill up and cannot finish Wednesday routes, they guarantee collection will be completed by Saturday of the same week.
About Lower Providence Township Waste Management
Managing Trash Under the Mascaro Contract
In 2022, Lower Providence Township secured a long-term municipal contract with J.P. Mascaro & Sons to handle all residential waste removal, directly billing residents on a quarterly basis. Depending on where you live in the township, standard household garbage is collected twice a week. Interestingly, for environmentally conscious residents who produce very little garbage, J.P. Mascaro offers a unique 'per-bag' billing option. This alternative rate provides standard weekly recycling but requires residents to purchase specialized $6 trash bags for their refuse.
Innovative Flexible Plastic Packaging Recycling
While most municipalities strictly ban plastic bags from curbside bins because they jam sorting machinery, Lower Providence Township operates differently. Thanks to a specialized pilot program run by J.P. Mascaro, residents can place Flexible Plastic Packaging (FPP) directly into their single-stream recycling containers. This includes clean plastic grocery bags, food pouches, and bubble wrap. From aseptic juice cartons to traditional aluminum cans, everything goes together into one weekly bin.
Navigating the Once-A-Month Bulk Item Limit
Disposing of heavy household items like couches or rolled carpet requires strategic timing. Lower Providence limits bulk pickups to exactly one free item per month, which is collected on your final scheduled collection day of that month. If you are throwing out a mattress or box spring, Township rules strictly mandate that you seal the item entirely inside a disposable plastic bag to protect workers from bed bugs. Need to discard a second bulky item? You must call the hauler and schedule an extra pickup for an additional $50 fee.
Yard Waste and the Wednesday Collection Standard
To keep Montgomery County neighborhoods clear of organic debris, Lower Providence mandates a township-wide yard waste collection every Wednesday. Residents are permitted to set out a generous ten bags or bundles of natural debris per week. All soft yard waste like leaves and grass clippings must be placed in compostable paper bags or open-top bins with lids. Tree branches are accepted but must be tied into secure bundles weighing no more than 50 pounds, cut down to maximum 3-foot lengths, and kept under 3 inches in diameter.
Drop-off Facilities
Montgomery County Household Hazardous Waste Events
Various rotating locations in Montgomery County, PA (Pre-registration required)
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 'per-bag' trash option in Lower Providence Township?
For households that generate very little garbage, J.P. Mascaro offers a per-bag billing option for $106.05 per quarter. This plan includes standard weekly recycling, but requires residents to purchase specialized trash bags for $6 each for any refuse they throw away.
How do I throw away a mattress or box spring?
You can throw away a mattress on your designated monthly bulk pickup day (the final collection day of the month). However, all mattresses and box springs must be entirely sealed in a disposable plastic mattress bag to protect collection employees from bed bugs.
Does Lower Providence recycle plastic grocery bags?
Yes! Thanks to a specialized program with J.P. Mascaro, Lower Providence residents can include Flexible Plastic Packaging (FPP)—which includes plastic grocery bags, food wraps, and pouches—directly in their curbside single-stream recycling bin.
When are yard clippings and branches collected?
Yard waste is collected township-wide every Wednesday. You are limited to 10 bags or bundles per week, and all debris must be in compostable paper bags or open-top containers. Twigs and branches must be tied and cannot exceed 3 feet in length or 3 inches in diameter.