Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Philadelphia
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.
Any standard color Bin (Trash)
Maximum of 4 cans (up to 32 gallons each) or 8 substantial, leak-proof bags (up to 40 pounds each) per week. Must be placed curbside according to the city's seasonal set-out times.
Accepted Items
- ✓Regular household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Small non-hazardous household items
Any color hard bin labeled 'RECYCLE' or City Blue Bin Bin (Recycling)
Do not bag recyclables. Place items loosely in a sturdy, labeled container. Flatten all cardboard. Keep out all tanglers and food-soiled paper.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastic #1 and #2 bottles and jugs
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Flattened cardboard
- ✓Mixed paper and mail
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Greasy pizza boxes
- ✕Hoses and tanglers
- ✕Cassette tapes
- ✕Light bulbs
- ✕Shredded paper
Yard Waste Bin
Can be set out as regular trash subject to the standard weekly bag limits, or brought to a Sanitation Convenience Center in paper bags on Saturdays. The city also hosts special bagged leaf events in late fall.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Garden residues
- ✓Small brush and twigs
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly (collected alongside regular household trash)
Placement
Place bulk items curbside next to your regular trash according to the seasonal set-out window (either 5:00 PM or 7:00 PM). Unbagged mattresses will be rejected.
Accepted
- ✓ Sofas and large chairs
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs (must be bagged in plastic)
- ✓ Dressers and large furniture
- ✓ Large cardboard boxes
Not Accepted
- ✕ Refrigerators with doors attached
- ✕ Electronics (TVs, computers, monitors)
- ✕ Construction debris (drywall, lumber, tile)
- ✕ Tires and auto parts
- ✕ Hazardous waste
Curbside bulk pickup is free for eligible residences. Commercial properties or apartment buildings with 7+ units must hire private haulers. Alternatively, residents can drop off 2 bulk items per day for free at a Convenience Center.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a city-observed holiday occurs during the workweek, residential trash and recycling pickups are delayed by one day for the remainder of that week (e.g., Thursday collections shift to Friday).
Yard Waste Exception
All Sanitation Convenience Centers are completely closed on city-observed holidays, meaning no yard waste or bulk drop-offs can occur on those days.
Residents are encouraged to follow the Philadelphia Streets Department on social media or download the Philly311 app to receive exact push notifications regarding holiday schedule shifts.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Never Bag Your Recyclables
Philadelphia's recycling sorting facilities cannot process plastic bags. Placing your recyclables inside a plastic trash bag or grocery bag will result in the entire bundle being thrown into the garbage, and it can seriously damage the facility's equipment.
Keep Pizza Boxes Out
Food-soiled or greasy cardboard, like takeout pizza boxes, is strictly prohibited from your blue bin. The grease ruins the paper recycling process. Throw the greasy bottom half in the trash; however, you can tear off and recycle a clean, unsoiled lid.
Tanglers Don't Belong
Items like garden hoses, cassette tapes, and electrical cords are known as 'tanglers.' They wrap around the sorting gears at the recycling plant and completely halt operations. These must be disposed of in your regular trash.
Seasonal Information
Fall
November to DecemberThe Philadelphia Streets Department runs a specialized Bagged Leaf Collection program for several weeks in the late fall. Residents must place leaves in biodegradable brown paper bags (no plastic bags) for designated pickup or drop-off events across the city.
Winter
January to MarchTrash collection can be heavily impacted by severe winter storms or snow emergencies. If plows cannot navigate narrow city streets, pickup may be delayed. Always check the StreetSmartPHL platform or Philly311 for real-time weather delays and route completion status.
Summer
April to SeptemberThe summer set-out schedule requires most residents to wait until 7:00 PM the night before their collection day to place trash on the curb. This ordinance helps mitigate pest problems, litter, and odors during the hottest months of the year.
About Philadelphia Waste Management
Philadelphia’s Seasonal Trash Set-Out Schedule
Philadelphia enforces strict seasonal set-out times for residential garbage and recycling to minimize neighborhood clutter and pest issues. From April 1 to September 30, residents must place their bins at the curb between 7:00 PM the night before and 7:00 AM on collection day. During the colder months (October 1 to March 31), the set-out window shifts slightly earlier, allowing residents to place materials out starting at 5:00 PM the evening before pickup. (Note: Center City has different localized commercial hours).
Mandatory Mattress Bagging Rules
One of the most strictly enforced rules by the Department of Sanitation is the handling of old mattresses and box springs. Before you can place a mattress out for your weekly curbside bulk pickup, it must be completely enclosed in a sealed plastic mattress bag. If it is placed at the curb unbagged, sanitation crews will ignore it to prevent the spread of bed bugs, and the homeowner may face municipal citations.
Free Sanitation Convenience Centers
If you miss your collection day, live in a large apartment building without curbside bulk service, or simply have excess waste, Philadelphia offers six Sanitation Convenience Centers throughout the city. Locations include Port Richmond, Strawberry Mansion, and Southwest Philly. Open Monday through Saturday, these facilities allow residents to drop off up to two bulk items per day, regular household trash, yard waste (on Saturdays), and electronics for free, provided they show valid proof of Philadelphia residency.
Single-Stream Recycling Guidelines
Philadelphia utilizes a single-stream recycling program, meaning all acceptable materials can go into a single rigid container labeled 'RECYCLING.' While the city occasionally provides blue bins at convenience centers, residents are highly encouraged to purchase any hard lidded bin from a local hardware store. The city strictly forbids the use of plastic or paper bags for recycling, as these jam the sorting machinery and cause entire batches to be sent to the landfill.
Drop-off Facilities
Strawberry Mansion Sanitation Convenience Center
2601 W. Glenwood Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19121
Materials Accepted
Southwest Philadelphia Sanitation Convenience Center
3033 S. 63rd St, Philadelphia, PA 19153
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the trash set-out times for Philadelphia?
From October 1 through March 31, you can set out your bins between 5:00 PM the night before and 7:00 AM on your collection day. From April 1 to September 30, you must wait until 7:00 PM the night before collection to place items at the curb. (Note: Center City has different, localized hours).
Can I throw an old mattress out with my regular garbage?
Yes, you can set out a mattress as one of your two weekly bulk items, but it MUST be entirely sealed in a plastic mattress disposal bag before going to the curb. If it is placed outside unbagged, sanitation crews will refuse to collect it to prevent the spread of bed bugs.
Where can I get a city recycling bin?
You can pick up a free blue recycling bin at any of the six Sanitation Convenience Centers located throughout the city, provided you bring valid proof of residency. Alternatively, you can buy any hard plastic bin with a lid from a hardware store and simply label it with a 'RECYCLE' sticker.
What should I do if the city missed my trash pickup?
If your trash is not collected by 7:00 PM on your scheduled day, first confirm there are no weather or holiday delays by checking the StreetSmartPHL website. If there are no official delays, you can report a missed pickup by calling 311 or submitting a service ticket through the Philly311 mobile app.