Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Scranton
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 (purchased by resident) Bin (Trash)
Residents must supply their own lidded trash cans, heavily restricted to a maximum size of 32 gallons to ensure safe lifting by city crews. Place out no earlier than the night before pickup.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics and packaging
Blue Bin (Plastics/Metals) and Red Bin (Paper/Cardboard) Bin (Recycling)
Do not mix materials. Plastics, metals, and glass must go into the Blue Bin. Paper and cardboard must go into the Red Bin. Collection alternates every other week. Official bins can be picked up at 101 W Poplar St.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastic bottles and containers (Blue Bin)
- ✓Glass bottles and jars (Blue Bin)
- ✓Aluminum, steel, and tin cans (Blue Bin)
- ✓Corrugated cardboard and paperboard (Red Bin)
- ✓Newspaper, magazines, and copy paper (Red Bin)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Electronics and TVs
- ✕Household garbage
- ✕Leaves and yard waste
Yard Waste Bin
Leaves must be placed in brown paper yard bags or city-provided leaf bags. Never mix yard waste with standard garbage. Brush and leaf pickups happen during specific seasonal windows announced by the DPW.
Accepted Items
- ✓Fallen leaves
- ✓Grass clippings (when specified)
- ✓Christmas trees (in January)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly (as space permits, often collected on Fridays)
Placement
Place your 1-2 bulk items out on your normal trash day. If DPW crews bypass it to save room for regular garbage, leave the item at the curb—they will likely return on Friday for a bulk sweep.
Accepted
- ✓ Couches and sofas
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Large pieces of furniture
- ✓ Up to 2 bulky items per week
Not Accepted
- ✕ Televisions, computers, and tablets
- ✕ Tires and automotive parts
- ✕ Construction materials (drywall, brick, concrete)
- ✕ Hazardous waste or liquid paints
Bulk pickup for standard residential furniture is included in municipal services at no extra charge, provided residents adhere to the 1-2 item limit.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Whenever a city-observed holiday falls on a weekday, all refuse and recycling pick-ups will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week (e.g., Wednesday routes will be collected on Thursday).
Yard Waste Exception
Seasonal leaf and brush collection events also follow this one-day delay structure during major fall holidays like Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.
Because Scranton observes unique local holidays (like Election Day and Easter Monday) that disrupt the collection schedule, residents are strongly encouraged to print the DPW's 12-Month Recycling Calendar.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Respect the Red and Blue Bin Divide
Scranton's recycling facility relies on you to sort your waste. Never throw junk mail or cereal boxes into your Blue Bin, and keep plastic bottles out of the Red Bin. Mixing the streams causes entire truckloads to be rejected and sent to the landfill.
Keep Leaves Out of Your 32-Gallon Cans
During autumn yard cleanups, it can be tempting to throw raked leaves into your standard garbage can. The DPW strictly forbids this; leaves must be bagged separately in biodegradable bags for dedicated collection weeks.
Hold Onto Your Electronics
Under Pennsylvania law, you cannot leave old televisions, computers, or monitors on the curb for Friday bulk pickup. You must either wait for one of Scranton's designated Electronic Recycling Events or drop the e-waste off at the Lackawanna Recycling Center.
Seasonal Information
Fall
October and NovemberThe city conducts extensive leaf vacuuming and bagged leaf pickups throughout the fall. Residents can pick up free, eco-friendly leaf bags at Weston Field or the DPW headquarters to prepare for these designated collection weeks.
Winter
JanuaryThe DPW typically schedules a specialized Christmas Tree curbside pickup for the month of January. Alternatively, residents can transport bare, un-bagged, and undecorated trees directly to the Lackawanna Recycling Center for free municipal drop-off.
Holidays
Year-RoundScranton DPW observes a high number of municipal holidays, including Easter Monday, Election Day, and Columbus Day. When a holiday occurs, all subsequent trash and recycling pickups for that week are pushed back by exactly one day.
About Scranton Waste Management
Resident-Supplied Trash Cans and Size Limits
Unlike many municipalities that provide automated roll-carts, the City of Scranton requires residents to purchase their own garbage cans. To protect the health and safety of the Department of Public Works (DPW) sanitation crews who physically lift the waste, the city mandates that your personal garbage cans must not exceed 32 gallons in capacity and must feature a secure lid. Waste should be placed at the curb no earlier than the night before your scheduled collection day.
Scranton's Dual-Stream Blue and Red Bin System
Scranton operates a separated, dual-stream recycling program that requires residents to use two different colored bins to prevent contamination. The Blue Bin is exclusively for rinsed plastic bottles, glass containers, and metal cans. The Red Bin is strictly reserved for paper products and corrugated cardboard. To improve efficiency, the city recently updated its program to collect both paper and cardboard together in the same container every other week, alternating with the plastic/glass stream.
Navigating Bulk Pickups and 'Friday Sweeps'
Disposing of large items like a mattress or a couch requires a bit of patience in Scranton. The DPW operates under a mandate to prioritize standard household garbage first. If the sanitation trucks fill up with regular trash, crews will leave your bulk items at the curb. However, residents do not need to panic—DPW crews typically return on Fridays to conduct a specialized sweep for any bulky furniture that was bypassed earlier in the week. Residents are asked to limit bulk set-outs to 1 or 2 items at a time.
Specialized Leaf Collection and Free Bags
To prevent organic waste from clogging up the landfill, Scranton prohibits residents from mixing fall leaves with household garbage. During the autumn months, the city provides specialized leaf bags made from recycled materials for free (limited to two per visit) at the DPW complex and Weston Field. Once bagged, residents can set these out during the city's designated fall leaf collection weeks, which temporarily replace standard paper recycling routes.
Drop-off Facilities
Lackawanna Recycling Center
3400 Boulevard Ave, Scranton, PA 18512
Materials Accepted
Department of Public Works (DPW) Headquarters
101 W Poplar St, Scranton, PA 18509
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the City of Scranton provide me with a garbage can?
No, the City of Scranton requires residents to purchase their own garbage cans. For the safety of the sanitation workers who must lift the bins manually, the DPW strictly mandates that your personal garbage cans must not be heavier or larger than 32 gallons and must have a lid.
Where can I get a Blue or Red recycling bin for my home?
Official city recycling bins are provided by the DPW. You can request a bin by filling out the Wufoo form on the city's recycling webpage, or you can pick one up in person at the DPW headquarters located at 101 W Poplar St during normal business hours.
Why didn't the garbage men take my old couch on my trash day?
Scranton sanitation crews are required by mandate to prioritize household garbage first to maintain city sanitation. If a truck fills up, they will bypass your bulk item. Simply leave your couch or mattress at the curb, as the DPW usually runs special trucks on Fridays to collect the bulk items they missed during the week.
How do I get rid of fallen leaves in Scranton?
Do not put leaves in your regular trash. The city provides specialized leaf bags (available during the fall at the DPW complex and Weston Field, limit 2 per visit). You must bag your leaves in these or similar brown yard bags and set them out during the designated fall leaf collection weeks.