Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Upper Macungie
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.
Typically dark-colored with municipal logo (UMT Cart) Bin (Trash)
All trash must fit inside the UMT cart with the lid completely closed. Wheels must face the house. Items outside the cart require a purchased Bulk Waste sticker.
Accepted Items
- ✓Everyday household garbage
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Food wrappers
- ✓Styrofoam
Yellow-lidded UMT Cart Bin (Recycling)
Items must be clean, dry, and placed loosely inside the cart. Do not put recyclables in plastic garbage bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Plastics #1 through #6 (rinsed)
- ✓Corrugated cardboard (broken down)
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Printed paper and magazines
Do NOT Include
- ✕Shredded paper
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Hazardous waste
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕E-waste
- ✕Food waste
Yard Waste Bin
For curbside pickup (May/Oct), place in open containers (max 32 gal/60 lbs) or tied bundles. Grass clippings, plastic bags, and stones are prohibited.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Shrubbery trimmings
- ✓Tree limbs and branches (max 48 Inch x 18 Inch x 18 Inch bundled)
- ✓Garden residue
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
One item per week
Placement
Place your scheduled bulk item at the curb the night before your collection day, ensuring it is at least 3 feet clear of carts and mailboxes.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (couches, chairs)
- ✓ Mattresses and toilets
- ✓ Refrigerators and freezers (doors removed)
- ✓ Air conditioners
Not Accepted
- ✕ Televisions and computers (E-waste)
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Hazardous chemicals and wet paint
- ✕ Automotive parts and tires
One bulk item per week is free, but residents with additional excess debris beyond their carts can purchase up to four Bulk Waste stickers per year from the Municipal Township building.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If an observed holiday falls on a weekday prior to or on your scheduled service day, your collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
The Yard Waste Drop-Off Site is closed on all observed Upper Macungie Township holidays as well as federal holidays.
If the holiday falls on a weekend, your standard collection schedule usually remains unaffected.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Skip the Shredded Paper
While standard printed paper and mail are highly recyclable, shredded paper is too small to survive the mechanical sorting process at the materials recovery facility. Please put shredded paper in your regular trash cart.
Unbag Your Recyclables
Never gather your recyclables into plastic garbage bags. The plastic film gets tangled in the gears of the recycling machinery, creating dangerous jams for workers and halting the entire sorting process.
Clean and Dry is Key
A half-full soda bottle or unrinsed peanut butter jar can leak and ruin an entire truckload of clean cardboard and paper. Always give your bottles, cans, and jars a quick rinse before tossing them in the yellow-lidded cart.
Seasonal Information
Spring
MayThe first of two annual curbside yard waste pickups usually occurs in May. Bundle branches securely (no more than 4 feet long) and place leaf waste in open 32-gallon containers the night before.
Autumn
OctoberAs the leaves begin to fall across Lehigh County, Upper Macungie schedules its second curbside yard waste collection. Remember that leaves in plastic bags will not be collected; they must be in open containers.
Winter
December - JanuaryPost-holiday Christmas trees can be disposed of at the Grim Road Yard Waste Drop-Off site. You must ensure all ornaments, tinsel, and stands are completely removed before dropping the tree off.
About Upper Macungie Waste Management
Embracing Upper Macungie's Cart-Based Trash Collection
Upper Macungie Township operates an organized, cart-based refuse system to keep neighborhoods clean and deter pests. Every residence must use the municipal-issued 65-gallon or 95-gallon mobile carts for household garbage, placing them curbside with wheels facing the home. Any trash bags left outside of the official UMT cart will simply be left behind by the collection crews, unless they are adorned with a pre-purchased Bulk Waste sticker obtained from the Municipal building.
How to Properly Manage Bulk Items and White Goods
Need to dispose of an old couch or broken dining table? Whitetail Disposal allows one free bulk item pickup per week on your regular collection day. The critical rule is that you cannot just drag the item to the curb; you must contact customer service by 11:00 AM the day before your pickup to schedule it. For large white goods like refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners, scheduling is also mandatory and all doors must be completely removed for safety before placed at the street.
Navigating Yard Waste: Curbside Pickups vs. The Drop-Off Site
Keeping your lawn pristine in Lehigh County comes with organic debris, and Upper Macungie offers two primary ways to manage it. The Public Works Department typically runs curbside branch and leaf collections twice a year—usually in May and October. For year-round needs, residents can visit the Yard Waste Drop-Off Site at Grim and Schantz Roads to unload leaves, grass clippings, and small shrubs. Remember that grass clippings are strictly prohibited from curbside bundles and must be taken directly to the drop-off site.
Recycling Right in the Yellow-Lidded Cart
The township provides distinct yellow-lidded carts specifically for single-stream recycling. Acceptable materials include plastics numbered 1 through 6, broken-down corrugated cardboard, and thoroughly rinsed glass or metal food containers. It is essential to keep all recyclables loose inside the cart; bagging your items in plastic will contaminate the stream and often send your good intentions straight to the landfill. Notably, shredded paper is also explicitly banned from the recycling cart because it disrupts the sorting machinery.
Drop-off Facilities
UMT Yard Waste Drop-Off Site
Intersection of Schantz Rd & Grim Rd, Allentown, PA 18106
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put extra garbage bags next to my UMT trash cart?
No. Whitetail Disposal will only collect trash that fits inside the UMT cart with the lid closed. If you have extra garbage, you must purchase a Bulk Waste sticker at the Municipal building, which allows for an extra debris pile up to 4'x4'x6'. You are limited to four stickers per year.
Does Upper Macungie Township collect yard waste at the curb every week?
No, the Public Works Department only conducts curbside yard waste pickups twice a year, typically in May and October. At all other times, residents can take organic debris to the Yard Waste Drop-Off Site at Grim and Schantz Roads.
Do I need to call ahead to throw away a mattress or piece of furniture?
Yes. While you are allowed one free bulk item per week, you must schedule the pickup with Whitetail Disposal by 11:00 AM the day prior to your service day. For Monday collections, you must call by 11:00 AM on Friday.
What should I do with my grass clippings?
Grass clippings are strictly prohibited from the curbside yard waste collection. You must either mulch them into your lawn or bag them separately and take them to the UMT Yard Waste Drop-Off Site, keeping them separated from branches and leaves.