Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Upper St. Clair
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.
Black Lid (Township-issued) Bin (Trash)
Place at the curb by 6:00 a.m. (or after 6:00 p.m. the night before). All trash must be bagged and fit completely inside the provided cart. Nothing outside the cart will be collected.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Empty/dried paint cans (lids removed)
Maroon Lid (Township-issued) Bin (Recycling)
Items should be rinsed, dried, and placed loosely in the cart. Do not bag recyclables. Place cart at least three feet away from the trash cart and obstacles.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flattened cardboard
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Paper and newsprint
- ✓Plastic and paper to-go cups
Do NOT Include
- ✕Glass bottles and jars
- ✕Plastic bags and film
- ✕Food waste
- ✕Yard waste
- ✕Electronics
Yard Waste Bin
Must be placed in compostable paper bags. Branches must be tied in bundles. Collected only during designated spring and fall curbside dates, or at the Boyce Compost Site.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Plants and garden residue
- ✓Chipped shrubbery
- ✓Tree trimmings (up to 48 inches long and 3 inches in diameter)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Once a month (Second full week of the month)
Placement
Place your two allowed bulk items next to your black-lidded trash cart by 6:00 a.m. on your collection day during the designated bulk week.
Accepted
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Chairs and sofas
- ✓ Bicycles
- ✓ Large household furniture
Not Accepted
- ✕ Extra bags of standard trash
- ✕ Cardboard boxes
- ✕ Electronics and TVs
- ✕ Hazardous waste
- ✕ Construction materials
If you have an excessive amount of trash or bulk items beyond the two-item limit, you must call Waste Management to arrange a special paid collection.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If your regular collection day falls on or after an observed weekday holiday, your service will be delayed by one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste drop-off events and seasonal curbside pickups are strictly scheduled by date and generally unaffected by standard holidays.
Holidays like Easter or Martin Luther King Jr. Day do not impact the Waste Management collection schedule in Upper St. Clair.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep Glass Out of the Maroon Cart
Glass shards ruin valuable bales of paper and cardboard at the recycling plant. Never place glass in your curbside bin; utilize the blue drop-off dumpsters at Village Square Mall instead.
Bag Your Trash, But Loose Your Recyclables
Waste Management requires all garbage inside the black-lidded trash cart to be bagged to prevent litter during the automated lifting process. However, recyclables in the maroon-lidded cart must remain completely loose and unbagged.
No Tanglers or Cords
Garden hoses, extension cords, and Christmas lights are considered 'tanglers.' They wrap around the sorting gears at the recycling facility, causing dangerous mechanical jams. Put these items in the trash.
Seasonal Information
Spring
April - MaySpring curbside yard waste pickup is limited to one scheduled date. Ensure you have a supply of compostable paper bags ready, as plastic bags filled with yard debris will be rejected.
Fall
October - NovemberThe Township schedules five distinct curbside leaf collection dates in the fall. Check the public works calendar for your specific street's pickup days.
Winter
December - JanuaryLive, undecorated Christmas trees can be dropped off for recycling at the Public Works building on Truxton Drive from late December through January. Alternatively, WM will accept them as bulk waste in January if cut into smaller sections.
About Upper St. Clair Waste Management
Strictly Automated Cart-Only Collection
Upper St. Clair operates on a fully automated refuse collection system managed by Waste Management. Each household is provided with one 96-gallon Township-issued trash cart with a black lid. It is imperative that all household garbage fits entirely inside this specific cart with the lid completely closed. Drivers will not exit the truck to collect any extra bags, boxes, or loose items placed on the ground next to the bin. If your household routinely exceeds the capacity of a single cart, you must purchase a secondary Waste Management cart and register it with the Township.
The Regional Glass Drop-Off Initiative
Due to changing recycling markets and the high risk of contamination at single-stream sorting facilities, glass is completely banned from the curbside recycling carts in Upper St. Clair. Instead, the Township has partnered with the Glass Recycling Collaborative of Southwestern PA to provide a permanent glass recycling drop-off site. Residents can take all colors of glass bottles, jars, and jugs to the dedicated blue dumpsters located at the Village Square Mall seven days a week.
Structured Monthly Bulk Item Pickups
Unlike municipalities that require scheduling every bulk item, Upper St. Clair offers a dedicated bulk collection week built right into the monthly schedule. During the second full week of each month, Waste Management will automatically collect up to two large bulk items left at the curb on your normal trash day. This covers large furniture like couches, chairs, and mattresses. However, do not use this week to put out extra bags of regular trash or cardboard boxes, as these do not qualify as bulk waste.
Curbside and Drop-Off Yard Waste Options
Yard waste management in the Township is heavily regulated to promote composting at the Boyce Mayview Park facility. Curbside yard waste collection occurs once in the spring and five times in the fall. All leaves and yard debris must be packaged exclusively in compostable paper bags, while branches must be securely bundled. Outside of these curbside dates, residents can utilize the Boyce Compost Site on designated Saturdays to drop off yard waste.
Drop-off Facilities
Village Square Mall Glass Recycling Drop-Off
5000 Oxford Drive, Bethel Park, PA 15102
Materials Accepted
Boyce Compost Site
Boyce Road (Next to Ardolino's), Upper St. Clair, PA 15241
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an extra trash cart in Upper St. Clair?
If one cart isn't enough, you can purchase an additional trash cart directly through Waste Management by calling 1-800-866-4460. Once purchased, you must register the new cart with the Township's Public Works Department by calling 412-831-9000 ext. 2710 or emailing [email protected]. An annual fee applies for the secondary cart.
Where can I recycle my glass bottles since they aren't allowed in the cart?
Glass is banned from the curbside recycling program. However, Upper St. Clair residents have access to a permanent glass drop-off site. You can bring all colors of empty glass bottles and jars to the blue dumpsters located at the Village Square Mall (5000 Oxford Drive in Bethel Park).
When is bulk trash collected, and do I need to call ahead?
You do not need to call ahead for standard bulk items. Upper St. Clair has a designated bulk collection week—the second full week of every month. Simply place up to two large items (like a mattress or a chair) at the curb on your normal trash pickup day during that specific week.
What am I supposed to do with excess yard waste?
The Township provides one curbside yard waste pickup in the spring and five in the fall; materials must be in compostable paper bags. Outside of those dates, residents can drop off paper-bagged yard waste at the Boyce Compost Site on Boyce Road during designated Saturday events.