Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for West Whiteland 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.
Official 33-Gallon WWT Bags Bin (Trash)
Trash must be securely tied or sealed inside official PAYT bags. You may place the bags inside a personal trash can to deter animals, but the outer can must be clearly marked 'TRASH'.
Accepted Items
- ✓Standard household refuse
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging
Township-issued Tote (or rigid wall container) Bin (Recycling)
Recyclables must be placed in a rigid-walled container or the township-provided 96-gallon tote. Loose cardboard must be flattened and tied if not inside the tote.
Accepted Items
- ✓Cardboard (flattened and bundled)
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and bi-metallic cans
- ✓Plastic bags, film, and wrap (weighed down)
Do NOT Include
- ✕Greasy pizza boxes
- ✕Batteries of any kind
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Electronics
Yard Waste Bin
Collected on specific pre-scheduled Fridays. Leaves must be in 30-gallon brown paper bags. Branches must be tied in bundles with string (not wire).
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Branches (max 4 feet long, 4 inches thick)
- ✓Small twigs (in rigid containers)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly (Tuesdays)
Placement
Place your labeled bulk item next to your PAYT trash bags before 6:00 AM on Tuesday.
Accepted
- ✓ Sofas and chairs
- ✓ Mattresses (must be wrapped in plastic)
- ✓ Washers, dryers, and dishwashers
- ✓ Bicycles and push mowers (oil/gas removed)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Televisions, computers, and printers
- ✕ Freon-containing appliances (refrigerators, ACs)
- ✕ Building materials (drywall, shingles, wood)
- ✕ Tires
There is no additional fee for your single weekly bulk item; it is factored into your annual PAYT subscription fee.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
On specific holiday weeks (such as Memorial Day or Labor Day), the standard Tuesday trash and recycling collection is pushed back one day to Wednesday. Check the township website for the exact schedule.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard debris is always collected on pre-scheduled Fridays, so it is rarely impacted by Monday holidays.
Not all federal holidays disrupt the hauler's schedule. Always confirm with the West Whiteland Township calendar if you are unsure whether your Tuesday pickup will be delayed.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Clearly Label Secondary Trash Cans
If you choose to place your official PAYT trash bags inside a hard plastic garbage can to prevent animals from tearing them open overnight, you must clearly write 'TRASH' on the outside of that container. Otherwise, the driver may mistake it for a recycling bin and skip it.
Keep Batteries Out of the Tote
Never throw batteries of any kind (alkaline, lithium-ion, or rechargeable) into your recycling tote. They are a severe fire hazard for the processing facilities. They must be taken to specialized retail drop-offs or Chester County Household Hazardous Waste events.
Tear Away the Greasy Pizza Box Stains
While clean cardboard is highly desired, grease ruins the paper recycling process. If you order pizza, tear off the greasy bottom half and throw it in your PAYT trash bag. You can recycle the clean, unsoiled top half of the box.
Seasonal Information
Autumn
October - NovemberDuring peak leaf-falling season, the township increases yard debris pickups to two Fridays in November. Remember that leaves in plastic bags will be completely ignored; you must use biodegradable brown paper bags.
Winter
JanuaryA dedicated Christmas tree curbside pickup happens on the first or second Friday of January. You must remove all ornaments, lights, and tinsel, and you cannot wrap the tree in plastic. Trees taller than 4 feet must be cut in half.
Spring/Summer
May - SeptemberHolidays like Memorial Day and Labor Day disrupt the standard Tuesday collection schedule. During these specific holiday weeks, all trash, recycling, and bulk collections are pushed to Wednesday.
About West Whiteland Township Waste Management
Navigating the Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) System
West Whiteland Township operates a unique Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) waste management system designed to encourage recycling and reduce landfill volume. Rather than paying a flat rate for unlimited garbage, single-family homeowners pay an annual base fee and must purchase official 33-gallon West Whiteland Township trash bags for all refuse. These bags cost $2.50 each and are available at local retailers like CVS, Wawa, Giant, and the Downingtown Wegmans. If your garbage is not enclosed in one of these officially marked bags, the hauler, AJ Blosenski, will simply leave it at the curb.
A Rare Exception for Plastic Bag Recycling
In a departure from nearly every other municipal recycling program in Pennsylvania, West Whiteland actually permits residents to place soft plastics directly into their curbside recycling totes. Thanks to specialized processing arrangements, residents can recycle plastic grocery bags, plastic film, and plastic wrap at the curb. The township only asks that you weigh these lightweight materials down inside your lidded 96-gallon tote so they do not blow away and create neighborhood litter before the truck arrives.
Managing Your Weekly Bulk Item Allowance
Disposing of large items in West Whiteland is surprisingly straightforward. Every Tuesday, residents on the PAYT program are allowed to place exactly one bulk item at the curb alongside their standard trash bags. A bulk item is defined as anything that cannot fit into a 33-gallon township bag or weighs more than 40 pounds. To ensure the driver recognizes it as your weekly allowance, you must attach a visible sign or label reading 'Bulk' to the item. Mattresses must be wrapped in plastic, and while dishwashers and dryers are accepted, standard televisions and computers are not.
Scheduled Friday Yard Debris Collections
Yard waste is completely banned from standard Tuesday trash collections. Instead, the township schedules specific Friday curbside pickups roughly once a month from March through December (with two collections in November for peak leaf season). Leaves must be placed exclusively in biodegradable brown paper bags—plastic bags will be ignored. Branches must be cut to a maximum of four feet in length, restricted to four inches in diameter, and tied together with string rather than wire.
Upgrading to a 96-Gallon Township Tote
To accommodate the robust recycling rules and keep neighborhoods clean, West Whiteland Township utilized a grant from The Recycling Partnership to offer large, 96-gallon wheeled totes to all single-family homes and townhomes on the PAYT program. If you have recently moved in or need a replacement for an older, smaller bin, you can email the Solid Waste Coordinator directly to request one of these high-capacity containers for free.
Drop-off Facilities
Lanchester Landfill and Reclamation Center (LLARC)
7224 Division Hwy, Narvon, PA 17555
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I required to buy special trash bags in West Whiteland Township?
Yes. If you live in a single-family home or participating townhome, you are part of the Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT) program. You must purchase official 33-gallon West Whiteland Township bags ($2.50 each at local stores like Wawa, CVS, and Giant) for all your non-recyclable garbage.
How do I get rid of an old refrigerator or air conditioner?
Items containing Freon are strictly prohibited from the weekly bulk pickup. You must contact the township's hauler, AJ Blosenski, or a private junk removal company to schedule and pay for a specialized Freon appliance collection.
Can I recycle plastic grocery bags in my curbside bin?
Yes! Unlike most municipalities in Pennsylvania, West Whiteland Township's recycling program actually allows residents to put plastic bags, plastic wrap, and plastic film into their rigid recycling totes. Just make sure they are weighed down so they do not blow away.
When does the township collect yard waste and leaves?
Yard debris is not collected with regular Tuesday trash. Instead, it is picked up on pre-scheduled Fridays (typically the first Friday of the month from March to December). Leaves must be in biodegradable brown paper bags, and branches must be tied into manageable bundles.