Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for York
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.
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Refuse and garbage services are billed directly by the City of York on a quarterly schedule rather than bundled with water bills.
Billing Cycle
Quarterly
Accepted Methods
Online, Phone, Mail, In-Person
Plastic or Metal Trash Cans / Heavy Duty Bags Bin (Trash)
Trash must be placed in securely tied bags or inside a plastic/metal can with a lid and handles. Oversized contractor bags and indoor kitchen/bathroom cans left at the curb are not permitted. Items must be out by 6:00 a.m. on collection days.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Dried paint (mixed with cat litter)
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
Authorized Green Recycling Bin Bin (Recycling)
Recycling is collected on your second trash day of the week (Thursday or Friday). Place heavier items on top so paper does not blow away. Do not put items in plastic bags.
Accepted Items
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Clear, brown, and green glass bottles and jars
- ✓Plastics #1, #2, and #5
- ✓Flattened cardboard
- ✓Clean newspaper and mixed paper
Do NOT Include
- ✕Plastic bags
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Mirrors and plate glass
- ✕Food-tainted items (e.g., greasy pizza boxes)
- ✕Electronics
Yard Waste Bin
Curbside yard waste collections occur on your FIRST trash day each week (Monday or Tuesday). Materials must be kept separate from normal trash and placed in authorized yellow yard waste cans, paper bags, or bundled securely.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Brush
- ✓Branches
- ✓Grass clippings
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Up to 5 items per week, but requires scheduling 7-10 days in advance.
Placement
Only place items at the pickup point after receiving your confirmation callback and email. Set them out with normal trash no earlier than 5:00 PM the night before and by 6:00 AM on the scheduled day.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, desks, dressers)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Appliances (refrigerators and freezers MUST have doors removed)
- ✓ Carpet (must be cut into 4-foot long rolls)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Televisions, laptops, and computer equipment
- ✕ Construction debris (bricks, concrete, dirt, shingles)
- ✕ Car parts (hoods, fenders, seats)
- ✕ Tires larger than passenger-size (must be ON rim to be accepted)
There is no extra fee for large item pickup, as it is included in your regular refuse bill. However, you must be a current curbside collections customer, and properties that have 'opted out' or use private haulers do not qualify.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a major holiday falls on a weekday (Monday-Friday), all subsequent collections for the remainder of that week will be delayed by one day. If the holiday falls on a weekend, the schedule is not affected.
Yard Waste Exception
Because yard waste is collected on your first day of service, Monday and Tuesday holidays will cause yard waste pickup to shift back by one day.
The City hauler only observes these six specific holidays. Services continue as normal on holidays like Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents' Day.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Summer
June to AugustDuring extreme heat conditions (temperatures exceeding 90 degrees), the City may grant ESC Waste Services an early start time of 5:00 a.m. to protect workers from heat exhaustion. Always set your items out after 5:00 p.m. the night before to avoid missed pickups.
Winter
JanuaryFollowing the holidays, York City public works staff (not the regular ESC hauler) perform special curbside collections for natural Christmas trees. This typically takes place during the first two full weeks of January. Trees must be free of all decorations and plastic bags.
Winter
December to FebruarySevere winter weather events and heavy snowfalls can also trigger an early 5:00 a.m. collection start time or cause route delays. Keep your bins accessible and out of the direct path of snow plows.
Local Tips & Community Info
City of York Refuse Limits and the 6-Unit Rule
Residential sanitation services in the City of York operate under a very specific set of guidelines aimed at maintaining clean streets. The most critical regulation for homeowners to remember is the strict six-unit limit per household during each pickup cycle. A unit is officially defined as one securely tied 32-gallon trash bag, one standard trash can, a small tied bundle of wood, or a single passenger vehicle tire separated from its rim. To keep sanitation workers safe from injury, absolutely no individual unit may exceed a maximum weight of 40 pounds. If you utilize plastic or metal garbage cans, the refuse inside must still be bagged, and nothing can pile up past the rim of the container.
Strict Curbside Timing Guidelines
To prevent wildlife disturbances and keep sidewalks clear, the Environmental Bureau enforces precise set-out times. You are strictly prohibited from placing your waste receptacles at the curb or alleyway pickup point before 5:00 p.m. on the evening prior to your collection day. However, all materials must be properly positioned no later than 6:00 a.m. on the actual morning of service. If you miss this early morning deadline and the truck bypasses your property, it will not be considered a missed pickup, and you will have to wait for the next scheduled route.
Reserving Large Item and Furniture Collections
York offers an incredibly generous bulk waste program, allowing residents with an active refuse account to schedule up to five large household items per week at no extra charge. This includes couches, mattresses, and non-freon appliances. However, large items cannot simply be dragged to the curb; they must be officially scheduled seven to ten days in advance by submitting a request form or calling the large item attendant at 717-843-1240. You must receive a formal callback and an email confirmation before setting anything outside. Placing unapproved furniture on the sidewalk will likely result in a municipal citation.
Banned Materials and E-Waste Protocols
Certain hazardous or heavy materials are completely banned from York's curbside collection routes. Construction debris like concrete, bricks, roofing shingles, and drywall must be hauled away privately. Additionally, all electronic devices such as televisions, laptops, and desktop computers are prohibited by state law from entering the general waste stream. Residents must safely store these items and transport them to the York County Solid Waste Authority for proper ecological recycling. Regular yard waste can be set out as part of your six-unit limit, provided that branches are tightly bundled, under four inches in diameter, and measure less than three feet long.
Drop-off Facilities
York County Solid Waste Authority (YCSWA)
2700 Black Bridge Rd, York, PA 17406
Materials Accepted
City of York Police Department (Med Return Box)
50 West King Street, York, PA 17401
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do I contact if my trash was skipped in York?
If you placed your refuse out before the 6:00 a.m. deadline, adhered to the 40-pound weight limit, and were still skipped, you should call the city's missed collection hotline at 717-843-1240 within 24 hours to request a recovery truck.
Can I throw away car parts or riding mowers?
No. Automotive parts such as fenders, doors, and hoods, along with riding lawn mowers and propane tanks, are strictly prohibited from both standard and large item collections. You must dispose of these privately at a scrap yard.
Does York City collect trash on Thanksgiving?
The city observes major holidays. If a holiday falls on a Thursday like Thanksgiving, Monday through Wednesday routes operate normally, but Thursday and Friday collections will be pushed back by one day, concluding on Saturday.