Philadelphia Trash Schedule

There is so much good about Philadelphia City, Pennsylvania except the trash. The city produces 1.4 million tons of trash waste each year.

Luckily, this Philadelphia garbage collection is picked up by the city government. But sometimes it gets delayed due to weather conditions and holidays.

In this article, we will guide you about the trash days and times in Philadelphia city. So, you have to worry about it a bit. 

City Of Philadelphia Trash Schedule 2024

Currently, there are no changes in the schedule. In floods or severe weather, the waste pickup is delayed.

You can navigate to the city’s government website and find out more about your trash and recycling collection day. 

Here’s how this works:

• Click here to check your schedule.
• Add your address, including street and area.
• Then tap on the search icon.

Philadelphia Trash Collection Holiday Schedule

Apart from disasters, trash and recycling pickup is delayed one day for the rest of the week. Here’s the holiday’s list;

Holiday	Date
Martin Luther King Jr. Day	Monday, January 15
Presidents’ Day	Monday, February 29
César Chávez Day	Sunday, March 31
Memorial Day	Monday, May 27
Juneteenth	Wednesday, June 19
Independence Day	Thursday, July 4
Labor Day	Monday, September 2
Thanksgiving Day	Thursday, November 28
Christmas Day	Wednesday, December 25

  *This information is taken from the city of Philadelphia’s official website. 

Memorial day will be observed on Monday. Then, your trash will be picked up on Tuesday. 

Philadelphia Trash Collection Map

Philadelphia Trash Pickup Days

The waste is picked up on all regular days. The city is divided into 5 sections, and each day the schedule is followed. The pickup days are

• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday

Philadelphia Residental Trash Pickup Time

Usually, the pickup time starts at 6 am in the city centers while 7 am in the other regions. 

Have a quick look at the table given below for a better understanding:

Date	When to set out your trash and recycling
From April 1 to September 30	Between 7 p.m. the night before collection day and 7 a.m. on collection day
From October 1 to March 31	Between 5 p.m. the night before collection day and 7 a.m. on collection day

For the city center including Vine St. to Bainbridge St., from Schuylkill River to Delaware River; the schedule is different.

Date	When to set out your trash and recycling
From April 1 to September 30	Between 8 p.m. the night before collection day and 6 a.m. on collection day
From October 1 to March 31	Between 6 p.m. the night before collection day and 6 a.m. on collection day

*This information is taken from the city of Philadelphia’s official website. 

Philadelphia Bulk Trash Pickup

There is no bulk or large item pickup service provided by the city government. Residents can hire private companies or haulers to pick up their bulk trash.

Some of the top 5 private junk collection companies are

1. Tri-State Waste & Recycling
2. Junk Removal Philadelphia Kings
3. EZ Cleanup
4. Burns & Co
5. We Love Junk

Apart from it, you can also donate furniture or reusable items to a local charity or resell them.

Acceptable items For Bulk Collection

• Appliances like washing machines and refrigerators
• Carpet up to 48 inches long, rolled, and tied
• Furniture
• Mattresses and box springs
• Car tires, but must be removed from rims
• Scrap metal up to 48 inches long 

Unacceptable items For Bulk Collection

• Paints, stains, chemicals, and liquids
• Batteries
• Automobile parts
• Household hazardous waste
• Tires on rims
• Commercial and industrial waste
• Construction materials or debris, including drywall, brick, block, treated lumber, roofing, shingles, ceiling tiles, and concrete
• Computers, monitors, and TVs
• Hazardous or flammable materials
• Medical waste
• Grass

Is Trash Pickup Delayed This Week In Philadelphia?

No, right to this moment, there is no delay in garbage pickup. Last year the city faced delays in service due to a shortage of staff. But this matter is resolved now.

The schedule is delayed only in two conditions.

1. If there is any warning for natural disasters
2. Federal or Observed holiday

The city government regularly updates all the information on its website and Twitter handle.  For the latest information, you can check the latest tweets. 

Philadelphia Trash Fee

Here’s the monthly fee for regular, commercial, and door service.

Property Type	Charges
Regular Home	$23.38 / per month
Low Usage	$19.38 / per month
Door Service	Additional $10 / per month
Commercial	$500 / per year

*This information is taken from the center region council of governments, Pennsylvania.

Commercial properties have to pay a fee of $500 per year as per regulations by the department of street regulations. 

You can also apply for the exemption of commercial fees, also known as refuse collection fees. 

For that, you need to fill out the Refuse exemption form. 

Keep in mind that you can refuse to pay only if:

• You use a private hauler.
• You own the property and reside in it full time, without any tenants.
• The property is a house of worship.
• The property is vacant.

Philadelphia Trash Rules

All containers must have a tight-fitting lid. Keep in mind that you can’t put electronics and hazardous waste directly into the trash.

Residential Weekly Trash Limit: 

• Premises with one unit/single family: four cans or eight bags
• Premises with two to six units: six cans or 12 bags
• Premises with businesses: six cans or 12 bags
• Two bags may be substituted for one can

Yard waste is also included in the weekly limit. All residents are eligible for recycling bins. The recycling bin doesn’t come with any weekly limit.

What To Do If You Miss Trash Day In Philadelphia?

Usually, the trash is picked up the whole day till 7 p.m. But if by any chance your bin/garbage is not picked up, you can fill out a “missed rubbish collection form” and request service.

Keep in mind that before collection, residents are bound to put their trash outdoors, following all the rules.

Important Contacts:

Philadelphia Trash Collection Phone Number: 313

You can also dial it to complain or request service for trash pickup, pothole problems, graffiti, and street sweeping.

Smart Pickup PHL: 

Back in 2019, the city government launched an initiative that residents can get notifications and live updates through Street Smart PHL, where the data is updated every hour.

Acceptable items For Recycling Collection

Unacceptable items For Recycling Collection

Garbage Schedule Philadelphia FAQs

Wrapping It Up!

The trash collection service in Philadelphia is monitored by the city’s government. The city government regularly updates about delays and schedules of garbage pickups.

For bulk or large item pickups, you need to hire private contractors. Usually, the garbage pickup starts at 6 am in city centers and 7 am in other areas.

Residential garbage is picked on all five working days, and the schedule is only delayed (move ahead to the next day) on the official holiday.