Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania, located near Philadelphia, and Radnor Township in the United States. The Sanitation Department of Pennsylvania is responsible for providing trash collection services to the residents of Harrisburg. They will provide trash services on a weekly basis, but besides their efforts to keep the environment of Harrisburg clean and healthy, you as a resident are also responsible for the sustainability of Harrisburg. So, do follow certain rules and regulations to keep Harrisburg trash-free.
Find Your Garbage and Recycling Collection Day in Harrisburg
Residents of Harrisburg will be provided trash and recycling collection service once a week. The city is divided into five zones, and each zone will be serviced once a week. If you are searching for your trash collection schedule, click the link given below and visit Recycle Coach. You will find a search bar—enter your complete address into the search bar, and you will have your trash service schedule.
https://app.my-waste.mobi/US/PA/Harrisburg?resize
Harrisburg Garbage Collection Rules & Time
Place all residential garbage into carts provided by the city Public Works Department and place them at curbside by 7 AM on the designated day and place of your trash collection. If your garbage contains food scraps, put your trash into plastic bags and then place them into the garbage cart so that your cart will not attract pests.
Place your cart in front of your house or at the edge of the street, and do not block sidewalks. Keep a distance of 3 feet while placing your cart at the curb. Once your trash is collected, remove your cart as soon as possible.
Also, read this article if you have missed the trash pickup.
Recycling Collection Rules & Time
Recycling trash will be serviced on the same day as your residential garbage collection. To ensure your recycling collection, place your carts at curbside with garbage carts by 7 AM. Do not put any plastic bags or contaminants into recycling carts because these items could cause problems at the recycling plant.
Recyclable materials include paper, cartons, cardboard, plastic bottles without lids, plastic food containers labeled with numbers 1-7, aluminum cans, bottles, tin cans, and containers. Do not put any glass material into recycling carts because it could be dangerous for the trash collection crew. To dispose of glass materials, bring them safely to the nearest drop-off station.
Bulk Items Collection
Besides residential trash, some trash materials cannot fit into a garbage cart. This type of trash material is called bulk trash. Bulk trash includes broken furniture, mattresses, bed springs, and carpets. Each resident is allowed to place one bulk item at the curb for collection.
Harrisburg will not pick up your home appliances as bulk trash. If you have damaged home appliances that you want to get rid of, you must bring them to the Dauphin County Recycling Center.
They will facilitate you free of cost. The location of the recycling center is 1625 South Cameron St, Harrisburg, PA 17104, and it is open from Monday to Friday between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM. You can call (717) 982-6772 to contact the Dauphin Recycling Center.
Yard Collection
Do not place your yard trash with residential garbage for collection. Instead, if you have yard trash, contact (717) 412-4320 to request yard pickup. Yard materials include grass clippings, branches, roots, and other lawn products.
Put all leaves into paper composite bags and cut all tree branches into lengths of 4 feet. Tie all branches, then place the bundles at curbside for collection. Place yard materials at curbside when the City Public Works Department confirms your yard pickup request.
Harrisburg Trash Holidays Schedule
Harrisburg will observe certain annual holidays that will shift your trash collection day by one day. If you observe the holidays mentioned below, follow the schedule provided to place your trash and recycling cart at curbside.
| Holidays | Date and Day | Change in Trash and Recycling Collection Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | January 1, 2024 Monday | Your trash will be collected on January 2, 2024 Tuesday. |
| Martin Luther King Jr Day | January 15, 2024 Monday | Your trash carts will be serviced on January 16, 2024 Tuesday. |
| Presidents’ Day | February 19, 2024 Monday | Your trash will be collected on February 20, 2024 Tuesday. |
| Memorial Day | May 27, 2024 Monday | Your trash will be collected on May 28, 2024 Tuesday. |
| Independence Day | July 4, 2024 Thursday | Your trash will be picked up on July 5, 2024 Friday. |
| Labor Day | September 2, 2024 Monday | Your trash will be collected on September 3, 2024 Tuesday. |
| Indigenous Peoples’ Day | October 14, 2024 Monday | Your trash cart will be serviced on October 15, 2024 Tuesday. |
| Thanksgiving Day | November 28, 2024 Thursday | Your trash will be picked up on November 29, 2024 Friday. |
| Christmas Day | December 25, 2024 Wednesday | Your trash will be collected on December 26, 2024 Thursday. |
