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Is my trash being picked up today?

Plus where to take your garbage, who to call about collection delays, and more.

Will be trash be collected today?
Will be trash be collected today?Read moreJESSICA GRIFFIN / Staff Photographer
    by Grace Dickinson
    Updated 
    Published 

No one loves the smell of trash wafting through the air. But when there’s been a delay in trash pickup, what are you supposed to do about it?

Delays in Philadelphia trash and recycling pickups happen sometimes. You can find your neighborhood pickup schedule here.

2022 Philadelphia trash pickup holiday schedule

There is no trash pickup on the following holidays in 2022. Any trash scheduled to be picked up in the week of a holiday will be delayed by a day (so it a holiday is on Monday, and your pickup is on Wednesday, it will be collected on Thursday that week instead).

  1. New Year’s Day – Friday, Jan. 1, 2022

  2. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Monday, Jan. 17, 2022

  3. Presidents’ Day – Monday, Feb. 21, 2022

  4. Good Friday – Friday, April 15, 2022

  5. Memorial Day – Monday, May 30, 2022

  6. Juneteenth (Observed) – Monday, June 20, 2022

  7. Independence Day – Monday, July 4, 2022

  8. Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 5, 2022

  9. Indigenous Peoples’ Day – Monday, Oct. 10, 2022

  10. Veterans Day – Friday, Nov. 11, 2022

  11. Thanksgiving – Thursday, Nov. 24, 2022

  12. Christmas Day (Observed) – Monday, Dec. 26, 2022

What to do if your trash doesn’t get picked up

Call 311 if your garbage or recycling is still there more than 48 hours after it was supposed to be picked up.

If you just want to know when to put your trash out, check the Streets Department website’s service updates section. This will inform you about trash and recycling schedules. But the exact pickup day is still subject to change.

“The volume of material can vary across the city, making it difficult to predict an exact schedule for pickup,” states the Streets Department website.

If it’s after 7 p.m. and your trash or recycling is still on the sidewalk, you can report the issue and request a pickup on the city’s website.

Where to drop off your trash in Philadelphia

Yes, trash delays can be frustrating for everyone, and we’re all tired of staring at soggy pizza boxes outside the front window. But there are centers where you can dispose of your own trash. They’re called Philadelphia’s Sanitation Convenience Centers. There are six throughout the city:

  1. Port Richmond: 3901 Delaware Ave.

  2. West Philly: 5100 Grays Ave.

  3. Strawberry Mansion: 2601 W. Glenwood Ave.

  4. Southwest Philly: 3033 S. 63rd St., near Passyunk Avenue

  5. Northwest Philly: 300 block Domino Lane, near Umbria Street

  6. Northeast Philly: State Road & Ashburner Street

You’ll need to cart your own trash there. But drop-offs are free, and open from Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If you want to avoid crowds, city Deputy Streets Commissioner Keith Warren recommends going after 5 p.m., but even if there’s a line when you arrive, the process is typically quick. Warren says you can expect to spend five to 10 minutes moving through the drop-off process.

Philadelphia dump rules

  1. Visits to the Sanitation Convenience Center are outdoors. You must wear a mask.

  2. You must show proof that you’re a city resident. The centers are gated. When you arrive, you’ll need to show a valid ID (or a piece of mail with your city address on it).

  3. You’re allowed to drop off regular household items once a day and oversized items once a week.

  4. The attendant will direct you to the right place to dispose of what you’re hauling. The centers are organized into sections for different categories of trash, including regular household trash; recycling; electronics; appliances; bulk items like furniture; yard waste; and tires.

What you can bring to the dump in Philadelphia

“We take almost anything as long as it’s not hazardous,” says Warren. This includes:

  1. Household trash (up to 12 bags)

  2. Recyclable materials, as part of the City’s Recycling Program

  3. Automotive tires (limited to four per day)

  4. Bulk items, large metal household items and appliances including fridges, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and water coolers (limited to two per day)

  5. Yard waste (accepted for recycling; must be in paper bags and free of contamination) and Christmas trees

  6. E-waste, including computers, monitors, televisions, and other computer-related equipment

  7. Latex- or water-based paint cans (if partially full, add an absorbent material such as cat litter or newspaper prior to disposal to solidify the paint)

  8. Mattresses and box springs, unwrapped

If you have more than what’s allowed, the centers may accept it anyway. “We’ve found some communities have banded together, where the guy with the pickup truck goes around and gathers everyone’s trash, and so we’ll take more than the normal limit,” says Warren. “It’s judged case by case, but if it isn’t for some type of for-profit business, we’ll work with you.”

Commercial contractors and vehicles carrying commercial loads aren’t allowed to drop off trash at the centers.

This article has been updated since it first published.

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