Trash Information

Place trash bags/cans at the designated pick-up point by 6:00 a.m. on your two trash collection days each week.  (During extreme weather conditions like heat over 90 degrees or severe winter weather events, the City may grant the hauler an early start time of 5:00 a.m.   It is advisable to set items out after 5 p.m. the night prior to collection to ensure collection.)

Household trash must be placed in securely tied trash bags or inside plastic or metal trash cans with lid and handles (trash inside containers must be in securely tied bags).  Do NOT use trash cans with attached lids as they create a hazard to collectors and the lids would likely get broken off and compacted during collection.  Also do NOT use indoor kitchen/bathroom type cans which are not made for outdoors and most times they do not have handles.  Trash containers and bags must be those sold specifically for the purpose of trash storage (Maximum can & bag size: 32 gallons and not more than 40 pounds when filled).  Oversized and “contractor” trash bags, large totes/cans, any cans with attached lids, indoor kitchen/bathroom type trash cans, store/grocery bags, cardboard boxes, baskets, storage containers and like containers should NOT be used for household trash.

Containers with attached lids, metal/plastic drums and other similar non-authorized containers, some with homemade handles cut into the sides, pose a risk of hand and back injuries to refuse collectors. Therefore, oversized and miscellaneous containers (as described above) as well as those that are not sold specifically for trash storage, may be disposed of as illegally placed trash and no refunds will be given per the City’s Ordinance, Article 951.

For missed collection of trash, recycling, yard waste, or scheduled large-items, call either the Large-Item Service at the following phone numbers: 717-843-1240 (Mon-Thurs 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.) or call Public Works at 717-849-2245 during regular business hours.  A voice message may be left after hours on the Public Works line only and staff will respond the next business day.

Billing

The Residential refuse charge is based on the number of dwelling units at a property and the Commercial refuse charge is assessed level of service needed (based on 6-bag increments per level).  The refuse fee covers costs related to curbside collections of trash, recycling, yard waste and scheduled large items as well as the related disposal costs. Revenue generated from the refuse charge also helps to cover cost associated with disposal of street sweeping grit, illegal dumping, on-street trash receptacles throughout the city, 2/year newsletters as well as other related costs.

• One residential unit is currently charged $27.35 per month.  (Limit 6 bags/cans x 2 collections each week)
• One commercial unit is charged $54.70 per month.  (Limit 6 bags/cans x 2 collections each week)
• The minimum administrative fee for refuse is $8.75 per month.  This fee is applied to approved commercial accounts that have private subscription (minimum 1/week each) trash and recycling collection services. The administrative fee helps to cover cost associated with disposal of street sweeping grit, illegal dumping, on-street trash receptacles throughout the city as well as other related costs.
• To find out what the curbside collection days are for your property, call Public Works at 717-849-2245 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. or the Large Item Line at 717-843-1240 (Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.)

Curbside Collections Hauler
Republic Services is the City’s contracted hauler for curbside collections through April 30, 2025.  A new collections contract will begin May 1, 2025 and continues through April 30, 2029.

Common Questions

• Holiday Curbside Collections

  When a holiday falls on a weekend, Saturday or Sunday, collections continue as usual with no changes.

  When a major holiday falls on ANY weekday, Monday through Friday, beginning with the actual holiday and continuing for the remainder of the affected week, ALL curbside collections are delayed by (1) day.

  For Example:

  If a major holiday falls on Monday
  ALL collections Monday-Friday are delayed by (1) day

  If a major holiday falls on Tuesday
  Monday collections are not affected and will take place as normal
  ALL collections Tuesday-Friday are delayed by (1) day

  If a major holiday falls on Wednesday
  Monday and Tuesday collections are not affected and will take place as normal
  ALL collections Thursday and Friday are delayed by (1) day

  If a major holiday falls on Thursday
  Monday and Tuesday collections are not affected and will take place as normal
  ALL collections Thursday and Friday are delayed by (1) day

  If a major holiday falls on Friday
  Monday, Tuesday and Thursday collections are not affected and will take place as normal
  ALL collections Friday are delayed by (1) day
  

  If a major holiday falls on Saturday or Sunday
  No collections are affected

  The City’s Curbside Collections Hauler Observes only these 6 Major Holidays

  • New Year’s Day – On January 1st
  • Memorial Day – Late May (always on a Monday)
  • Independence Day – On July 4th
  • Labor Day – Early September (always on a Monday)
  • Thanksgiving – Late November (always on a Thursday)
  • Christmas Day – On December 25th
• Recycling Collections

  Recycling Instructions:

  Place recycling containers at the designated pick-up point by 6:00 a.m. on your first collection day each week.  (During extreme weather conditions like heat over 90 degrees or severe winter weather events, the City may grant the hauler an early start time of 5:00 a.m.   It is advisable to set items out after 5 p.m. the night prior to collection to ensure collection.)

  Place flattened cardboard boxes in container or bundle (with twine) and set directly beside or on top of the recycling container.

  Rinse and place all designated (plastic, glass and metal) bottles, jars and cans together in the recycling container.

  Place heavier items on top of lighter items to prevent them from blowing out of the recycling container.

  Do NOT place any recyclable items in plastic bags.  Do NOT line recycle containers with plastic bags.

  Customers must use City authorized, green recycling containers.  Replacement recycling containers are made available to curbside customers for $3.00/limit 1, with proof of residency.  Containers are available with the Large Item Attendant, City Hall, 1st floor, 101 South George Street, Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (with the exception of a short half-hour lunch break).

  Accept cash payment (small bills $10, $5, $1’s only).  Checks, credit or debit cards are NOT accepted.

  Example proof of customer status or residency includes a driver’s license or a current utility bill.

• Schedule Large-Items (Household furniture/appliance items)

  Household furniture and appliance items that do not fit into the weight and size limits for regular trash must be scheduled for “Large-Item” collection. York City curbside collections customers may schedule up to (5) five household furniture, appliances and other approved bulky items each week, as needed. Large-item collections are year-round as part of the regular curbside service and there is no additional fee to schedule a large-item collection. However, all items must be scheduled 7-10 days in advance.

  Note, not all items can be scheduled for collection. There are some excluded items that must be handled privately by customers.  A few examples of items that must be handled privately include (but are not limited to) pianos, organs, pool tables, large trampolines, sections of fencing, garage doors, car parts/seats, lumber, rocks/stones/brick/block/dirt, bags or boxes of anything, and prohibited electronics (tvs, computers and anything that plugs into a computer).

  Large-item Service (scheduling 7-10 days in advance)
  Phone: 717-843-1240
  Monday – Thursday
  9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

  To receive collection next week, call before 3 p.m. this Wednesday afternoon before the next week’s schedule is closed out.

  Do not place scheduled items out for collection until after 5 p.m. the evening prior to the scheduled date.  Items must be at the designated pick-up point by 6 a.m. on the day of scheduled collection.

  NO TVs, Computers or items that plug into computer (i.e. monitor, keyboard, mouse, modem, etc)  A PA law was established 1/24/13 and it bans such items from collection/disposal.  Customers must deliver them to an Electronic (E-Cycle) Program.

  We are fortunate to have a nearby Electronic Recycling Program which is provided by the York County Solid Waste Authority.  This is available to York County RESIDENTS only (not for commercial).

  York County residents may deliver electronics to the Authority’s FREE E-Cycle program every Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon.

  For directions and more information, contact YCSWA
  P: 717-845-1066
  ycswa.com

• Christmas Tree Collection

  York City staff, not the hauler, perform curbside collections of Christmas Trees generally during the first two full weeks of January.  These trees are chipped for mulch.  For discarding live trees, be sure the trees are as bare as when they were first cut down.

  Remove all plastic bags, lights, tinsel, ornaments and tree stands. Place tree, completely bare, at your designated collection point during this period of time.

  After the first two full weeks in January, the curbside hauler will begin collecting any remaining Christmas trees as regular trash.  Each tree will then count as 1 bag/can in the normal trash limit.

  For questions, contact the Public Works Department at 717-849-2245.

• Refuse Districts

  In York City, there are two refuse districts.  With some exceptions, roughly the City is divided in half along Market Street to form the two refuse districts.

  Each of these two areas are then broken down into several routes which requires multiple trucks and crews to complete a variety of collections.

  On any given Monday or Tuesday, there are approximately 5 trash crews, 4 recycling crews and 1 yard waste crew working in the same refuse district.  On Thursdays and Fridays there are only 3 or 4 trash crews working in the same refuse district.  Each have their own route and may pass by your home enroute to their assigned area.  (Yard Waste collections run each year from March 1 – December 15, weather permitting.)

  Please hold missed collection reports until 4 p.m. the day of or call the morning after normal, scheduled collections.  This ensures that crews have completed routes and driver’s logs have been received from the hauler by the City.  These daily logs show any collection issues they encountered (Examples: road closed with construction, car blocking access to alley collections, oversize/overweight trash containers, scheduled large items with evidence of bedbugs not bagged and sealed, large-items not scheduled, contaminated recyclables or contaminated yard waste, etc).

  The order in which collection routes take place may vary at any time and customers are reminded that collections may be earlier or later than they are generally accustomed to.  Collections begin as early as 6 a.m. and may continue as late as 9 p.m.  (*IN EXTREME WEATHER, heat above 90 degrees or winter storms, the hauler may request permission to begin as early as 5 a.m.  Placing items for collection after 5 p.m. the night prior to collection will ensure items are not missed in the event of an early start.)

  Crews will not return for items that were not placed out on time.

  To ensure collections, place items at the designated collection point by 6 a.m. on assigned collection days (preferably after 5 p.m. the night prior to collection).  Each property has only ONE designated collection point.  Items that are placed out late, after crews have already gone through, must be pulled back inside and held until the next regularly scheduled collection day for said material.

• Needles/Sharps * Medication * Paint *Tires & More

  Cardboard
  This is a mandated recyclable material and all residential and commercial/institutional customers, must empty, flatten and bundle cardboard boxes with twine or place flattened boxes inside another cardboard box or in the recycling container (maximum bundles: 3′ x 3′ and 40 pounds). Place cardboard for collection, alongside or inside the recycling container, only on your first collection day each week.

  Note: Boxes from tissues, cereal and other foods, snack bars, shoes, toys and similar products like paper towel and toilet tissue rolls are considered paperboard/chipboard and (CURRENTLY) should be placed in the normal trash.

  Cooking Oil
  When disposing of cooking oil, place in a heavy-duty plastic bottle with a tight-fitting lid.  Discard in a securely tied trash bag (This bottle should NOT be recycled).

  Lumber
  Small quantities of building lumber may be placed for regular trash collection. The wood must be cut down and securely bundled. (Maximum bundle size: 3′ long and 40 pounds) Each bundle of lumber replaces a bag of trash.

  Medication
  Unused medication should never be flushed down toilets.  Instead, mix unused medication with undesirables such as coffee grounds or used cat litter and place in regular trash for incineration.
  Occasionally, there are medication drop-off programs held by local Police Departments.

  Needles/Sharps
  When disposing of needles, scalpel blades, broken ampoules, or anything used on patients that may be considered contaminated, place them inside a heavy-duty plastic bottle (such as a laundry detergent bottle) with a tight-fitting lid.  Mark outside of bottle “SHARPS” and discard in a securely tied trash bag (This bottle should NOT be recycled).

  Motor oil
  Outlets for used motor oil are ever changing. Contact the York County Solid Waste & Refuse Authority at 717-845-1066 or visit www.ycswa.com for the most up-to-date listing of facilities throughout the county that accept used motor oil.

  Paint and Paint Products
  Add cat litter to liquid paint/product to absorb most of the moisture.  Then, securely seal all containers before placing them, in small quantities, in securely tied trash bags with normal trash.  Do not place open containers of liquid separately for collection and do not place loose in trash cans with no tied trash bag.  To avoid any mess, it is also recommended to surround the product cans with crumbled newspapers inside the bags of trash because everything is compacted in the collection vehicles.

  Tires
  ONLY Residential Units/Customers may place up to 2 passenger tires, off the rim, for regular trash collection. Each tire replaces a bag of trash and counts toward the overall bag/can trash limit. However, tires on the rim must be scheduled for large-item collection.

  Commercial Units/Customers may NOT place any tires for curbside collection.  This is considered ILLEGAL DUMPING and fines may be imposed up to $600 per occurrence.  The public is encouraged to report any person dumping tires to Public Works at 717-849-2245.  Get a good description of the person(s) and a license of their vehicle (security video and photos are great too).

  For Residential Units/Customers only … to schedule up to 2 tires on the rim, call 7-10 days in advance.
  Large Item Service
  717-843-1240
  Monday – Thursday
  9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

• YCSWA Reference on Managing Other Residential Waste

  A reference tool for discarding items.

  This document is produced by the York County Solid Waste Authority.