What to Know
- The day your trash and recycling gets picked up depends on where in Philadelphia you live and if a holiday happens during the week.
- After a city-observed holiday, trash and recycling pickup will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week. Inclement weather can also cause trash pickup to be delayed.
- You can use the StreetSmartPHL tool to find up-to-date information about trash and recycling pickup.
Not sure when your trash is supposed to be picked up along your Philadelphia street?
Your trash and recycling collection day depends on where in the city you live, what city holidays are being observed on a given week and if weather is causing pickup delays. You can find out your collection day by typing in your street address here.
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Where can I find up-to-date information?
You can use the city's StreetSmartPHL tool to see where trash and recycling trucks have already visited each day, as well as where trash and recycling will be collected each day of the week. The site also lets you know if trash and recycling collections are on schedule. Click on the PickupPHL button for all of the information.
What about holidays?
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After a city-observed holiday, trash and recycling collection will be delayed one day for the remainder of the week. If a holiday falls on a Friday, trash will be collected on Saturday.
These are the holidays the city is observing in 2024:
- New Year's Day (Observed) – Monday, Jan. 1, 2024
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – Monday, Jan. 15, 2024
- Presidents' Day – Monday, Feb. 19, 2024
- Good Friday – Friday, March 29, 2024
- Memorial Day – Monday, May 27, 2024
- Juneteenth (Observed) – Wednesday, June 19, 2024
- Independence Day – Thursday, July 4, 2024
- Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 2, 2024
- Indigenous Peoples' Day – Monday, Oct. 14, 2024
- Veterans Day – Monday, Nov. 11, 2024
- Thanksgiving – Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024
- Christmas Day – Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2024
Basically, after Memorial Day, Monday pickup becomes Tuesday pickup, Tuesday pickup moves to Wednesday pickup and so forth.
With July 4th on a Thursday, Thursday trash collection got bumped to Friday, while Friday trash day moved to Saturday.
Happy Independence Day! There will be no trash and recycling collections today, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. Thursday’s materials will be picked up on Friday. Collections will be one day behind regular schedule for the remainder of the week. pic.twitter.com/GhuXFDgHC1
— philastreets (@PhilaStreets) July 4, 2024
What about weather delays for trash pickup?
During and after inclement weather -- especially wintry weather -- trash and recycling pickup could get pushed back. Due to two January 2024 snowfalls, the Streets Department warned of delays, urged patience and moved pickups entirely.
Want to get rid of your trash any day?
"As an alternative, residents may drop off their materials at the City’s Sanitation Convenience Centers which are open for regular hours, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.," the agency posted on social media.
What if my trash never got picked up?
If your trash or recycling hasn't been picked up by 7 p.m. on your scheduled collection day, you can request a pickup by completing this form.
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