How Scranton Handles Trash & Recycling: A Practical Guide

Scranton maintains 100 local ordinances across all categories, and 6 of those deal specifically with trash & recycling. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Scranton falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Recycling Requirements

Scranton's mandatory recycling program is codified at Chapter 400 Article V (Recycling) of the Code of the City of Scranton, the local implementation of PA Act 101 of 1988 (Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act, 53 P.S. §4000.101 et seq.), which requires every PA municipality of 10,000+ population (Scranton ~76,000) to operate curbside recycling. Residents separate materials into two bins: BLUE bin for plastic bottles/containers, glass bottles/containers, and aluminum/steel/tin bottles/containers; RED bin for corrugated cardboard, paperboard, cereal/tissue boxes, newspaper, magazines, copy paper, and all writing paper. Starting July 7, 2025, cardboard and paper are collected together every other week. Violations of Chapter 400's recycling sections are subject to fines not to exceed $300.

Key details: Local Ordinance: Chapter 400 Article V Recycling. State Mandate: PA Act 101 of 1988, 53 P.S. §4000.101. Trigger: Mandatory at 10,000+ population (Scranton ~76K). Blue Bin: Plastic, glass, metal bottles/containers. Red Bin: Cardboard + paper (together since 7/7/2025).

Failure to separate recyclables from the regular refuse stream, contamination of either bin with non-accepted materials, or commercial failure to recycle at least once monthly is enforced under Chapter 400 Article V with fines not to exceed $300 per violation. Each day a violation continues may be cited as a separate offense under Chapter 400's general penalty provision. The Bureau of Refuse and Recycling may refuse collection of contaminated loads, leaving the householder responsible to re-sort and re-set-out (and potentially exposed to a Chapter 360 blight-conditions citation if material is allowed to accumulate). PA Act 101 also authorizes PA DEP enforcement against municipalities that fail to operate compliant programs, though DEP enforcement runs to the City rather than individual residents. Lackawanna County coordinates regional compliance under its Act 101 Municipal Waste Management Plan. Persistent rental-property recycling violations factor into the RENTAL Ordinance of 2022 (Chapter 373) inspection cycle and can jeopardize the rental license.

Compared to other cities, Scranton takes a harder line on recycling requirements. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Scranton operates city-run residential refuse collection through the Bureau of Refuse and Recycling within the Department of Public Works under Chapter 400 (Solid Waste) of the Code of the City of Scranton. Pickup is weekly per published route. Garbage may be set at the curb no earlier than the night before scheduled pickup. When a holiday falls on a weekday, all refuse and recycling collections are delayed by one day for that week. Observed holidays: New Year's Day, MLK Day, Easter Monday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Service is limited to residential customers; commercial properties must contract with private haulers and recycle at least once monthly.

Key details: Operator: City-run (Bureau of Refuse & Recycling, DPW). Phone: 570-348-4180 (M-F 8:00-4:30). Frequency: Weekly. Earliest Set-Out: Night before scheduled pickup. Holiday Rule: Holiday on weekday delays all collection 1 day.

Setting refuse out earlier than the night before scheduled pickup, in non-conforming receptacles, or in a manner that violates Chapter 400 storage rules is enforced by the Bureau of Code Enforcement (570-348-4193) and the Bureau of Refuse and Recycling with citation before the Magisterial District Judge. Chapter 400 violations carry fines up to $300 per offense, with each day a violation continues constituting a separate offense. The Bureau may refuse to collect non-conforming set-outs. Commercial properties that fail to contract with a private hauler or fail to recycle at least once monthly are subject to the same Chapter 400 penalty. Illegal storage of garbage in vehicles on the street, sidewalk, or any land for more than one hour is an additional standalone violation. Repeat offenders on rental properties risk RENTAL Ordinance of 2022 (Chapter 373) inspection failures that jeopardize the rental license required to legally rent the unit.

Bin Placement Rules

Chapter 400 (Solid Waste) of the Code of the City of Scranton directs receptacles to be placed by the owner, tenant, housekeeper, or other occupant in the yard where they are easily accessible to the collectors, kept covered at all times. For curbside set-out (no earlier than the night before pickup), the City's Bureau of Refuse and Recycling instructs residents that recycling and refuse must be 'always curbside on front or side of home.' No keeping of rubbish or garbage in trucks, trailers, or motor vehicles on streets, sidewalks, or any City lands for more than one hour. Multi-family commercial properties must contract privately and present materials per their hauler's instructions while still respecting the right-of-way obstruction rules.

Key details: Storage Between Collections: In yard, accessible to collectors, covered. Set-Out Location: Always curbside on front or side of home. Earliest Set-Out: Night before scheduled pickup. Retrieval: Remove empty containers after pickup. Vehicle Storage Ban: No garbage in trucks/trailers >1 hour on streets.

Improper placement (in the public right-of-way between collections, blocking sidewalks, blocking hydrants, in the cartway, or stored uncovered in the yard) is enforced by the Bureau of Code Enforcement (570-348-4193) and the Bureau of Refuse and Recycling under Chapter 400 and Chapter 360 with citation before the Magisterial District Judge at up to $300 per violation, each day a separate offense. Bins left at the curb past pickup day are independently citable as blight conditions under Chapter 360. Garbage stored in vehicles on the street, sidewalk, or any City lands for over one hour is a standalone Chapter 400 violation. Persistent rental-property bin-placement violations are tracked through the RENTAL Ordinance of 2022 (Chapter 373) inspection cycle and can jeopardize the rental license. Sidewalk obstructions by bins create independent Pennsylvania premises-liability exposure to pedestrians under standard slip-and-fall and obstruction case law.

Bulk Item Disposal

Yard waste, brush, and bulk-item pickups in Scranton are operated by the Department of Public Works through the Bureau of Refuse and Recycling, separate from regular weekly refuse. Residents call 570-348-4180 or email recycle@scrantonpa.gov to schedule and confirm rules. Electronics (TVs, monitors, laptops, peripherals) cannot be set out curbside under the PA Covered Device Recycling Act (73 P.S. §1727.1 et seq.); appliances containing refrigerants (refrigerators, AC units) require EPA Section 608 freon evacuation before any landfill accepts them. Hazardous materials and construction debris are not eligible. The City also runs periodic electronics-recycling collection events announced through the DPW.

Key details: Operator: DPW Bureau of Refuse & Recycling. Schedule/Contact: 570-348-4180 / recycle@scrantonpa.gov. Excluded - Electronics: PA Act 108 of 2010 (73 P.S. §1727.1). Excluded - Refrigerant Appliances: EPA Sec. 608 freon evac required. Excluded - HHW & Construction Debris: Drop-off only / contractor disposal.

Setting bulk items at the curb without scheduling through the Bureau, or setting out excluded items (electronics, refrigerant-bearing appliances, household hazardous waste, construction debris) on a regular refuse night, is enforced under Chapter 400 (Solid Waste) with fines up to $300 per offense, each day a separate offense. Excluded electronics in the regular waste stream additionally violate the PA Covered Device Recycling Act (73 P.S. §1727.1 et seq.). Refrigerant releases violate EPA Clean Air Act Section 608 (40 CFR Part 82, with federal civil penalties up to $51,796 per day per violation as of 2026 inflation adjustments). Larger or commercial dumping may be cited as scattering rubbish under 18 Pa.C.S. §6501 ($50-$300 first offense plus 5-30 hours mandatory cleanup; third-degree misdemeanor for subsequent offenses, $300-$1,000 plus 30-100 hours cleanup) or referred to PA DEP under the Solid Waste Management Act (35 P.S. §6018.101).

Yard Waste Collection

Scranton's Bureau of Refuse and Recycling operates a separate yard-waste, brush, and bulk pickup stream apart from regular weekly refuse, authorized under PA Act 101 (53 P.S. §4000.101 et seq.) which directs municipalities to divert leaf and yard waste from landfills. Residents call 570-348-4180 or email recycle@scrantonpa.gov to confirm the seasonal schedule and acceptable container/sizing rules (typically open rigid containers, compostable bags, or kraft paper yard-waste bags). Open burning of leaves and yard debris within City limits is generally prohibited; PA DEP regulates open burning statewide at 25 Pa. Code §129.14. Significant Pocono-region snow may shift fall leaf routes.

Key details: Program: Separate DPW yard-waste/brush/bulk stream. Authority: PA Act 101 (53 P.S. §4000.101) diversion mandate. Schedule/Contact: 570-348-4180 / recycle@scrantonpa.gov. Containers (typical): Open rigid bins, compostable bags, kraft paper bags. Banned: Pet waste mixed in; raking leaves into street.

Co-mingling yard waste with regular refuse, raking leaves into the cartway, or contaminating yard waste with pet waste/cat litter is enforced by the Bureau of Code Enforcement (570-348-4193) and the Bureau of Refuse and Recycling under Chapter 400 (Solid Waste) with fines up to $300 per violation, each day a separate offense. Pushing leaves into the public street may additionally be cited as scattering rubbish under 18 Pa.C.S. §6501 ($50-$300 first offense plus 5-30 hours mandatory cleanup; third-degree misdemeanor with $300-$1,000 plus 30-100 hours cleanup for subsequent offenses) and creates downstream MS4 stormwater liability under PA DEP's NPDES program when blocked catch basins flood into the Lackawanna River watershed. Open burning of leaves within City limits is enforced by PA DEP under 25 Pa. Code §129.14 with administrative penalties under the Air Pollution Control Act (35 P.S. §4001 et seq.) and by the Scranton Bureau of Fire under local nuisance and fire-code provisions.

Illegal Dumping

Illegal dumping in Scranton is enforced under three layered authorities: (1) 18 Pa.C.S. §6501 (Scattering Rubbish), Pennsylvania's criminal statute making it a summary offense to deposit waste paper, ashes, household waste, glass, metal, refuse, or rubbish onto roads, streets, alleys, railroad rights-of-way, the land of another, or waters of the Commonwealth ($50-$300 first offense plus 5-30 hours mandatory cleanup; third-degree misdemeanor with $300-$1,000 and 30-100 hours cleanup for subsequent offenses); (2) Chapter 400 (Solid Waste) of the Code of the City of Scranton with general penalty up to $300 per violation including the >1-hour ban on garbage stored in vehicles on streets/sidewalks; and (3) the PA Solid Waste Management Act (35 P.S. §6018.101) for larger-scale dumping referred to PA DEP.

Key details: State Crime: 18 Pa.C.S. §6501 Scattering Rubbish. 1st Offense: $50-$300 + 5-30 hrs cleanup. Repeat: M3, $300-$1,000 + 30-100 hrs cleanup. Local Ordinance: Chapter 400 (up to $300 per offense). Vehicle-Storage Ban: No garbage in vehicles >1 hour on streets.

First-offense scattering rubbish under 18 Pa.C.S. §6501: summary offense, $50-$300 fine, 5-30 hours mandatory cleanup, or up to 90 days imprisonment, or any combination. Subsequent offenses: third-degree misdemeanor, $300-$1,000 fine plus 30-100 hours mandatory cleanup, all completed within one year, or imprisonment. Chapter 400 (Solid Waste) of the Code of the City of Scranton: general penalty fines up to $300 per occurrence, each day a separate offense, plus the standalone violation for keeping garbage in vehicles on streets/sidewalks/City lands for more than one hour. PA Solid Waste Management Act (35 P.S. §6018.101): administrative orders and civil penalties up to $25,000 per day for larger-scale dumping. The City retains the right to perform contractor cleanup and lien-back direct cost to the property under the PA Municipal Claims Act (53 P.S. §7101). PA Act 90 (53 P.S. §6111) blocks the responsible owner from receiving any City or statewide permit, license, or approval until violations are cured.

This is one of the stricter rules in Scranton's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

The Bottom Line

Scranton is tougher than many cities when it comes to trash & recycling. Out of the 6 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Scranton, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects Scranton's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.