Trash & Recycling in Bethlehem, PA (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Section 1162.09 sets Bethlehem's trash pickup schedule: six days a week, Monday through Saturday, with different hours on the city's north and south sides. Commercial and institutional properties can be collected seven days a week. Section 1162.08(d) also fixes exactly when containers may go to the curb and when they must come back.
Bethlehem Trash Collection Schedule Rules
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1162.09(a), (b)
(a) Solid waste collection shall be on a six (6) day per week basis (Monday through Saturday) and shall take place between the hours of 5:00 AM and 4:00 PM on south side of the City, and between the hours of 6:00 AM and 4:00 PM on the north side of the City. (b) Solid waste collection from commercial, municipal, industrial and institutional establishments may be on a seven (7) day per week basi...
Bin Placement Rules
Bethlehem bars storing trash containers in front of a building unless there is no rear or side access, and containers otherwise must sit within five feet of the building. Carts can go to the curb no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before pickup and must be back within five feet of the building by 8 p.m. on collection day.
Bethlehem Garbage Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1162.07(b), § 1162.08(d)
(b) Containers may be stored anywhere on a premises except: (1) No container shall be stored in the front of any building on the premises unless the building is located in an area where there is no access to the rear or sides by way of easement or public right-of-way... (2) No containers shall be stored more than five feet from the front, rear or sides of a building, except as provided in Artic...
Bulk Item Disposal
Bethlehem has no separate curbside bulk-item pickup program; instead Article 1162 folds oversized rubbish into its general solid-waste rules. Section 1162.08 requires trash to be bagged before it goes in an approved container, and lets bulky rubbish that will not fit skip the container only with prior written approval from the City Department of Health, bundled to a strict three-foot by three-foot maximum.
Bethlehem Bulky Waste Bundling Rules
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1162.08(c)
Solid waste must be contained in a primary collection bag prior to placement into an approved container. Placement of loose and unwrapped solid waste into a container, without ... primary containment through the use of garbage bags or similar materials, is a violation of this Article. With prior approval from the City Department of Health, rubbish not fitting into an approved container shall be...
Recycling Requirements
The City of Bethlehem runs a mandatory curbside recycling program under Codified Ordinances Article 933. The Department of Community and Economic Development collects commingled recyclables from every residence at least once every two weeks, between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Single-family households are billed a $90 annual recycling fee, and residents who fail to separate recyclables or misuse city-issued containers face escalating fines starting at $100 for a first offense.
Bethlehem Curbside Recycling Program Rules
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 933.03
The City shall provide for the collection of designated commingled recyclables from any and all residences, including, but not limited to, single family dwellings, multi-family dwellings, condominiums, and apartment complexes, at times set forth by the City of Bethlehem. At no time will the collection of these recyclables occur less frequently than once every two weeks, unless a collection day ...
Illegal Dumping
Bethlehem bars anyone from depositing or throwing solid waste on any street, private alley, vacant lot, public area or waterway inside the city. A first conviction under the solid waste article costs $200, rising to $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for a third, with each day of ongoing violation billed as a separate offense.
Bethlehem Illegal Dumping Penalties
Significant RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1162.07(a)
(a) No owner, lessee, tenant, householder or any other person shall deposit, throw, place or cause to be deposited, thrown or placed, any solid waste on any street, private alley or vacant lot, public areas and waterways, both natural and man-made, within the City limits.
Yard Waste Collection
Bethlehem collects yard waste twice a year at the curb under Section 1162.04(f), separate from trash and recycling. Leaves are collected each fall at a City-designated facility, and grass clippings can never go out with yard waste: Section 1162.04(g) requires clippings to be mulched back into the lawn where they were cut.
Bethlehem Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1162.04(f), (g)
(f) Disposal of Yard Waste. All persons shall keep yard waste separate from all other forms of solid waste. Leaves shall be collected by the City in the fall of each year and shall be disposed of at a designated City facility, operated in accordance with any applicable regulations of the Pa.D.E.P. Yard waste will be collected by the City twice a year at curbside. Residents may also use the desi...
Dumpster Rules
Before a hauler can drop a dumpster at a Bethlehem business, the Director of Community and Economic Development must approve it. The dumpster and its location must meet zoning and right-of-way rules under Article 721, and the lid has to stay closed except while waste is being added or removed.
Bethlehem Commercial Dumpster Approval
Significant RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1162.04(i)
(i) Owners of commercial, industrial, municipal and institutional establishments shall store any solid waste generated at the establishment in the same manner and in the same types of containers as are approved for residential establishments except where the accumulation of solid waste makes the use of such containers impracticable, in which case the owner shall make special arrangements with a...
Collection Schedule
Bethlehem collects residential solid waste six days a week, Monday through Saturday, 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the south side and 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the north side. Every owner must maintain hauler service; commercial sites can get up to seven-day pickup, with Sunday limited to 8 a.m. to noon.
Bethlehem Trash Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 1162.09
(a) Solid waste collection shall be on a six (6) day per week basis (Monday through Saturday) and shall take place between the hours of 5:00 AM and 4:00 PM on south side of the City, and between the hours of 6:00 AM and 4:00 PM on the north side of the City. (b) Solid waste collection from commercial, municipal, industrial and institutional establishments may be on a seven (7) day per week basi...
Recycling Rules
Section 933.04 of Bethlehem's Codified Ordinances spells out exactly how residents must sort recyclables for curbside pickup: commingled containers in one bin, paper products in a separate lidded bin, set out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before collection. Mixing the two streams or putting out non-designated materials violates the ordinance.
Bethlehem Residential Recycling Separation Rules
Some RestrictionsCodified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem § 933.04(a), (c)(3)
(a) All residents of the City shall separate all residential designated recyclables as set forth in this Ordinance from municipal waste generated at their residence, and shall store them until collection. These recyclables will be placed together at the curbside or similar location on the day of collection in a container provided by the City or any other open, rigid, waterproof container of not...