Trash & Recycling in Upper Darby, PA (2026)
10 verified trash & recycling rules for Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Upper Darby limits how residents may set out household refuse: containers must be metal or plastic, no full container with contents may exceed 40 pounds, and no dwelling unit may put out more than 200 pounds of refuse in a week. Hazardous materials, mixed ashes and garbage in paper bags are all barred from the bin.
Upper Darby Refuse Container and Weight Rules
Some RestrictionsUpper Darby Code § 461-17
B. Rubbish must be placed in containers of metal or plastic construction, which, together with the contents, shall not exceed 40 pounds in weight and shall be placed on the sidewalk near the curb in front of the residential building... H. The amount of refuse from any one dwelling unit shall not exceed 200 pounds per week. I. Hazardous materials are not acceptable for collection and shall not b...
Bin Placement Rules
Upper Darby residents may not put refuse containers at the curb more than eight hours before the scheduled collection day, and empty containers must come back off the sidewalk or alley within 12 hours after they are emptied. Containers belong near the curb, clear of the sidewalk and any alley traffic lane.
Upper Darby Trash Set-Out and Removal Timing
Some RestrictionsUpper Darby Code § 461-17
F. Residents must remove receptacles from the sidewalks or alleys, as the case may be, within 12 hours after such receptacles are emptied. ... J. Residents shall not place refuse at any sidewalk or alley for collection more than eight hours prior to the beginning of the day collection is scheduled.
Bulk Item Disposal
Residents already on Township refuse collection can arrange a separate bulk trash pickup for items like white goods and large appliances that cannot go out with regular refuse. The current bulk pickup fee is $20 under the Township's 2024 fee schedule, and arrangements must be made with the Township in advance.
Upper Darby Bulk Trash Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsUpper Darby Code § 461-18A(2)
The residents of any dwelling unit within any residential building at which the Township is already collecting refuse may arrange to have the Township collect bulk trash for a fee of $10 for each item. Arrangements for payment of this fee must be made with the Township in advance.
Recycling Requirements
Upper Darby runs a mandatory recycling collection program for every household's municipal waste, and residents may not put refuse out for pickup without first separating recyclables from it. Skipping separation before curbside disposal is itself a separate ordinance violation, not just a missed diversion goal.
Upper Darby Mandatory Recycling Program
Some RestrictionsUpper Darby Code § 461-19
§ 461-19. Recycling program. There is hereby established a mandatory collection program for recyclables which are a part of the municipal waste generated in the Township. § 461-23. Recyclables to be separated from refuse. It shall be unlawful for any person to collect, remove or otherwise dispose of refuse, or to place refuse at the sidewalk or alley for collection as provided herein, without f...
Holiday Pickup Schedule
When a regular Upper Darby collection day falls on a legal holiday, residents may not set out ashes, rubbish or recyclables until the evening of that holiday, for pickup the following working day. The same shift applies to both refuse and recycling under separate but identical sections.
Upper Darby Holiday Trash Collection Shift
Light RestrictionsUpper Darby Code § 461-17E
E. Should the regular date of collection fall on a legal holiday, ashes and rubbish may not be placed out for collection until the evening of such holiday, for collection the following working day. [§ 461-20D:] ...Should the regular date of collection fall on a legal holiday, recyclables may not be placed out for collection until the evening of such holiday, for collection the following working...
Illegal Dumping
Upper Darby bans anyone from accumulating or disposing of solid waste on any property except through licensed collection channels, and separately bars using any property as a public or private dump, transfer station, or landfill without the Township's written approval. Violators face civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day plus attorneys' fees.
Upper Darby Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsUpper Darby Code §§ 461-2, 461-6
§ 461-2. Prohibitions. It is hereby declared to be unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to accumulate upon any property in this municipality any municipal solid waste or to dispose of it except in accordance with this article and other applicable laws, ordinances or regulations. § 461-6. Private dumps, transfer stations, and landfills prohibited. No person shall use or permit to be use...
Yard Waste Collection
Upper Darby requires leaf waste, meaning leaves, garden residue and tree trimmings but not grass clippings, to be kept separate from both refuse and recyclables and stored until collection. The only way around that separation duty is composting the leaf waste yourself instead of setting it out.
Upper Darby Leaf Waste Separation Rules
Some RestrictionsUpper Darby Code § 461-20B
LEAF WASTE: Leaves from trees, bushes and other plants, garden residue, chipped shrubbery and tree trimmings, but does not include grass clippings. § 461-20 B. All persons and entities shall separate leaf waste generated at residential dwellings from all recyclables and refuse and store same until collection, unless such persons or entities have otherwise provided for the composting of such lea...
Dumpster Rules
Anyone placing a dumpster, open-top container or portable storage container on an Upper Darby street needs a Department of Licenses and Inspection permit, and the container must carry reflectors on all four sides. Street permits run a maximum of 30 days with one extension, while private-property placement is capped at six months.
Upper Darby Dumpster and Roll-Off Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsUpper Darby Code § 276-2
Any person, firm or corporation who maintains or utilizes any dumpster, open-top container, portable storage container or compaction container must first obtain a permit from the Department of Licenses and Inspection for such use before allowing it to be located on a public street within Upper Darby Township.
Collection Schedule
Upper Darby Township collects refuse directly from every residential building under Chapter 461, billing property owners for the service rather than leaving pickup to private haulers. The Mayor and administration set collection days by regulation, with routes and schedules kept on file at the Department of Public Works, not printed in the code itself.
Upper Darby Mandatory Curbside Refuse Collection
Some RestrictionsUpper Darby Code § 461-16
A. Refuse accumulated in residential buildings shall be collected, conveyed and disposed of by the Township. The cost of such service shall be paid by property owners as provided herein. B. The Mayor and administration are authorized to make regulations concerning the days of collection, type and location of waste controls and such other matters pertaining to the collection and disposal of refu...
Recycling Rules
Upper Darby supplies the recycling containers and controls how they're used: recyclables must be stored until collection, put out in Township-issued bins no more than eight hours before pickup, and brought back in within 12 hours after they're emptied. Ownership of the recyclables stays with the resident until they reach the curb.
Upper Darby Curbside Recycling Handling Rules
Some RestrictionsUpper Darby Code § 461-20
C. All persons and entities shall store their recyclables until collection by the Township. D. Recyclables shall be placed in containers to be provided by the Township, which shall be placed upon the sidewalk or alley for collection no more than eight hours prior to the beginning of the day collection is scheduled. Residents must remove such containers from the sidewalk or alley within 12 hours...
Looking for Delaware County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Upper Darby city rules.
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