Trash & Recycling in Wilmington, DE (2026)
6 verified trash & recycling rules for Wilmington, Delaware, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
The city's public works department collects household ashes, rubbish, and yard waste every week on a set day by district, and residents must sort waste and place it out only as the department directs: dumping garbage in with ashes or rubbish for collection is against the rules.
Wilmington Weekly Trash Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsWilmington City Code § 45-266
It shall be the duty of the department of public works to collect, take up and remove, or cause to be collected, taken up and removed, all ashes, sweepings, cut grass, rakings from yards and lawns, vines and shrubbery, and waste or rejected miscellaneous matter which cannot be readily burned that are made or accumulated in any buildings or premises in the city every week, by districts, and on s...
Bin Placement Rules
Wilmington residents may set garbage containers at the curb no earlier than 6 p.m. the evening before pickup and must have them out by 6 a.m. on collection day, then pull them back the same day.
Wilmington Trash Cart Set-Out Hours
Some RestrictionsWilmington City Code § 13-7(f)
The placing of garbage containers upon the sidewalk or roadway for the collection and removal of their contents by the collector of garbage shall be done before 6:00 a.m. of the day of collection, but not before 6:00 p.m. of the day preceding the day set for collection. Such containers shall be removed from the sidewalk or roadway by the householder the same day that they are emptied by the col...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping garbage, rubbish, refuse, or building material anywhere in Wilmington besides the city's sanitary landfill is illegal and carries a $250 to $1,000 fine, plus possible jail time.
Wilmington Illegal Dumping Fines
Significant RestrictionsWilmington City Code § 45-317
No person shall dump or dispose of any matter or material covered by this division anywhere within the city, except at the sanitary landfill, unless otherwise authorized by the public works commissioner. Anyone violating this provision is subject to a fine not less than $250.00 nor more than $1,000.00, or by imprisonment for a period not exceeding 30 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment....
Yard Waste Collection
Wilmington lets homeowners rake fallen leaves to the curb each autumn only if they notify Public Works first, so city crews can schedule mulching pickup.
Wilmington Curbside Leaf Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsWilmington City Code § 36-241
As an exception to the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this section, property owners may sweep into or deposit at the edge of any city street, unless otherwise prohibited and except for state-maintained highways, leaves that have fallen from trees in the autumn time of the year between September 22 and December 21, for collection by city department of public works' mulching or leaf c...
Dumpster Rules
Wilmington bars dumpsters from sitting in the public right-of-way except within a strict collection window, and requires visual screening on three sides unless the Department of Public Works grants a waiver.
Wilmington Dumpster Placement and Screening Rules
Significant RestrictionsWilmington City Code § 45-251
No dumpster or garbage container shall be placed or stored within the public way for purposes other than a scheduled collection unless authorized by the department of public works in accordance with Wilmington City Code Section 42-217. Containers placed within the public right-of-way for collection may be placed no earlier than 6:00 p.m. on the night preceding the collection date and must be re...
Collection Schedule
The city's public works department picks up household trash, ashes, and yard waste once a week on a fixed day assigned by district.
Wilmington Weekly Trash Collection by District
Some RestrictionsWilmington City Code § 45-266
It shall be the duty of the department of public works to collect, take up and remove... all ashes, sweepings, cut grass, rakings from yards and lawns, vines and shrubbery, and waste or rejected miscellaneous matter which cannot be readily burned that are made or accumulated in any buildings or premises in the city every week, by districts, and on such day or days as provided by this division, ...
Looking for New Castle County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Wilmington city rules.
Trash & Recycling in New Castle County →