5 rules for unincorporated Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Verified from official government sources
Montgomery County, PA does not collect trash. Each of the 62 municipalities directs its own trash and recycling program within Pennsylvania's Act 101 framework, arranging municipal crews or private haulers. The county coordinates the overall Municipal Waste Management Plan and assists with recycling.
Montgomery County, PA sets no rule on bin placement. Your borough, township or hauler dictates where and when to place trash and recycling containers at the curb, and property maintenance codes require cans be pulled back and stored out of view after collection.
Montgomery County, PA does not run bulk trash pickup. Each borough, township or hauler sets its own rules for large items like furniture and appliances, often requiring a scheduled pickup, tag or extra fee. The county also hosts countywide collection events for hard-to-dispose materials.
Under Pennsylvania's Act 101, every Montgomery County municipality with 10,000 or more people, and smaller ones over 5,000 with density above 300 per square mile, must run a source-separation and collection program. Most of the county's populous boroughs and townships mandate curbside recycling.
Act 101 §1501(a), 53 P.S. §4000.1501(a)
a municipality other than a county that has a population of 10,000 or more people shall establish and implement a source-separation and collection program for recyclable materials in accordance with this section.
Dumping trash on roads, another person's land or into waterways is a state crime in Montgomery County, PA. Under 18 Pa.C.S. §6501 a first offense is a summary offense carrying a $50 to $300 fine plus mandatory litter cleanup. Larger-scale dumping also violates the Solid Waste Management Act.
18 Pa.C.S. §6501(a)(1)
A person is guilty of an offense if he: (1) causes any waste paper, sweepings, ashes, household waste, glass, metal, refuse or rubbish, or any dangerous or detrimental substance to be deposited into or upon any road, street, highway, alley or railroad right-of-way, or upon the land of another or into the waters of this Commonwealth.
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