Bristol, PA Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

Section 20-112 of the Bristol Borough Code sets the bulk rule. Bulk refuse pick-up occurs once each week, collection is made between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and no more than three items of bulk refuse can be placed for collection on any one day. The cap is per day, so it is the item count on the day of collection that counts.

What counts as bulk comes from § 20-101. Bulk refuse is any item of refuse which is larger than the size that can be placed in an authorized container, including furniture, bedding, appliances, and Christmas trees. The same section defines refuse to include garbage, rubbish and ashes, but not street sweepings, catch basin dirt, dead animals, furniture, bedding, building materials, abandoned vehicles, or industrial waste of any kind. Building materials, abandoned vehicles and industrial waste therefore fall outside the refuse the contractor collects.

Ordinary yard material follows a different path. Rubbish is defined to include tree branches and yard trimmings, and § 20-108 directs that leaves be placed in biodegradable bags for separate collection on designated days. Regular refuse containers are limited under § 20-109 to the gallonage or weight in the Borough's agreement with the solid waste provider, with up to six containers per household or business per pickup, so an item that fits in a container belongs in the container and not in the bulk allowance.

Under § 20-113 the contractor cannot move the bulk day without Borough Council permission and public notice.