Yard waste, brush, and bulk-item pickups in Scranton are operated by the Department of Public Works through the Bureau of Refuse and Recycling, separate from regular weekly refuse. Residents call 570-348-4180 or email recycle@scrantonpa.gov to schedule and confirm rules. Electronics (TVs, monitors, laptops, peripherals) cannot be set out curbside under the PA Covered Device Recycling Act (73 P.S. §1727.1 et seq.); appliances containing refrigerants (refrigerators, AC units) require EPA Section 608 freon evacuation before any landfill accepts them. Hazardous materials and construction debris are not eligible. The City also runs periodic electronics-recycling collection events announced through the DPW.
Scranton's Bureau of Refuse and Recycling (570-348-4180, recycle@scrantonpa.gov, headquartered at 101 W. Poplar Avenue) handles 'yard waste, brush, and bulk pickups' as a separate operational stream from the weekly regular refuse route. The City's recycling page directs residents to call or email to confirm scheduling, accepted items, and any quantity caps. The detailed published rules for what is accepted as 'bulk' are not currently posted on the public website beyond a directional reference, so residents must call the Bureau to confirm before set-out. What is excluded from curbside under all circumstances: (1) Televisions, computer monitors, laptops, and computer peripherals - the PA Covered Device Recycling Act (Act 108 of 2010, 73 P.S. §1727.1 et seq.) prohibits these from the regular municipal solid-waste stream and requires drop-off at certified e-waste recyclers or City-run periodic electronics-recycling events. (2) Large appliances containing refrigerants (refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, room AC units) - EPA Clean Air Act Section 608 (40 CFR Part 82) requires a certified technician to evacuate refrigerant before any landfill will accept the unit; arrange through scrapyards, retailer haul-away at point of sale, or scheduled appliance collection events. (3) Household hazardous waste (paints, solvents, pool chemicals, motor oil, batteries) - drop off at Lackawanna County Recycling Center hazardous-waste events or at certified facilities, not curbside. (4) Construction and demolition debris (drywall, dimensional lumber, roofing material, concrete) - homeowner-generated CD waste must go to a permitted PA DEP transfer station or be removed by a licensed contractor; this is not 'bulk' pickup material. The Bureau also runs 'Hard-To-Recycle Items' guidance at scrantonpa.gov/recycling/hard-to-recycle-items/ for unusual materials. Setting bulk material at the curb without scheduling, or setting out excluded items, may be cited as illegal dumping under 18 Pa.C.S. §6501 (Scattering Rubbish) - see the illegal-dumping subcategory.
Setting bulk items at the curb without scheduling through the Bureau, or setting out excluded items (electronics, refrigerant-bearing appliances, household hazardous waste, construction debris) on a regular refuse night, is enforced under Chapter 400 (Solid Waste) with fines up to $300 per offense, each day a separate offense. Excluded electronics in the regular waste stream additionally violate the PA Covered Device Recycling Act (73 P.S. §1727.1 et seq.). Refrigerant releases violate EPA Clean Air Act Section 608 (40 CFR Part 82, with federal civil penalties up to $51,796 per day per violation as of 2026 inflation adjustments). Larger or commercial dumping may be cited as scattering rubbish under 18 Pa.C.S. §6501 ($50-$300 first offense plus 5-30 hours mandatory cleanup; third-degree misdemeanor for subsequent offenses, $300-$1,000 plus 30-100 hours cleanup) or referred to PA DEP under the Solid Waste Management Act (35 P.S. §6018.101).
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See how Scranton's bulk item disposal rules stack up against other locations.
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