Bethlehem, PA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Approval authority
- Dir. of Community & Economic Dev.
- Applies to
- commercial/industrial/institutional sites
- Siting standard
- must meet zoning + Art. 721 ROW rules
- Lid rule
- closed except while loading/unloading
- First-offense fine
- $200
Summary
Before a hauler can drop a dumpster at a Bethlehem business, the Director of Community and Economic Development must approve it. The dumpster and its location must meet zoning and right-of-way rules under Article 721, and the lid has to stay closed except while waste is being added or removed.
(i) Owners of commercial, industrial, municipal and institutional establishments shall store any solid waste generated at the establishment in the same manner and in the same types of containers as are approved for residential establishments except where the accumulation of solid waste makes the use of such containers impracticable, in which case the owner shall make special arrangements with a hauler for the storing of additional quantities of solid waste. If, to accommodate the additional quantities of solid waste, the hauler intends to provide the owner with a dumpster, the dumpster must be approved by the Director of Community and Economic Development or his or her designee prior to being placed in use. At a minimum, the dumpster and location of the dumpster must meet zoning and public right-of-way requirements, including any requirements set forth in Article 721 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Bethlehem, and shall have a lid which must remain closed except when solid waste is being added to or removed from the dumpster.
Full Breakdown
04, Accumulation of Solid Waste, Rubbish and Garbage, requires commercial, industrial, municipal and institutional establishments to store waste in the same approved container types used by residential properties, subsection (i) makes an exception when volume makes standard containers impracticable: the owner must arrange with a licensed hauler for extra capacity, and if the hauler's solution is a dumpster, that dumpster needs prior approval from the Director of Community and Economic Development or a designee before it goes into use. The provision ties placement standards to Article 721 of the Codified Ordinances (removal of rubbish from streets, cross-referenced in Article 1162's own cross-reference list) so a dumpster's location must also clear zoning and public right-of-way rules, not just waste-container rules.
The lid requirement in the same subsection is a standing operating condition, not a one-time siting rule: the dumpster 'shall have a lid which must remain closed except when solid waste is being added to or removed from the dumpster,' meaning an establishment can be cited for an open dumpster lid at any time, independent of the initial approval. 04(k) additionally makes the owner responsible for setting up an entire collection system at a commercial premises, including accessible container locations and written instructions to occupants, all subject to the Director's review and approval before use.
Violations & Fines
Placing or operating an unapproved dumpster, or leaving a required lid open outside active loading, violates Article 1162.04 and is punishable under Article 1162.99: a $200 fine for a first offense, $500 for a second, and $1,000 for a third or subsequent offense, with each day of continuing violation treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Bethlehem business need permission to place a dumpster?
Are there siting rules for where a dumpster can go?
Can a business leave its dumpster lid open?
What if my business generates more trash than standard containers can hold?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bethlehem
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