Upper Darby, PA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Chapter 276, adopted in 1992 and rewritten in full in 2017 by Ordinance No. 3036, governs any dumpster, open-top container, compaction container or portable storage container placed on a public street in Upper Darby. Section 276-2 requires a permit from the Department of Licenses and Inspection before any such container can be located on a public street; § 276-3 makes reflectors or fluorescent material on all four sides of the container a precondition of that permit, so an application for an unreflectorized container is refused outright.

The application itself, under § 276-4, must go on a Department-issued form naming the owner and operator if different, the container's location and size, and the intended dates of use. Section 276-5 caps how long a street permit lasts: the permit covers only the actual period of use, not to exceed 30 days, with one 30-day extension available by filing another permit, and a further extension beyond that 60-day ceiling requires a written request showing justifiable cause to the Director of Licenses and Inspection. If the container sits in a metered parking space, the applicant also pays the prevailing meter rental rate for the meters taken out of service.

Section 276-6 requires containers to be maintained so they do not become a public nuisance, emptied as soon as practicable, and bars hazardous materials or organic waste from being placed in them; containers may only sit where vehicles may legally park. Section 276-7 separately allows temporary containers on private property for up to six months, or for the duration of an active construction permit if the placement is tied to one.