Erie operates city-run residential refuse collection through the Bureau of Refuse and Recycling (Department of Public Works) under the Third Class City Code (53 P.S. §35101 et seq.) and Article 951 of the Codified Ordinances. Pickup is weekly and occurs at night on a route map maintained by the Bureau. All compliant receptacles and securely bagged refuse must be at the curbside or edge of the street on the designated collection night, and nothing may be placed out more than 24 hours before the collection day. Service is limited to residential properties of four units or fewer.
Erie's municipal refuse program is one of the few city-run (as opposed to contracted-out) collection operations in northwest Pennsylvania, a legacy of its third-class city status under the Third Class City Code (53 P.S. §35101 et seq.). The Bureau of Refuse and Recycling within the Department of Public Works runs the collection trucks; the dispatch and customer-service line is 814-870-1550 (weekdays 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.). Pickup is weekly at night, with the City divided into routes published as a downloadable refuse map on erie.pa.us. Article 951 requires householders to drain garbage of all liquids, bag it in paper or plastic, and store it in a compliant 3-35-gallon rigid, rust-resistant, watertight container with handles and a tight-fitting cover until set-out (see trash-bins). The 24-hour set-out limit is enforced because Erie's lake-effect winds, gulls, and rodent population scatter the contents of bags or open containers left out for days. Recycling is collected on the regular refuse night (see recycling-requirements). Multi-family properties with more than four units are not served by the City program and must contract with a private hauler (WM, Republic, or a regional vendor) - Code Enforcement still applies Article 951's container and presentation rules to the private bins. Holiday schedules are published by the Bureau of Refuse and Recycling and typically shift week-of-holiday routes by one day.
Setting refuse out more than 24 hours before the designated collection night, or in non-compliant containers, draws a Quality of Life ticket under Article 1129 at $100 per occurrence (raised from $25 effective June 6, 2023). Unpaid or contested tickets escalate to summary citation before the Magisterial District Judge with fines of $300-$1,000 per offense and possible 90-day incarceration. The City retains the right to dispatch a contractor 48 hours after ticket issuance for cleanup, billing the violator for direct cost plus a 30% processing fee. Setting refuse curbside on a non-collection day, or in a manner that obstructs the cartway or sidewalk, may also be cited as scattering rubbish under 18 Pa.C.S. §6501 (summary offense, $50-$300 first offense plus 5-30 hours of community service).
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