Effective January 4, 2021, the City of Reading administers a single citywide residential waste-collection program contracted to Republic Services for all properties with six or fewer dwelling units. Collection runs Monday through Friday on assigned routes (excluding observed holidays). Each residential unit is permitted up to four 55-gallon bags or equivalent volume in carts per collection day; bags must be securely closed. Trash and recycling may be placed at the curb no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the day before collection, and bins must be removed from the curb after pickup. Service is billed through the City utility statement.
Reading's Citywide Waste Collection Initiative consolidated the previous patchwork of private hauler contracts into a single municipal program effective January 4, 2021. The contract with Republic Services covers all residential properties with up to six dwelling units; properties with seven or more units, mixed-use buildings, and commercial properties must contract directly with a licensed private hauler under QOL.022 (which requires every property owner to register a licensed trash hauler with the City). Collection routes run Monday through Friday with no Saturday or Sunday pickup; routes shift one day later when an observed holiday (New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day) falls on or before a scheduled collection day. The four-bag-per-week limit applies to 55-gallon bags or equivalent; households exceeding the limit must use bulk pickup, schedule a special collection through the Citizens Service Center, or contract privately for overflow. The City no longer issues blue recycling stickers - recyclables go in the City-issued recycling bin assigned to the address. Charges appear on the City utility bill alongside water and sewer; non-payment is subject to standard utility-delinquency collection procedures. The program is administered by Public Works (610-655-6285) and customer service runs through the Citizens Service Center at 877-727-3234.
Setting out trash or recycling before 5:00 p.m. the day before collection, leaving bins at the curb after pickup, or exceeding the four-bag limit is enforceable as a Quality of Life ticket under Chapter 180, Part 12 (typically QOL.013 for container/placement and QOL.001 for accumulation). Failing to register a licensed hauler for a property that is not eligible for the citywide curbside program (7+ units, commercial) is a QOL.022 violation. Non-payment of the citywide collection charge on the utility statement is collected through the standard utility-delinquency process and may result in water-service shutoff under separate utility ordinances. Reading inspectors photograph violations and mail tickets to the owner without prior warning.
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