Harrisburg, PA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Section 9-305.2 of the Harrisburg Codified Ordinances sets who must recycle and how collection works in the City of Harrisburg. Subsection A requires all commercial, municipal or institutional establishments and community events and activities to source-separate every designated recyclable material and to provide for its transportation, either through the City or its agents or through a private hauler. The Director of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for every aspect of the recycling program, including the plans for recyclable materials and coordination with local, state and federal agencies, and holds authority to write the rules and regulations that carry the chapter out.

Curbside service is set out in subsection B. The City or its agents must make periodic curbside collections of reasonable accumulations of recycling from residential and commercial properties, and collection follows a plan and schedule the Director designates in the promulgated rules. Subsection D adds that the schedule shall direct recyclables to be collected on a regularly scheduled weekly pickup, and that the Director sets the days of collection, pickup points, routes and the type of receptacle and conveyance.

Receptacles are the owner's or occupier's job under subsection C. Barrels, carts and dumpsters must meet the DPW rules and be kept in good condition. Any receptacle that does not conform, or that has ragged or sharp edges or another defect liable to hamper or injure the person collecting the contents, shall be promptly replaced.

A business, institution or event organizer that hires a private hauler carries a reporting duty under subsection F: annual written documentation of the type and weight of materials recycled during the preceding 12 months, due to the City in the form the City provides no later than March 1 of each year. Section 9-305.4 states the curbside program is free to City residents and commercial businesses and that participation is mandatory, and Section 9-305.5 directs DPW to mail program information at least biannually.