Penn Hills, PA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- § 1061.04(a)-(b)
- Materials
- Glass, metal cans, plastics, paper, leaves
- First offense fine
- $50
- Second offense fine
- $200
Summary
Penn Hills requires every resident to separate designated recyclables, glass, metal cans, plastics, newspaper, and leaves, from regular trash.
All persons who are residents of the Municipality shall separate all of those recyclable materials designated by the Municipality from all other Municipal waste produced at their homes, apartments and other residential establishments, and store such materials for collection in accordance with the guidelines established herein.
(b) The Municipality hereby selects clear and colored glass, aluminum and other metal cans, plastic milk jugs, plastic pop bottles, newspapers and leaves as materials to be recycled. The Municipality also reserves the right to revise the selection of these materials in accordance with Act 101 to respond to changing markets. By amendment to this chapter, the Municipality may expand, reduce or otherwise change materials to be recycled.
(c) Glass containers shall be emptied and cleaned, and metal rings or caps shall be removed.
(d) All Recyclables shall be Emptied and Rinsed. Recyclables shall not be compacted in household trash compactors.
(e) Newspapers shall be tied in easy-to-manage bundles or placed in paper bags, stacked alongside the curbside collection container and kept dry.
(f)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4434863; v5 updated 2025-07-21; through 07-21-2025).
Full Breakdown
Code of the Municipality of Penn Hills § 1061.04(a)-(b) makes source separation mandatory: every resident "shall separate all of those recyclable materials designated by the Municipality from all other Municipal waste" and store them for collection under the program's guidelines. The Municipality's current list covers clear and colored glass, aluminum and metal cans, plastic milk jugs and pop bottles, newspapers, and leaves. Recyclables go out in the household container the Municipality provides, with newspapers bundled alongside it, and mixing recyclables into the regular trash is itself a separate violation under § 1061.04(f).
Violations & Fines
Mixing recyclables into trash or ignoring separation rules is a first-offense fine of $50, rising to $200 for a second offense, under § 1061.99(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is recycling mandatory in Penn Hills?
What materials must Penn Hills residents recycle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Penn Hills
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Recycling Requirements in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Allegheny County handle recycling requirements.