Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup
Key FactsOrdinance TextFull BreakdownViolationsFAQSourcesMore in Bensalem

Bensalem, PA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Residential materials
Glass, newsprint, aluminum/steel/bimetallic cans, PET/HDPE plastics
Commercial materials
Corrugated paper, office paper, aluminum cans, yard waste
Hospitality materials
Same as residential plus cardboard
Legal basis
State Act 101 of 1988
Exemption option
Annual written documentation to the Township
First offense
Written warning by certified mail

Summary

Bensalem Township Code Section 107-8.3 spells out exactly what each type of property must separate for recycling. Homes and apartments recycle glass, newsprint, aluminum, steel and bimetallic cans and No. 1 PET and No. 2 HDPE plastics; commercial establishments recycle corrugated paper, high-grade office paper, aluminum cans and yard waste; and restaurants, taverns and hospitality establishments follow their own combined list of materials.

(a)All homes, apartments and other residential establishments shall be required to separate and recycle the following: clear glass, colored glass, newsprint (including newspaper inserts, junk mail and telephone books), aluminum cans, steel cans, bimetallic cans, No. 1 PET plastics and No. 2 HDPE plastics.(b)Commercial establishments will be required to separate and recycle the following: corrugated paper, high-grade office paper, aluminum cans and yard waste.(c)Hospitality establishments which include restaurants and taverns shall be required to separate and recycle the following: glass, cardboard, office paper, newspaper (including newspaper inserts, junk mail and telephone books), aluminum cans, steel cans, bimetallic cans, No. 1 PET plastics and No. 2 HDPE plastics.

View official code

Full Breakdown

Bensalem Township Code Section 107-8.3 sets out three separate materials lists under the "Bensalem Township Recycling Ordinance," Chapter 107, Article II. Subsection (a) requires all homes, apartments and other residential establishments to separate clear glass, colored glass, newsprint including newspaper inserts, junk mail and telephone books, aluminum cans, steel cans, bimetallic cans, No. 1 PET plastics and No. 2 HDPE plastics. Subsection (b) requires commercial establishments to separate corrugated paper, high-grade office paper, aluminum cans and yard waste. Subsection (c) requires hospitality establishments, meaning restaurants and taverns holding PLCB liquor licenses, to separate glass, cardboard, office paper, newspaper, aluminum cans, steel cans, bimetallic cans, No.

1 PET plastics and No. 2 HDPE plastics, the same list as residences plus cardboard. Section 107-8.2(a) makes every generator of municipal waste in the Township responsible for complying with this separation duty under Act 101, the Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act of 1988, including tenants and lessees on leased property. Section 107-8.1(e) lets a commercial, institutional or industrial generator apply for an exemption if it already recycles the designated materials another way, but only after filing annual written documentation with the Township of the total quantity of each material recycled.

The Township can change the designated-materials list from time to time by resolution, and all three groups must follow whatever list is then in effect.

Violations & Fines

Bensalem Township Code Section 107-12(a) treats a first failure to separate the required materials, including any comingling by haulers, as a warning offense: the Township sends written notice by certified mail. A second failure within two years of that warning is punishable by a criminal fine of up to $2,500 per violation, plus damages, court costs and reasonable attorney's fees, and possible imprisonment in the Bucks County Correctional Facility, prosecuted as a summary offense before a District Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What must I recycle at a Bensalem home?
Bensalem Township Code Section 107-8.3(a) requires homes and apartments to separate clear glass, colored glass, newsprint including inserts and junk mail, aluminum cans, steel cans, bimetallic cans, No. 1 PET plastics and No. 2 HDPE plastics. Everything else counts as ordinary municipal solid waste. The Township can change the designated-materials list by resolution, so residents should watch for updated notices from the recycling coordinator.
Do Bensalem restaurants have separate recycling rules?
Yes. Section 107-8.3(c) covers hospitality establishments, meaning restaurants, taverns and other PLCB-licensed businesses, and requires them to separate glass, cardboard, office paper, newspaper, aluminum cans, steel cans, bimetallic cans, No. 1 PET plastics and No. 2 HDPE plastics. That list matches the residential materials in subsection (a) but adds cardboard.
Can my business skip Bensalem's recycling separation rules?
Only with an approved exemption. Section 107-8.1(e) lets a commercial, institutional or industrial generator skip the separation duty if it already recycles the designated materials another way, but it must file annual written documentation with the Township showing the total quantity of each material recycled. Exemptions are handled administratively, and there is no automatic exemption for small businesses.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Bensalem

Collection ScheduleSome RestrictionsBulk Item DisposalSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Height LimitsSome RestrictionsHoliday Pickup ScheduleLight RestrictionsBin Placement RulesSome RestrictionsPickup Rules & SchedulesSome RestrictionsRecycling RequirementsSome RestrictionsDumpster RulesSome RestrictionsYard Waste CollectionSome RestrictionsIllegal DumpingHeavy RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingFew RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome Restrictions

All Bensalem rules

Compare Bensalem to another location·View the Pennsylvania trash & recycling overview

Get notified when Recycling Rules in Bensalem, PA changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.