Bethlehem, PA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Codified Ordinances § 933.04
- Container limit
- 30 gallons, rigid & waterproof
- Commingled items
- glass, cans, plastics #1-7
- Paper items
- cardboard, newsprint, mixed office paper
- Curb placement window
- 6 p.m. night before to 8 p.m. collection day
- First offense fine
- $100 or 30 days
Summary
Section 933.04 of Bethlehem's Codified Ordinances spells out exactly how residents must sort recyclables for curbside pickup: commingled containers in one bin, paper products in a separate lidded bin, set out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the night before collection. Mixing the two streams or putting out non-designated materials violates the ordinance.
(a) All residents of the City shall separate all residential designated recyclables as set forth in this Ordinance from municipal waste generated at their residence, and shall store them until collection. These recyclables will be placed together at the curbside or similar location on the day of collection in a container provided by the City or any other open, rigid, waterproof container of not more than 30 gallons capacity. A container, other than one provided by the City, must be clearly marked "recycling". The City will provide two containers, one for commingled, glass, cans and plastic, and another container (with lid) for paper products. ... (3) The commingled materials listed in Subsection (c)(1) shall not be placed in the same container as the paper products listed in Subsection (c)(2).
Full Breakdown
' The City itself issues two containers per household: one for commingled glass, cans and plastic, and a second, lidded container for paper. 04(b) lists the designated items: clear and colored glass containers, aluminum and steel cans, plastic containers numbered 1 through 7 (except Styrofoam), aerosol and formed aluminum containers, cardboard, flatboard, mixed office paper, magazines, newsprint, telephone books, wrapping paper and brown paper bags. 04(c) sets preparation rules: glass, plastic, aluminum, steel and aerosol containers must be emptied and rinsed and go in one container; cardboard, magazines, mixed office paper, newsprint and similar paper goods go in a separate, lidded container, with corrugated cardboard too large for the bin flattened, bundled with string, and set beside it.
Subsection (c)(3) is explicit that the commingled stream and the paper stream cannot share a container, and (c)(4) provides that anything outside the designated list simply will not be collected. on collection day itself.
Violations & Fines
Putting non-designated material in a recycling container, mixing commingled items with paper products, or leaving bins at the curb outside the 6:00 p.m.-to-8:00 p.m. window violates Section 933.04 and, per Section 933.99, exposes a resident to a $100 fine or thirty days in jail for a first offense, rising to $1,000 or ninety days for a fourth or later violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I put in my Bethlehem recycling bin?
Do I need to separate glass and cans from paper?
When can I put my recycling bins at the curb?
Can I use my own bin instead of the City's?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bethlehem
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