Reading, PA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Reading administers yard waste separately from regular trash and recycling. The Yard Waste Collection Program is run by the Department of Public Works Streets Division (610-655-6285) and operates year-round, with each year's program beginning in late March (the 2026 season starts Monday, March 30, 2026). Eligible material is limited to organic biodegradable yard debris: leaves, hedge trimmings, leafy plants, small sticks, and twigs. Acceptable containers are limited to brown biodegradable paper lawn and leaf bags purchased by the resident; yard waste in plastic bags is prohibited and will be left at the curb (plastic contaminates the City's composting stream). Tree branches and bundles must be tied and not exceed reasonable size and weight limits for a single-person lift. Grass clippings are not collected curbside; the City directs residents to grasscycle - leave the clippings on the lawn, where they decompose and act as natural organic fertilizer. To schedule a pickup, residents call the Citizens Service Center (877-727-3234) or the Streets Division directly between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. A separate Loose-Leaf Curbside Collection runs each fall, typically starting in October and ending in early December (the 2025 program last day was Friday, December 5, 2025); during the loose-leaf season residents may rake unbagged leaves to the curb on assigned dates by service area (18th Ward, Northeast, Hessian Camp, Northwest, Northmont-Riverdale-Glenside), and the City has announced an ongoing transition away from loose-leaf collection toward bagged-only collection.