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

Pennsylvania Act 101 of 1988 (53 P.S. §4000.101 et seq.) specifically encourages diversion of leaf and yard waste from landfill disposal as part of its 35%-diversion mandate, and Scranton complies by operating yard-waste, brush, and bulk pickups as a separate DPW Bureau of Refuse and Recycling stream apart from regular weekly refuse. The published rule on scrantonpa.gov is that 'yard waste, brush, and bulk pickups are handled by the Department of Public Works,' with scheduling and acceptable-container rules confirmed via the Bureau at 570-348-4180 or recycle@scrantonpa.gov. Standard Pennsylvania practice (which Scranton follows in operation though detailed rules are not fully posted online) is to accept yard waste in open rigid containers (with lids removed so workers can verify contents), in certified compostable plastic bags, or in standard 30-gallon kraft paper yard-waste bags sold at hardware stores; pet waste and used cat litter may NOT be mixed with yard waste because they contaminate the compost product. Leaves are NOT to be raked into the street (the rationale, as in other PA cities, is twofold: wet leaves create slippery conditions for vehicles and pedestrians, and dry leaves under parked cars can ignite from hot catalytic converters; piled leaves also block catch basins, contributing to localized flooding that drains into the Lackawanna River). Fall leaf-collection routes are typically published each year by the DPW Bureau of Refuse and Recycling. Significant snow accumulation in the Pocono and Endless Mountains region (Scranton averages 45-55 inches/year) may delay or shift leaf-collection routes; the City's holiday policy delays collections by ONE day when a holiday falls on a weekday. Open burning of leaves and yard waste is restricted statewide by PA DEP under 25 Pa. Code §129.14 (Restrictions on Open Burning) and is generally prohibited within incorporated cities like Scranton.