ENVIRONMENTAL BUREAU / refuserecycling@yorkcity.org
The Environmental Bureau works to provide a clean, healthy and beautiful City by managing refuse, recycling, large item and yard waste collections. All York City residents and commercial, municipal and institutional establishments are mandated to recycle designated material according to the State’s Act 101 and York City’s Ordinance, Article 952.
RECYCLING was mandated in 1989 by local and state laws for all residential, commercial, and industrial properties within the City of York. Since 2018, some items that were being marketed to China are no longer accepted. Those materials were removed from our curbside recyclable program.
LARGE ITEM & MISSED COLLECTION SERVICE
717-843-1240
Monday – Thursday
9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
To schedule a large item pick up or missed trash collection, CLICK HERE to submit a request or complaint.
RECYCLING & YARDWASTE CONTAINTER PURCHASE
Authorized green recycling and yellow yardwaste containers can be purchased at City Hall, 101 South George Street, York, PA 17401, Monday through Thursday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM & 12:30 to 3:30 PM.
- Acceptable forms of payment, cash, check, or credit card.
- Green Recycling Bin OR Can: $3.00 EA. (limit 1)
- Yard Waste Cans: $3.00 EA. (limit 1)
- Customers must show proof of residency (i.e. driver’s license or bill).
- Recycling containers must remain with the property.
Reduced pricing for containers is made possible, in part, due to a grant from the Dept. of Environmental Protection.
CONTRACT UPDATES
The current contract with ESC Waste Services modifies the recycling pick-up schedule ONLY beginning on May 1, 2025. Recycling pick-up days will move to Thursday/Friday for collection.
- Instead of placing your recycling bin/can curbside the first day of the collection service, it will now be placed curbside the second day of the collection service.
- If your recycling day is Monday your recycling will now be picked up on Thursday.
- If your recycling day is Tuesday your recycling will now be picked up on Friday.
- This change does not affect the collection service for yard waste.
- Yard Waste will remain the first collection day of the week as normal.
- Trash/Recycling/Yard Waste location pick-up points DID NOT CHANGE.
- Recycling and Yard Waste containers will remain the same.
- Please continue to use the current green containers for recycling (round or square) and the yellow round container for Yard Waste. Recycling and Yard Waste containers can be purchased at City Hall for $3.00 each (Mon.-Thurs., 9 AM to 3:30 PM). Proof of residency is required.
- Trash bag limit, six (6) per collection day.
Recycling Practices:
- Place recycling containers at the designated pick-up point by 6:00 a.m. on your first collection day each week. (During extreme weather conditions like heat over 90 degrees or severe winter weather events, the City may grant the hauler an early start time of 5:00 a.m. It is advisable to set items out after 5:00 p.m. the night prior to collection to ensure collection.)
- Place flattened cardboard boxes in container or bundle (with twine) and set directly beside or on top of the recycling container.
- Rinse and place all designated (plastic, glass and metal) bottles, jars and cans together in the recycling container.
- Place heavier items on top of lighter items to prevent them from blowing out of the recycling container.
- Do NOT place any recyclable items in plastic bags. Do NOT line recycle containers with plastic bags.
- Example proof of customer status or residency includes a driver’s license or a current utility bill.
Yardwaste Practices:
- CURBSIDE YARD WASTE COLLECTIONS occur on your first trash day each week. This service is offered March – November 30th, weather permitting. The March collection start date is determined based upon the weather.
- Yard waste must kept separate from the normal trash and must be prepared for collection according to these specifications:
- BRUSH Bundled branches, each branch must be less than 4” in diameter (maximum bundle size: 3’ x 1’ and 40 pounds); or use authorized ye low yard waste cans (maximum: 40 pounds). Branches should NOT extend above rim of cans or bags.
- LEAVES/PRUNINGS/GARDEN RESIDUE(NO GRASS CLIPPINGS): Use biodegradable kraft paper bags (maximum: 32 gallons; 40 pounds); or use authorized yellow yard waste cans (maximum: 40 pounds). Yard waste should NOT extend above rim of cans or bags. Customers are reminded that plastic bags are NOT accepted for yard waste and will result in no collection. Do NOT line yard waste cans with bags. Grass clippings should be placed in trash bags with regular trash and do count in the normal bag limit.
Knowing what to put in your recycling bin is very important. If you put items into your recycling bin that do not belong there, the entire bin might be considered “contaminated.”
NOT every metal, glass, plastic, or paper item is recyclable. Only these (metal, glass, and plastic) containers below, along with clean corrugated cardboard and newspaper should be placed for recycling in York City.
