Pittsburgh Trash Pickup Schedule, Recycling, Bulk & HHW 2026

⏰ Official Set-Out Times (All Year, All Zones)

• Set materials out after 6:00 p.m. the night before your collection day
• All materials must be at the curb no later than 6:00 a.m. on your collection day
• Remove and store your bins by 10:00 p.m. on your collection day — leaving bins curbside overnight is a City ordinance violation

🗒 Container Rules — From the 2026 Official Mailer

• Trash bags and bins cannot exceed 35 pounds or 35 gallons — the mailer notes this is equivalent to the size of a medium-size pet food bag. This limit applies to each individual bag or bin.
• Bag all trash before placing it in your container. This prevents litter and deters pests.
• Sharp objects: secure in a puncture-proof container labeled “CAUTION,” then dispose with regular trash.
• Broken glass: box it up or wrap in heavy paper and tape before placing in trash.
• Needles/sharps: place in a sturdy container (e.g., a detergent bottle with lid) before placing in trash.
• Recycling bins must be loose, clean, dry, and empty — no bags allowed in recycling.

📌 2026 Lid Rules — New This Year

The 2026 Pittsburgh Recycling Mailer introduces explicit lid placement rules for the first time. Follow these exactly:

🌿 Yard Waste Rules — From the Official 2026 Mailer

• Place yard waste in paper bags only. Plastic bags are not accepted.
• Branches and tree trimmings must be bundled and tied. Maximum branch size: 4 inches in diameter and 5 feet in length. Branches larger than 4 inches or longer than 5 feet will not be collected.
• Spring collection (April 25): accepted materials include leaves, grass, plants, tree trimmings, branches, and shrubs.
• Fall collection (November 7): accepted materials include leaves, grass, pumpkins, plants, tree trimmings, branches, and shrubs. (Note: pumpkins added in fall collection.)
• Place yard waste at the curb on the morning of your designated collection date.

📌 Bulk Item Rules — From the 2026 Official Mailer

• Maximum 2 bulk items per household per regular weekly trash collection day
• Place bulk items at the curb alongside your regular trash on your assigned collection day
• Fencing, carpet, and wood: must be bundled and tied in sections no more than 5 feet long and 35 pounds each
• Bed bug or roach-infested mattresses and upholstered furniture: must be wrapped and sealed in plastic before placement at the curb. Waste that does not meet this standard will not be collected.

✅ Accepted at All Drop-Off Locations

• Curbside recyclables: plastic (bottles, jugs, jars, tubs), cans (aluminum, aerosol, steel), mixed paper and cardboard, glass bottles/jugs/jars
• Yard waste (paper bags or tied bundles)
• Tires
• Scrap metal

NOT accepted at any drop-off location: Electronics, household hazardous waste (paint, chemicals, batteries, bulbs). These must go to the Noble Enviro HHW program.

✅ Accepted by Noble Enviro (Electronics & HHW)

• All electronics: computers, monitors, TVs, phones, tablets, printers, stereo equipment, power tools, small appliances
• Oil-based paints, stains, and varnishes
• Motor oil and automotive fluids
• Pesticides, herbicides, and pool chemicals
• Solvents, thinners, and cleaning chemicals
• Batteries: all types including lithium-ion and car batteries
• Fluorescent and CFL bulbs
• Propane tanks and compressed gas cylinders

Latex paint: let it dry completely (add kitty litter or sand to speed drying), then place dried solid in your regular trash with the lid off to show it is dry. Dried latex paint is not hazardous.

🏠 New to Pittsburgh or Just Moved In?

Go to pgh.st and enter your address to find your garbage day, recycling week (Northern-Southern or Central-Eastern zone), and next collection dates. Check the physical 2026 Refuse and Recycling Mailer — it should have been delivered to your address by early January 2026 (or request one from Environmental Services at 412-255-2626). Note the two yard waste dates: April 25 and November 7. Register at NobleEnviro.com/Pittsburgh before you need to dispose of electronics or chemicals. Set-out rule: after 6 p.m. night before, by 6 a.m. on collection day, remove bins by 10 p.m.

⛄️ Pittsburgh Winter — Snow, Hills & Collection

Pittsburgh averages 28 inches of snow annually and has many steep, narrow streets. The week of January 26–30, 2026 saw a major snow event that suspended all collection citywide (official City press release confirmed). During major winter events: leave bins curbside and wait for City announcements on pittsburghpa.gov. After a snowstorm, check pgh.st to see if your recycling week was shifted (recycling pickup sometimes skips a week during suspensions and resumes the following cycle).

🚫 5 Mistakes Pittsburgh Residents Make

• Expecting Presidents’ Day or Columbus Day to delay collection — Pittsburgh does NOT observe these for sanitation; fully normal service days
• Putting recyclables in bags inside the bin — loose, clean, dry, and empty, no exceptions
• Putting glass lids in the recycling bin — for 2026: glass lids off; metal can lids on; plastic lids off
• Trying to bring electronics to a City drop-off garage — the five DPW garages do NOT accept electronics; use Noble Enviro (pre-registration required)
• Missing the two yard waste collection dates (Apr 25 and Nov 7) and setting out yard waste on a regular collection day expecting it to be taken — yard waste is only collected on these two designated Saturdays