See which Philadelphia neighborhoods are getting trash pickup 2 days a week
Philadelphia's sanitation trucks will hit the streets for an extra day of trash pickup starting in early December.
Twice-weekly trash pickup will begin on Monday, Dec. 2 for many neighborhoods in Center City and South Philadelphia, from Callowhill Street to Pattison Avenue, between the Schuylkill Expressway and Delaware Avenue.
More parts of the city will get two days of trash pickup starting in the fall of 2025.
Residents living in this area can set out up to eight bags, four containers and two household compactable items per trash collection. Recycling services will continue to happen just once a week and will be collected on the first trash day.
Trash pickup schedule
- If your regular trash collection day is Monday, the second day will be Thursday
- If your regular trash collection day is Tuesday, the second day will be Friday
- If your regular trash collection day is Wednesday, the second day will be Saturday
- If your regular trash collection day is Thursday, the second day will be Monday
- If your regular trash collection day is Friday, the second day will be Tuesday
Trash pickup will only happen once during holiday weeks.
The expanded trash pickup is the latest initiative in Mayor Cherelle Parker's goal of making Philadelphia the safest, cleanest and greenest city in America. According to the mayor's office, the extra day of trash pickup is meant to help tamp down on illegal dumping.
Over the summer, Parker's administration carried out a citywide cleaning program, where officials said they completed more than 61,000 quality-of-life services. For 13 weeks, agencies cleaned up trash, removed abandoned cars and cleaned up graffiti from thousands of city blocks.
But in October, activists called on Parker to do more to address illegal dumping by holding a "birthday party" for what they described as a legacy dump site in North Philadelphia.
"We love her clean and green program but unless it's buttressed by enforcements, prevention, education and outreach cleanup is not going to be enough," said Teea Tynes, the co-director of the Trash Academy, a group that addresses issues of trash throughout the city.
The city is hosting a series of virtual meetings and community listening sessions to provide more details and answer questions about the expanded two-day trash program. The remaining meetings are happening on the following dates:
Virtual (Zoom Meeting ID: 817 4285 0067. Passcode: 308764. Or dial by phone at 267-831-0333.)
- Nov. 20 at 5 p.m.
- Nov. 21 at 6 p.m.
In-person (All meetings start at 6:30 p.m.)
- Nov. 20 at the Barry Rec Center, 1800 Johnston Street
- Nov. 21 at the Shot Tower Rec Center, 101-31 Carpenter Street
- Nov. 22 at the Murphy Rec Center, 300 W. Shunk Street