Reading Trash and Recycling: Pickup Days, Bulk Items, Fees

The City of Reading picks up trash and recycling once a week at the curb from every home and apartment building with six or fewer units, through its contractor, Republic Services, and bills the property owner $395.91 a year ($32.99 a month per unit) on the water bill. Pickup runs Monday through Friday by neighborhood; the city posts no street-by-street map, so you find your day by entering your address in the Recycle Coach lookup on the city's schedule page, in the Recycle Coach app, or by calling the Citizens Service Center at 1-877-727-3234.

This is a city service, not a county one. Berks County government has no role in Reading's curbside pickup or its fee; the county runs only the electronics drop-off center and hazardous-waste days covered below. City Council is weighing a fee increase for 2027, covered in our story on the $413.87 trash fee proposal.

Who is covered and who hauls

Since January 2021, every residential property with up to six units is enrolled automatically, per the city's residential trash page, which gives the start date as Jan. 4; the city's application page says Jan. 1. Several city pages still print old fees: $22.50 a month, the 2021 starting rate, on the application page and flyer, and $22.76 on the trash FAQ, which predates the citywide program. The current fee is in the code and below. The code, § 496-206, covers single-family homes, buildings with six or fewer units, small rooming houses and individually owned condos; developments served by a shared dumpster are exempt. The city's trash FAQ describes the Republic Services contract as covering "all residences with less than 7 dwelling units," which matches. An older Public Works FAQ still says "4 or fewer units"; that page is out of date.

Buildings with seven or more units and all businesses hire their own licensed hauler and must recycle, under § 496-208 and the commercial trash page.

Find your pickup day

1. Enter your address in the Recycle Coach lookup embedded on the city's schedule page, or in the Recycle Coach app the trash FAQ points to.
2. Or call the Citizens Service Center, 1-877-727-3234 (1-877-PAREADING), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., per the CSC page.
3. Set everything out after 5 p.m. the evening before and bring containers in by the next morning, as § 496-206 requires.

Collection is at the curb in front of your house. The city may provide rear-alley pickup where it is feasible, and residents with documented disabilities may request an accommodation from the Department of Public Works (§ 496-206).

Trash limits

Each unit may put out four bags a week, 30 to 55 gallons each, at least 1 mil thick and no more than 35 pounds apiece, or one can of up to 100 gallons and 70 pounds, under § 496-206. Bags must be tied; grocery bags do not count. The residential page adds that bins may not be stored in front of your home; a cart kept in the public right-of-way needs an annual permit under § 496-106.

Hazardous waste is never taken at the curb, and televisions, computers and monitors are banned from the trash under § 496-201.

Recycling rules

Reading is single-stream: everything goes loose in one city-issued cart, unsorted. The 2020 flyer says not to use plastic bags, though the city's What Can I Recycle page allows clear, closed plastic bags "as a last resort" if you have extra material or no container. The city's 2020 program flyer lists the "Big 5": metal cans; food and beverage cartons; glass bottles and jars; cardboard and paper; and plastic bottles and containers, all empty, clean and dry. The What Can I Recycle page names the contaminants that get loads rejected: plastic bags, garden hoses, wiring, Styrofoam, greasy pizza boxes, broken glass, propane tanks and needles.

The cart stays city property and is tied to the address; under § 496-206 the owner must secure it and pays replacement cost if it disappears. A second cart costs $67.50 (65-gallon) or $53 (35-gallon) under § 212-137. Recycling is mandatory citywide under § 496-204.

Bulk items, electronics and tires

One bulky item per unit per week goes out with regular trash, no appointment needed, per the special collections page. The code caps it at 200 pounds, or one bundle of construction debris up to 100 pounds (§ 496-206); the city's trash FAQ gives a stricter debris rule, 70 pounds and no longer than 3 feet. The two official limits disagree, so stay under 70 pounds. Mattresses and box springs each count as one item, go out on separate weeks, and must be wrapped in plastic. Refrigerators and air conditioners are taken only if a certified technician has removed the refrigerant and tagged the unit, and the code's definition of bulky waste (§ 496-201) requires appliance doors to be removed first.

Electronics and tires are collected by request only: one electronics item a week, requested through the iRequest app or by calling 1-877-727-3234, and not available to buildings with five or more units. Tire pickup is free for households: passenger, van and light-truck tires 17 inches or smaller, off the rim, up to four per pickup and 12 per year.

Yard waste and leaves

Yard waste is collected by Public Works crews on a zone-day schedule separate from trash, and the city asks you to book each pickup in advance by calling the Streets Division at 610-655-6285 or the CSC at 1-877-727-3234, or through the free Reading 311 app, per the 2026 yard waste release. The 2026 program began March 30 and runs Monday for Northeast Reading and Hampden Heights; Tuesday for south of Penn Street, East Reading, Hessian Camp and the 18th Ward; and Wednesday for Northwest Reading, Northmont, Riverdale and Glenside. These are yard-waste days, not trash days.

Rules from the yard waste page: leaves, trimmings and twigs go in brown paper bags, never plastic; branches under 3 inches across may be bundled with biodegradable twine; stumps, grass clippings, sod, stone and lumber are refused. The page calls the program year-round while the 2026 release says spring through fall; call the Streets Division about winter. A holiday on your zone's day skips that zone for the week.

Loose-leaf collection for 2026 began October 12 and is scheduled to end Friday, December 4, a date the city says may be extended if leaves fall late, per its leaf collection releases of Sept. 1 and Oct. 8. Rake leaves to the curb with nothing mixed in. Bagged leaves, paper only, go out on your yard-waste day.

Hazardous waste and electronics drop-off

Paint, pesticides, pool chemicals and fuel go to Berks County Solid Waste Authority collection events. The authority's page lists the next one as April 10, 2027, 8 a.m. to noon, at the county's South Campus, 400 E. Wyomissing Ave., Mohnton; registration is required, latex paint is refused, and containers must be 5 gallons or smaller. The city's drop-off page covers the rest: plastic bags to grocery-store bins, alkaline batteries in the trash, lithium-ion batteries never, and old medications to the police drop box at City Hall.

The county's Electronic Recycling Center, 1316 Hilltop Road, Leesport, is open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon, free for county residents, with a limit of 10 items per vehicle and two televisions a day, per its 2026 fee schedule.

Holidays

The only current statement of the holiday rule is the 2020 program flyer: on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, pickup slides one day for the rest of that week, so Thursday homes are served Friday and Friday homes Saturday. Other holidays run normally. The city's schedule page still shows a 2022-23 table with the same rule; the city has published no 2026 holiday notice, so for Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26) and Christmas (Friday, December 25) check the Recycle Coach lookup the week of the holiday rather than relying on the old rule.

The fee, and what changes in 2027

The code's fee schedule, § 212-137, sets $395.91 per unit per year, or $32.99 a month: $273.03 for trash, $90 for recycling and $32.88 for the "clean city" program. It is charged to the owner of each unit under § 496-203 and appears on the monthly Reading Area Water Authority bill, per the city's application page. Neither the code nor the city's pages state a late penalty for the trash portion.

On October 12, City Council introduced Bill 85-2026, which would raise the total to $413.87 ($34.49 a month) starting January 1, 2027, because the Republic Services contract price rises each year; 2027 is the first of two optional one-year extensions of the 2022-2026 contract, per the Solid Waste Division memo in council's October 19 packet. The trash share would fall to $260 while recycling rises to $120 and the clean-city fee to $33.87. The bill labels the fee table "Section 212-136"; the published code numbers it § 212-137. The bill has been introduced, not passed; no final vote appeared on a posted agenda as of October 19. See our story on the proposal and the 2027 budget tracker.

Senior discount

Homeowners 65 and older can cut the fee in half under § 496-203 if the home is a single-family house they own and occupy and household income is below the city's median. The city's discount page and form print $30,087, but the form dates from November 2020 and the code ties the limit to the latest five-year census estimate of the city's median household income, so that figure is likely stale; ask Public Works for the current one before deciding whether to apply.

1. Fill out the form, on paper or online.
2. Attach proof of age and address (PA license or ID, PACE card or Medicaid card) and proof of all household income (Social Security letter, pay stubs or last year's tax return).
3. Mail or deliver it to City of Reading, Attn: Solid Waste, 503 N. 6th St., Reading, PA 19601, email ReadingRecycles@ReadingPA.gov, or fax 610-655-6488, per the form.
4. Expect a call from the city, and possibly a visit, before approval.

Missed pickup, illegal dumping and complaints

Complaints about city collection go to the city, not Republic Services (§ 496-210).

1. Report a missed pickup, a missing cart or a dumped pile through the Reading 311 app, which the Citizens Service Center page links, or the center itself at 1-877-727-3234 or csc@readingpa.gov; the city's pages name the older iRequest app for electronics pickups and cart requests. The CSC is on the first floor of City Hall, 815 Washington St., Room 1-27, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
2. For dumping in progress, the city's About Public Works page links to Crime Alert Berks (crimealertberks.org; tipline 1-877-373-9913), which offers rewards of up to $5,000 for illegal-dumping tips. Under § 496-209, a dumped bag with your address in it is presumed yours.
3. If the city cleans up a violation at your property and bills you, you have 15 days to appeal to the Codes and License Appeals Board under § 496-212. The $100 appeal fee is refunded if you win.

Landlords and tenants

The fee is the owner's bill under § 496-203. § 496-205 makes the owner responsible for every occupant's compliance and requires the rules to be posted in each unit, in English and Spanish, or handed over with the lease. Cleanup bills go to the owner, whoever put the bags out.

Fines

Under § 496-212, a first conviction for breaking the collection rules (too many bags, wrong day, unbagged trash, dumping) carries a fine of $50 to $300 plus costs, up to 30 days in jail for nonpayment, and restitution of twice the city's cleanup cost, and the owner must show a receipt for a year of prepaid private hauling. A second offense within five years doubles the range to $100 to $600. Each day is a separate offense. Trash set out on the wrong day can also expose property to seizure under state law. Keeping a cart or dumpster in the right-of-way without a permit draws $100 to $1,000 per day under § 496-107 after a five-day notice.

FAQ

When is trash pickup in Reading, PA?

Once a week, Monday through Friday, on a day assigned to your block. Enter your address in the Recycle Coach app or call 1-877-727-3234, and put bags out after 5 p.m. the night before.

How many trash bags can I put out?

Four bags of 30 to 55 gallons, each under 35 pounds, or one can of up to 100 gallons and 70 pounds, plus one bulky item and your recycling cart. Extra bags are a violation, with fines starting at $50.

Does Reading pick up mattresses and furniture?

Yes, one bulky item a week with regular trash, no appointment required. Mattresses and box springs must be wrapped in plastic and go out on separate weeks. Items over 200 pounds are not taken.

How much is the Reading trash fee, and who pays it?

$395.91 per unit per year in 2026, billed at $32.99 a month on the owner's water bill. Council is considering $413.87 for 2027. Qualifying homeowners 65 and older pay half.

Can I opt out and hire my own hauler?

Not for properties of six or fewer units. The city honored private contracts signed before July 23, 2020, only through their original term, with no renewals, per the application page.

Sources and contact

Citizens Service Center: City Hall, 815 Washington St., Room 1-27, Reading, PA 19601; 1-877-727-3234; csc@readingpa.gov; Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Streets Division (yard waste and leaves): 610-655-6285. Public Works Solid Waste office, per the senior discount form: 503 N. 6th St., Reading, PA 19601; 610-655-6450; ReadingRecycles@ReadingPA.gov. Berks County Solid Waste Authority: 610-478-6362; Electronic Recycling Center, 1316 Hilltop Road, Leesport, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon.

• Residential Trash & Recycling, City of Reading
• Trash and Recycling FAQ, City of Reading
• Special Collections, City of Reading
• What Can I Recycle?, City of Reading
• Apply for Waste Collection Services, City of Reading
• Citywide Waste Collection Initiative flyer (PDF, November 2020), City of Reading
• Trash Collection Schedules, City of Reading
• Yard Waste, 2026 Yard Waste Collection Schedule, Curbside Leaf Collection 2026 and 2026 Curbside Leaf Collection Schedule, City of Reading
• Drop-Off Recycling, City of Reading
• Senior Trash Discount and discount form (PDF), City of Reading
• Citizens Service Center, Public Works FAQ, About Public Works and Commercial Trash & Recycling, City of Reading
• Committee of the Whole agenda and packet, Oct. 19, 2026 (PDF, Bill 85-2026), Reading City Council
• Reading Code of Ordinances, Chapter 496, Solid Waste: § 496-201, § 496-203 to 496-205, § 496-206 to 496-211, § 496-212, § 496-106 and 496-107; and the fee schedule, § 212-137
• Solid Waste Authority and Electronic Recycling Center 2026 fee schedule (PDF), County of Berks

Related: our guide to the Reading Parking Authority, another city agency often mistaken for a county one.