Philadelphia trash & bulky-item rules

For common compactable furniture, Philadelphia allows residents to set out up to two large non-metal items with regular trash. Examples include sofas, wrapped mattresses and box springs.

For appliances, tires and certain other oversized material, Philadelphia uses a separate Residential Bulk Collection Program by appointment. Eligible households can schedule up to four bulk items per appointment.

The appointment program serves eligible single-family homes and multifamily properties with up to six units that receive City sanitation service. Current accepted items include refrigerators, air conditioners, hot-water heaters, microwaves, major appliances, household furniture, large toys, flat-screen televisions and passenger-car tires.

Refrigerators must be emptied and prepared as instructed. For tires, four passenger tires with rims removed count as one bulk item.

Mattresses are a particularly important exception: they are not collected through the appointment-based bulk program. Instead, a mattress can go out as one of the household's regular large items with trash, provided it is wrapped in plastic.

That means a sofa and a refrigerator may use different City systems even though both are “bulky.” TrashRules USA treats those item-level differences as the core of the Philadelphia page.

After booking a bulk appointment, the resident receives a four-letter pickup code that must be marked on the items. Current City instructions say to place the items at the normal collection point the evening before the appointment so they are accessible by pickup day.

Philadelphia also operates six Sanitation Convenience Centers, generally open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Residents must provide proof of Philadelphia residency. The centers accept oversized household items, e-waste, mattresses, yard waste, up to four automotive tires per day, and up to two appliances/refrigerant items per day.

The appointment program does not accept household trash, mattresses, hazardous/flammable/explosive material, auto parts or construction/demolition debris. Construction debris is also not accepted at the sanitation convenience centers and must go to a private facility.

Flat-screen televisions are accepted in the scheduled bulk program, while broader electronic waste can use the convenience centers. This is another reason not to treat every electronic item as having the same curbside rule.

For Philadelphia, start with the local authority links below. Recheck them before a special trip or unusual set-out because programs, prices and facility hours can change.

• Residential Bulk CollectionAppointment program eligibility, accepted/prohibited items and booking process.
• Residential Bulk FlyerFour-item limit, tire equivalency, mattresses excluded from scheduled bulk and evening-before set-out.
• Sanitation Convenience CentersSix centers, hours, proof, tire/appliance limits, e-waste and prohibited C&D.
• Twice-a-Week Collection BrochureUp to two compactable furniture pieces including wrapped mattresses/box springs in participating residential collection.