City guide · Pennsylvania

Reading Trash Pickup Schedule

This Reading trash pickup schedule covers a city where Republic Services, working under contract with the City of Reading, handles both garbage and recycling for residences with fewer than seven dwelling units. Reading also runs one of the more generous bulky-item allowances in the region, with one large item accepted every single week rather than a few times a year.

Here's how to confirm your exact collection day, what the city's four-bag weekly limit actually means, and how a 2021 policy change folded thousands of small apartment buildings into city-contracted service. We'll also cover the optional yard waste program and where the flat monthly fee actually shows up on your bill.

Republic Services already served much of the city before 2021, but that year's ordinance meant thousands of small apartment buildings switched from arranging their own private hauler to city-contracted service automatically. Understanding which side of that line your building falls on matters just as much as knowing your collection day.

How often is trash picked up in Reading?

Reading's garbage collection schedule runs on a weekly cycle, with recycling picked up on that same day rather than a separate route. Republic Services handles both streams under its city contract, and the day itself depends on which zone your address falls into.

Bags should go out after 5 p.m. the evening before your collection day, and the four-bag cap is a real volume limit rather than a suggestion.

Because both streams move on the same day, missing your collection window means both your garbage and your recycling wait a full week rather than just one or the other. That's part of why the RecycleCoach app - which can send day-of reminders - is worth setting up rather than relying on memory.

Find your exact pickup day

Every Reading address has its own collection day assigned by zone, and the city points residents to a personalized digital tool rather than a single citywide calendar. The RecycleCoach app is the official way to look up your specific day for both trash and recycling.

Look up your Reading pickup schedule →

You can also reach the Streets Division directly at 610-655-6285, or use the Reading 311 app to report an issue with your collection.

Zone boundaries in Reading aren't always intuitive from a street address alone, which is exactly the gap the RecycleCoach app is meant to close. Entering your address once means you don't have to re-derive your zone every time a holiday or a move changes the picture.

Bin placement rules

Reading's placement rules exist mostly to keep the four-bag volume limit and the recycling-only bin restriction from blurring together at the curb. A bag that's overweight or a recycling bin used for household trash can both result in a skipped pickup rather than a warning.

• Set bags and bins out after 5 p.m. the evening before your scheduled day
• Keep weekly garbage to four 55-gallon bags at 35 lbs or less each
• Use only city-issued bins for recycling - they're restricted to recycling and shouldn't hold trash
• If you're enrolled in yard waste, use brown biodegradable bags only, never plastic

Reading Trash Holiday Schedule

Reading observes the typical slate of holidays, likely including New Year's Day, MLK Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas. What isn't published in writing is the exact shift rule the city applies when one of these falls on a collection day.

Rather than guess at a pattern, the city communicates each shift through the RecycleCoach app and a seasonal graphic instead of a standing written policy. Check the app before any of these dates to see your specific adjusted day.

Because the exact shift direction and number of days aren't confirmed in any written city policy, treat this table as a list of dates to watch rather than a set of guaranteed pickup changes.

Not having a written shift rule is a genuine gap compared to cities that publish an explicit policy, and it means Reading residents have to be more proactive about checking before a holiday rather than after missing a pickup. The RecycleCoach app remains the most current source, since it reflects whatever the city and Republic Services actually decide for that specific week.

What goes in each bin

Reading's curbside program keeps to two containers - garbage and recycling - with yard waste handled as a separate opt-in program rather than a third standing cart. That keeps the core weekly routine simple even though the volume limit adds a detail most cities don't need to track.

How much does trash service cost in Reading?

Reading bills residential trash service at a flat $22.50 per unit per month through the Reading Area Water Authority utility bill, rather than a separate city invoice or per-bag sticker system. That monthly charge already includes a $7.50 recycling component, so the two streams are billed together.

A Senior Trash Discount program exists for qualifying residents, though the exact dollar amount isn't published on the city's site. Ask the Streets Division directly if you think you qualify.

Because the fee is bundled into the RAWA utility bill alongside water charges, it can be easy to overlook as a distinct line item unless you read the full statement. Checking that bill periodically is the simplest way to confirm you're being charged the flat rate rather than something else.

Bulky waste pickup

Reading includes one bulky item per week with regular collection, a recurring weekly allowance rather than a once-a-year or appointment-based quota. That's more generous than many cities in the region, where bulky pickup is often limited to a handful of visits a year.

Specific size or material restrictions beyond the one-item-per-week rule aren't published, so call the Streets Division at 610-655-6285 or use the Reading 311 app if you have something unusual to set out.

A weekly allowance also means there's less pressure to save up bulky items for a single big pickup day the way residents do in cities with quarterly or annual limits. That flexibility is one of the more resident-friendly parts of Reading's program, even without published size restrictions.

Yard waste is a separate, opt-in program rather than something bundled into weekly bulky pickup. It runs weekly by zone starting around March 24, plus a holiday tree drop-off from December 28 through January 29, using brown biodegradable bags and bundled branches under three inches in diameter.

Apartments & multifamily buildings

Reading passed a genuinely notable policy change in 2021: properties with up to six residential units were automatically enrolled in city-contracted collection as of January 4, 2021. The only exemption was for buildings that already had a private hauler contract dated before July 23, 2020.

Properties above six units aren't explicitly addressed in that policy, but appear to need private hauler service based on the six-unit cutoff. If you manage a larger building, confirm directly with Republic Services or the Streets Division.

For a property owner unsure which side of the six-unit line they fall on, the safest step is confirming directly with Republic Services or the Streets Division rather than assuming based on the 2021 enrollment date. A building added after the ordinance took effect may have been handled differently depending on its existing contract status.

Reporting illegal dumping

Report illegal dumping or a missed pickup through the free Reading 311 mobile app, available 24/7. You can also reach the Citizens Service Center at 1-877-727-3234 (1-877-PAREADING) or email csc@readingpa.gov.

Using the Reading 311 app rather than calling in also creates a timestamped record of when you reported an issue, which can help if a pickup is delayed rather than skipped entirely. It's available around the clock, unlike phone lines tied to office hours.

Frequently asked questions

More Pennsylvania guides

City contact & resources

Bookmark this Reading trash pickup schedule and keep the RecycleCoach app installed, since it's the fastest way to confirm your day whenever a holiday shifts the calendar. Reading's four-bag limit and weekly bulky-item allowance make it one of the more resident-friendly systems in the region.

Need more than curbside pickup? Compare local bulk & junk removal quotes. Browse all Pennsylvania cities or the full state directory.