311 Help Desk
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Sanitation Office

About Us

The Sanitation Office is responsible for the collection and disposal of residential solid waste for over 20,000 households and businesses in the City of Harrisburg. Residents are assigned a designated date for their garbage and recycling collections. These dates are updated periodically throughout the year to accommodate City holidays and furlough days.

The Department of Public Works is dedicated to improving recycling service to residents and increasing the amount of recyclables collected and recovered in the most cost- effective manner possible. Recycling conserves natural resources, supports jobs, and saves the City money. Every ton recycled saves the City and its residents money on avoided trash disposal fees and through revenues gained from the sale of some recyclables.

Trash/Sanitation

Please put these in your City trash bin, and keep them out of the recycling bin: 

  • Glass windows, mirrors, and ceramics
  • Food; Food-soiled paper and plastic
  • Diapers
  • Shipping or padded envelopes
  • Plastic Containers (numbered # 3, 4, 6, 7)
  • Plastic food wrappers
  • Plastic packaging of any type
  • Wet papers or cardboard
  • Pizza Boxes
  • Wax-coated cardboard
  • Used paper towels or tissues
  • Aluminum foil
  • Plastic tableware (knives, forks, etc.)
  • Light bulbs & Christmas lights
  • Plastic Bags (including grocery bags) please recycle plastic bags at your grocery store
  • Garden hoses

 

Construction and Demolition Waste

Construction and demolition waste does not go in the trash. Plaster board, sheet rock, lumber, rocks, soil, cinder blocks and plumbing fixtures should be taken to the transfer station at the Incinerator on 19th Street.

If you need to dispose of construction waste, are cleaning out a house, or have a large amount of yard waste, please consider renting a roll-off container or dumpster from Public Works for that purpose. Alternately you can hire a professional hauler.

Local Household Rubbish Haulers

  • Pig Penn Hauling | 717-238-1290
  • Dirty Dog Hauling | 717-232-4009 | dirtydoghauling.com
  • Junk Man Hauling | 717-379-9996
  • 1.800.GOT.JUNK | 1-800-468-5865 | 1800gotjunk.com
  • Junk King | 215-307-6313
  • SHE DOES HAULING | 717-219-3584 | shedoeshauling.com

Yard Waste: (Leaves, Woody Waste from Trees, Shrubs)

Yard waste does not include grass; please cut grass often enough to avoid raking so clipping are natural mulch for the lawn.

Do not place yard waste with your trash.

Place yard waste in front of your property. Collection truck will pick up these items on street cleaning days:

  • Please bundle tree & shrub trimmings into paper compost bags separate from leaves
  • Please bundle leaves into paper compost bags separate from trimmings
  • Tie branches no more than 4 feet long in bundles.

For more information, call 717-412-4320 

    Recycling

    Place the following items in your City recycling bin for collection:

    Plastic

    Containers labeled “1” or “PET” (example: water and soda bottles,), “2” or “HDPE” (milk and detergent jugs) and “5” or “PP” (yogurt, margarine, food storage tubs, bottle tops)

    • Bottles: water, juice, soda, milk, ketchup, mustard, shampoo, detergent. Please remove caps!
    • Tubs from yogurt, cottage cheese, margarine, etc.

    Aluminum and Steel Containers (Empty and rinse)

    • Tin cans and food containers
    • Soda cans
    • Empty aerosol spray bottles
    • Empty paint cans (if you can’t use up old paint, fill the can with kitty litter, let it dry, then place the litter in the trash and recycle the container)

    Paper

    • Newspaper, magazines, phone books (bundled into paper bags)
    • Cartons: milk, soup, wine, juice (no straws please)

    At this time, our recycler does not want office paper, junk mail or shredded paper. Please place these in the trash.

    If you have a lot of office paper or shredded paper (enough to fill multiple boxes or bags), please call (717) 412-4320 to arrange for collection and recycling.

    Corrugated Boxes

    Please flatten cardboard boxes and tie in bundles if possible. Stack these at the curb on trash day. You can include food boxes and other brown paper (remove all plastic packaging).

    If the weather is wet on trash day, please consider waiting a week to put your cardboard out for collection. 

    Please avoid food-stained or wax-coated boxes. Place them in the trash. Please do not recycle pizza boxes. 

    Glass Bottles & Jar Recycling

    We prefer to recycle glass jars and bottles separately in Harrisburg.

    Glass products such as mirrors, windows and drinking glasses, are not acceptable for recycling; they are to be placed in the trash.

    Drop-off locations are noted in our Trash & Recycling map.

     

    • Dept. of Public Works (1820 Paxton Street)
    • Kline Plaza (rear parking lot)
    • Fire Station at 6th & Muench Streets
    • Fire Station at 16th & State Streets
    • Fire Station at 9 South 13th Street
    • Broad Street Market, Sayford & Fulton Streets
    • Hall Manor (17th & Hanover Streets)
    • William Howard Day Homes
    • Shipoke, carts located under the railroad bridge near the Passage to India Restaurant

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How should I dispose my Christmas Tree?

    Place your Christmas tree in front of your property between January 1 to 31. After that the City will pick up all trees on your regular trash collection day. If for some reason your tree is missed please call (717) 412-4320.

    I have a discrepancy on my trash bill. Whom do I speak with?

    Please contact 717-412-4320 to contact the Public Works Department. 

    When can I put out my trash?

    Trash can be outside at 9pm the night before collection and must be pulled back by 5pm the day of pickup.

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