Trash Collection
Waste Collection may occur as early as 6:00 a.m. so please place trash at the curb after 6:00 p.m. the night preceding collection. Remove empty containers by 10:00 a.m. the day following collection. Any questions regarding issues with trash, recycling or yard waste collection are to be directed to Waste Management through the MY WM App or calling 1-800-255-8479. Use the key phrase "Middletown Township - Bucks County" when speaking with the customer service representative or when leaving a message on the after-hours message system. A Waste Management representative will be available Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The after-hours message system will be monitored so that issues reported after hours are corrected as soon as possible, the following day. Please make sure to listen to the entire recorded message. At the end of the message, press "1" for other options. Pressing "1" will allow you to leave a message in the assigned after-hours voicemail box. Remember to leave your address and a contact number if you wish to receive a return call.
Latex (water-based) paint may be placed in the trash for regular collection. Please allow the unused paint to harden or use cat litter to absorb the paint to prevent it from spilling onto the street during collection. Paint cans must be placed at the curb with the lids off.
Residents whose trash is collected on the Township's contract with Waste Management are assessed the Solid Waste and Recycling Fee, billed with your real estate taxes each spring. The annual Solid Waste and Recycling Fee is $476.
Once-a-Week Trash & Recycling Collection
Once-a-Week Collection: Trash, recycling, and yard waste will be collected on the same day each week. You can search for your collection day here.
- Wheeled Carts Provided:
- Each household is provided with two 96-gallon carts by Waste Management: one for trash and one for recycling. If your carts are damaged or missing please contact Waste Management.
- Smaller 65-gallon carts can be requested starting April 2025 directly through Waste Management.
- Old Cans: Repurpose for yard waste or clearly label “bulk item” to be disposed of on bulk pick up day. Middletown blue recycling bins that were distributed in 2024 can still be used in replacement of the 96-gallon WM cart.
Cart Placement
- Ensure wheels face your home/curb.
- Leave at least 3 feet of space from cars or other obstacles.
Holiday Schedule
Holiday Schedule: All collections will be delayed by one day following these holidays:
- New Year’s Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
Example: For a holiday like Memorial Day, which is on a Monday:
- Monday collections will move to Tuesday.
- Tuesday collections will move to Wednesday.
- This shift continues through the rest of the week.
Recycling Collection
We all know that recycling plastic, paper, glass and metal helps protect the environment and enables us to conserve precious natural resources. Residential recycling is mandatory in Middletown Township, but sorting your recyclables before you place them at the curb is not necessary. Residents are able to place ALL of recyclables neatly into to one container. All recycling must be in the WM 96-gallon cart or the Middletown Blue Recycling Cart.
Recyclables will continue to be collected on your normal collection day, every week. You may place ALL recyclables in the same recycling container. Materials should continue to be prepared in the same manner as now with containers rinsed out. Items should be flattened whenever possible to maximize space. Do not include food waste, films, plastic bags and wrap or foam cups and containers along with recyclables.
Place your recyclables at the curb on your regular recycling collection day, sepa
rate from your regular trash.
Acceptable Single-Stream Recyclables include:
Magazines, Office Paper, Brown Paper Bags, Newspapers, Paperboard, Cereal Box Cardboard, Dairy and Juice Containers, Corrugated Cardboard (no larger than 4' x 4' squares), Junk Mail, Phone Books, Glass Bottles and Jars, Plastic Bottles and Containers (Recycle Types 1 through 5, and 7), Aluminum, Tin and Steel Cans.
Middletown is proud to partner with Waste Management to increase recycling and help preserve the environment. Watch Waste Managements "Recycle Properly" Seminar here and the PowerPoint from the seminar is available here.
Waste Management Video on Their New Single-Stream Recycling Facility
Click here to view a video on YouTube from Waste Management on their new single-stream Material Recovery Facility in Philadelphia. Recyclables collected by Waste Management in Middletown Township are processed at this facility.
Electronics Recycling
On January 24, 2013, a disposal ban on computers and electronics went into effect in Pennsylvania. This includes desktop computers, laptop computers, computer monitors, computer peripherals such as printers, external drives, fax machines, etc. and televisions. Computers and any of their components cannot be put into the trash or put out with recyclables for curbside pickup. These devices and their components must be properly recycled and may not be taken to landfills or other solid waste disposal facilities.
Residents may not dispose of their computers and electronics with municipal waste collection. Computers and electronics must be taken to an electronics collection location for proper recycling. Electronics can be taken to a Pennsylvania DEP permitted electronics recycling facility.
Businesses may not dispose of their computers and electronics with municipal waste collection. For businesses, computers and electronics must be taken to an electronics recycling facility. The recycling facility does not need to be certified, but if the facility is located in Pennsylvania, it must have a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection general permit number WMGR081.
A list of local electronic recycling locations is available here. The list is in no particular order and includes permitted recyclers and a County approved drop-off location.
Bulk Trash Collection
- Monthly Service: Two bulk items are allowed per household during the third full week of each month on your regular collection day.
- Additional Items: Schedule On-Demand Pickup via the WM App.
- Refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, air conditioners, and any other appliances containing Freon are collected by appointment only. Doors, drawers, and shelving must be removed and put out with regular trash. To schedule a pickup, go to the MY WM App or calling 1-800-255-8479. All other bulk items, such as furniture and appliances, are collected on the 3rd week of each month along with regular trash. Bulk items are limited to one (2) items per month. Any additional item must be scheduled through Waste Management for a fee.
Yard Waste Collection
Weekly Pickup: Yard waste will be collected every week on the same day as trash and recycling from April to January. Yard waste includes clippings, leaves, prunings, branches, house plants, fruits, vegetables, and other refuse that is generated by yard and garden maintenance. There is no limit to the amount of yard waste collected each collection day. Christmas trees are picked up on residents’ collection day throughout the month of January. Make sure all of the decorations and lights are removed. Do not place trees in plastic bags.
Preparation: Use biodegradable paper bags or containers clearly labeled "Yard Waste." Residents are to place their yard waste in either 30-gallon biodegradable paper bags or in a regular twenty (20) to thirty-five (35) gallon trash container with handles and a removable lid. Containers/bags shall weigh no more than fifty (50) pounds when full. Residents may not use cardboard boxes, plastic bags or biodegradable plastic bags, as these will not be accepted at the composting facility. Tree branches (no thicker than six (6) inches in diameter) are to be bundled into four (4) foot lengths and placed next to the yard waste at the curb. Do not rake leaves into the street.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Many household products contain chemicals that when discarded contribute to the contamination of our environment by polluting our soil, air and water. A Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program provides the opportunity to reduce the amount of hazardous household chemical waste that is flushed down toilet and kitchen drains, "disposed" of in the backyard, dumped into storm drains or simply disposed of in the municipal waste stream. These typical means of disposal are both hazardous to public health and unnecessary. Yet, it continues because individuals are frequently unaware that many useful products contain hazardous chemicals. It is the consumer's responsibility to use and dispose of household products safely. Certain household waste should be brought to community household hazardous waste collections events for proper disposal.
Household hazardous waste will be collected on various dates and locations throughout Bucks County. Click this link for information on the locations, dates and times. Additional information regarding this program can be found by visiting the Recycling Page on Bucks County Hazardous Waste and Recycling page.
Apartment, Commercial and Institutional Recycling
All residents who reside in apartments and all owners of commercial and institutional establishments are required to recycle in accordance with the following regulations.
Apartments
Apartment owners are responsible for establishing, implementing and managing a program for the collection and transportation of recyclable materials generated at their properties. Owners must inform all persons residing at the property of the program, including the dates, time, and location of collection, the items to be recycled, and the method of collection. Such information must be provided by the owner to all tenants not less than once a year and to all new tenants at the time of occupancy.
The materials to be recycled at apartments include newsprint, corrugated paper, glass bottles and jars (all colors), food and beverage cans (aluminum, steel, and bimetal), and plastic bottles and jars coded 1 or 7 inside the recycling logo located on the bottom of the container.
Commercial and Institutional Establishments
All owners of commercial and institutional establishments must also provide a system to separate recyclable materials from solid waste. The materials to be recycled by these establishments include high-grade office paper, corrugated paper, and aluminum. Additional materials, such as newsprint, glass containers (all colors), steel and bimetal cans, and plastic bottles and jars coded 1 or 7, may also be recycled.
Yard Waste
All owners of commercial and institutional establishments and apartments are required to separate yard (leaf) waste from solid waste.
The materials to be recycled at apartments include newsprint, corrugated paper, glass bottles and jars (all colors), food and beverage cans (aluminum, steel, and bimetal), and plastic bottles and jars coded 1 or 7 inside the recycling logo located on the bottom of the container.
Commercial and Institutional Establishments
All owners of commercial and institutional establishments must also provide a system to separate recyclable materials from solid waste. The materials to be recycled by these establishments include high-grade office paper, corrugated paper, and aluminum. Additional materials, such as newsprint, glass containers (all colors), steel and bimetal cans, and plastic bottles and jars coded 1 or 7, may also be recycled.
Yard Waste
All owners of commercial and institutional establishments and apartments are required to separate yard (leaf) waste from solid waste, as yard (leaf) waste may no longer be collected with the trash and taken to a landfill.
Additional Information
- Damaged or Missing Carts: Repairs or replacements are handled at no cost by Waste Management.
- Extra Carts: An additional cart can be rented for $12/month on the MY WM App.
- Questions? Contact Waste Management through the MY WM App or calling 1(800) 255-8479.