Garbage Collection

Garbage Pickup is performed through the services of Swissvale Department of Public Works.

View the Garbage Collection Schedule (PDF)

Holiday Pickup Schedule

Garbage and Recycling remain on their regularly scheduled pick up days whenever possible. Please check for Public Works Alerts on the main webpage or Social Media Pages (Facebook, Instagram) and sign up for Notify Me to directly receive updates on schedule changes. 

The garbage and recycling schedule will be effected by the following holidays: 

2023 Holidays

  • New Year's Day 
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Memorial Day
  • July 4th (Independence Day)
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Day 

Delayed Schedule

When a holiday falls on a Monday, trash and recycling will follow a one day delayed schedule. Mondays collection will be Tuesday, etc. 

One Day Delayed Schedule:
Monday - No Collection
Tuesday - Monday Collection
Wednesday - Tuesday Collection
Thursday - Wednesday Collection
Friday - Thursday Collection
Saturday - Friday Collection

Guidelines for Garbage Collection

Residents frequently ask what they can and cannot throw away in the Borough of Swissvale. The Swissvale Department of Public Works offers the following general guidelines:

  • All garbage must be placed in approved containers or rodent proof bags. Loose trash will not be collected under any circumstances including loose trash in cans.
  • All bags must be tightly sealed.
  • Bags that are damaged by rodents prior to collection will not be collected unless the resident picks up the waste and places it in another bag. (Please note that the conditions listed above are required in the Solid-Waste ordinance, we are just moving to more strict enforcement to protect our employees)

Acceptable Material

  • Carpet that has been cut down to 4 feet in length and bundled
  • Furniture (couches, mattresses, chairs, dressers, tables, etc.)
  • White Goods (washers, dryers, stoves, dish washers, microwaves and hot water heaters)

Unacceptable Material

  • Batteries
  • Building Materials of any type or amount (flooring, tiles, wood, bricks, drywall, plaster, cabinets, bathroom fixtures, etc.)
  • E-Waste (computers, TVs, and other electronics)
  • Fluorescent Light Bulbs
  • Freon Containing Appliances (Air Conditioners, Refrigerators, freezers, etc.)
  • Household Hazardous Waste (Paint and paint products, drain cleaner, oven cleaner, motor oil, ammonia, gasoline, antifreeze, paint thinner, rat poison, weed killer, pesticides, solvents, household cleaners, pool chemicals, photo chemicals, etc.)
  • Scrap Metal
  • Tires

Donations

  • Donate useable building materials such as lumber, kitchen cabinets, and windows to Construction Junction, western PA's first non-profit retail store for used and surplus building materials. Visit the Construction Junction website for more information.