Residential Trash

The City collects household trash once each week, except in the City Center (Zone F) where it is collected twice per week. Normal household trash items shall be set at curbside no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day before collection. See the Collection Schedules & Zones page for more information.

In general, trash is defined as residential items that cannot be recycled. This includes animal, fruit and vegetable waste resulting from the handling, storage, preparation, cooking and consumption of food; rags; cartons; rubber; leather; diapers; small appliances (if they are less than fifty (50) pounds in weight and do not contain refrigerant); and waste generated from normal residential household activities.

The City does not supply trash containers; that is the responsibility of the resident.  The City does provide recycling totes for residents, but they cannot be used for household trash.

Disposal of needles (sharps)

If you have hypodermic needles that you need to dispose of, they should NEVER be loosely mixed in with your household trash.  Please follow these steps to properly dispose of the needles:

  1. Contact the doctor that prescribed your medication, or the pharmacy that filled your prescription, to see if they have a needle disposal service or needle drop box.
  2. Needles may be placed in with your household trash if you follow the following procedure: 
  • Place the used needles in a strong heavy duty plastic container like a laundry detergent or shampoo bottle; only fill the bottle until it is ¾ full.  Do NOT use thinner plastic water bottles or containers.
  • Use duct tape to secure the lid on the bottle, and use a marker to write “Do Not Recycle” on the outside of the bottle.
  • Dispose of the bottle with your regular household trash, not your recycling.

Other disposal options

If you would like to drop your needles off instead of putting them in your trash, some neighboring jurisdictions offer needle disposal services; contact the agencies below for details on their programs:

Waynesboro Police DepartmentGreencastle Police Department
52 E. Main Street60 N. Washington Street
Waynesboro, PA  17268Greencastle, PA  17225
(717) 762-2132(717) 597-9506


Mercersburg Police DepartmentChambersburg Police Department
113 S. Main Street116 S. 2nd Street
Mercersburg, PA  17236Chambersburg, PA  17201
(717) 328-2221(717) 264-4131

Items not accepted

The City's residential recycling and trash collection program will not collect the following materials (click on the links where applicable for information on how to dispose of these items):
  • Any items specifically restricted or prohibited by the receiving landfill
  • Hazardous materials, used motor oil or antifreeze, liquid paint, biohazard materials, or items containing refrigerant
  • Items collected under the "Bulk Trash" program including but not limited to: appliances and furniture over 50 pounds, tires, computer equipment and electronics, vehicle batteries, mattresses, building (construction) or demolition waste, etc.
  • Recycling or trash from non-residential or out-of-City properties
  • Containers or items weighing over 50 pounds
  • Recycling or refuse from private streets or alleys unless expressly agreed to by the City

For more information, please refer to the "Disposal of Prohibited Items" page, or contact the Hagerstown Recycles Hotline at (301) 739-8577 ext. 106.