Dual Stream Recycling

City of Wilkes-Barre Recycling

As a "mandated municipality" the City of Wilkes-Barre is mandated to recycle, according to Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulation, the Pennsylvania Municipal Waste, Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act of 1988 (ACT 101). Under the Act, items required to be recycled include: Aluminum, Steel & Bimetallic Cans, Newsprint, and Leaf Waste

Recycling various items reduces the amount of waste going into landfills, decreases disposal costs, saves natural resources, and lessens pollution risks.

On May 3, 2021, the City of Wilkes-Barre will begin Dual Stream Recycling. Dual Stream Recycling keeps paper and cardboard products separate from glass and plastic containers and metal cans. Some of the benefits of Dual Stream Recycling are less contamination, higher quality and more valuable recovered material, and lower costs to process the collected recyclables.

Paper and cardboard collection and plastic, bottles, and metal can collection will alternate each week. The dual stream collection program will start with  paper and cardboard collection the week of May 3rd, on your neighborhood’s collection day. Visit the City Calendar for the type of collection each week, or view the recycling schedule (Horario de recogida de doble flujo) below. 

Recycling Schedule

All recycling is to be placed at the curb on your scheduled day by 7:00 AM (Labor Day through Memorial Day) and by 6:00 AM (Memorial Day through Labor Day). The recycling schedule can also be downloaded here, (horario de recogida de doble flujo). If you are unsure of your collection day, please use the collection schedule map or call 570.821.1111, Option 1 to determine it.

Recycling Rules

Please follow the rules below to help eliminate garbage going into the recycling stream:

• Recycling will not be collected if it is in plastic bags.
• Recyclables must be clean of food and beverage debris and visible to DPW crews. 
• Compact cardboard and dispose of cardboard and paper in the recycling bins as best as possible, especially when there is rain or snow.
• Do not overload recycling bins.

Recyclables will be collected from:

• City-Issued Recycling Bins (There are currently no additional bins available at this time)
• Similarly Sized Recycling Bins Purchased by Residents (available at home improvement stores)

Recycling Drop Off Site 

In an effort to increase and promote more recycling in the City of Wilkes-Barre, recycling drop off dumpsters are located at:

Department of Public Works Garage
3 Conyngham Avenue, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711. 
The drop off hours are Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM (Labor Day through Memorial Day) and 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM (Memorial Day through Labor Day).