A public resource guide
No appointment for one bulk item: on your second trash night of the week (Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday night zones) set out one bulk item, or up to 40 pounds of contained construction material, between 5 and 10 p.m. Appliances and large metal items are a separate scheduled pickup: call 610-437-8729, $20 for refrigerant appliances, free for others.
Checked October 2026 against official city sources · Maintained by Freemoval as a public resource
Allentown, Pennsylvania includes bulk item pickup as part of twice-weekly trash collection at no separate fee, on the second collection night of the week. Set-out is between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM, with up to 5 bags or 2 containers per collection night for regular trash plus bulk items alongside on the second night. The city changed waste haulers on June 1, 2025: J.P. Mascaro & Sons replaced the prior contractor. Collection nights and core service rules stayed the same, but yard waste shifted from weekly April through November to every other week year-round. Electronics and document shredding are by appointment at the Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste, 641 S 10th St.
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Allentown has unusually generous bulk service for a city of its size: bulk items are included in standard twice-weekly trash collection at no per-item fee. Layered on top: appointment-based electronics and shredding at city facilities, donation pickup programs, Lehigh County HHW events, and Freemoval for households referred by a partner organization.
Bulk item pickup (second collection night)
Free with serviceAllentown collects bulk items as part of standard twice-weekly trash service, on the second collection night of the week, with no separate fee or appointment. Items go alongside regular trash.
Eligibility: Single-family homes, rooming units, group homes, multifamily dwellings, and commercial/institutional establishments included in city curbside collection. Buildings with private hauler contracts are excluded.
Collection night: The second of your two weekly collection nights, which is Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday depending on your zone. Look up your zone at allentownpa.gov.
Set-out window: Between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM on your collection night. Setting out earlier is a code violation and attracts scavenging.
Trash limits per collection: Up to 5 bags (30-gallon, 40 lbs each) or 2 containers (32-gallon, 70 lbs each). All trash must be bagged.
What counts as bulk: Furniture, mattresses, and other items too big for the cart. Includes most household appliances. Items must be moveable by sanitation workers without special equipment.
Questions: Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste, (610) 437-8729.
Electronics and shredding (by appointment)
Free with serviceElectronics drop-off and document shredding are handled at the Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste at 641 S 10th St, both by appointment.
Electronics: Drop-off by appointment only. Pennsylvania state law (Covered Device Recycling Act) bans electronics from regular trash. Call (610) 437-8729 to schedule.
In-person shredding: By appointment. Limit five copy-paper-size boxes per person per visit.
Drop-off shredding: No appointment required for routine drop-off shredding.
Free paper shredding events: Periodic open-to-public shredding events at announced times. Watch allentownpa.gov for dates.
Donation-pickup programs
FreeLehigh Valley nonprofits offer free pickup for items in usable condition.
The Salvation Army Allentown: Free pickup of usable furniture, working appliances, and clothing. Schedule at satruck.org or call 1-800-SA-TRUCK.
Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley ReStore: Free pickups available for qualifying items including furniture, appliances under 10 years old, and building materials.
Goodwill Keystone Area: Multiple Lehigh Valley locations. Larger items may qualify for pickup.
Valley Youth House and St. Luke’s associated thrift programs: Local nonprofits accepting household goods that support area families.
Lehigh County HHW events
Free for residentsLehigh County and partner municipalities run periodic Household Hazardous Waste collection events for paint, chemicals, batteries, and similar materials that cannot go in any cart.
Watch for event dates: Lehigh County publishes HHW event schedules at the county solid waste page. The Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste at (610) 437-8729 can also point you to current dates.
What's typically accepted: Paint and stains, motor oil, gasoline, pesticides, household cleaners, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, propane tanks (small).
What's not at HHW events: Electronics (separate appointment-based drop-off at 641 S 10th St), commercial waste, and explosives.
Freemoval (free pickups through partner organizations)
FreeFreemoval funds free junk removal and cleanouts for households referred by trusted partner organizations, such as nonprofits, housing programs, and senior services. Families don’t apply directly. A partner submits the request and vouches for the need.
Status in Allentown: Not yet available. Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide.
How it works where it operates: One free pickup per household, for junk removal and cleanouts within standard LoadUp marketplace service. Funded by LoadUp customer round-ups and direct contributions, spent at standard LoadUp rates.
If you run a nonprofit or housing program in Allentown: you can start the conversation now through the For partners page.
New J.P. Mascaro contract. On June 1, 2025, the City of Allentown switched waste haulers to J.P. Mascaro & Sons. Collection nights stayed the same. The most visible change: yard waste shifted from weekly (April through November) to every other week year-round. Holiday-night adjustments now apply on the night before each major holiday.
Twice-weekly trash, weekly recycling. Allentown is one of the few cities its size to retain twice-weekly trash collection. Recycling goes in the city-issued green container on your scheduled recycling night. All trash must be bagged. Set-out is between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM.
Yard waste. Yard waste collection is curbside every other week year-round under the new contract. Allentown also operates a yard waste drop-off site at 641 S 10th St, open the first full week of April through the Saturday before Thanksgiving on Wednesdays 8 AM to 4 PM and Saturdays 8 AM to 2 PM.
Holiday adjustments. Trash collection is adjusted the night before New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Updates are posted at the city website and on the trash information phone line.
Refrigerant rules. Pennsylvania follows EPA Section 608 federal rules for refrigerant recovery in refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners. Don’t set out a unit with refrigerant intact, this is illegal under federal law. Retailer haul-away with appliance delivery is the most common path that handles this for you.
Outside Allentown city limits. If you’re in Bethlehem, Easton, Whitehall Township, South Whitehall Township, or Allen Township, services and rules differ. Most townships contract with J.P. Mascaro or another private hauler with similar but not identical rules. Check your township website for specifics, set-out limits and bulk allowances vary.
Allentown-area donation programs accept items in good usable condition: clean upholstered furniture without significant tears or stains, working appliances less than 10 years old, mattresses in good condition (program-specific rules), kitchenware, lamps, and most household goods. Habitat ReStore in particular focuses on home improvement items and accepts cabinets, doors, lighting fixtures, and building materials.
Items donation programs typically don’t accept: damaged or stained furniture, mattresses with bedbug history or significant wear, appliances that don’t work, particle-board furniture in poor condition, cribs (federal safety regulations have changed), tube-style or rear-projection TVs, and exercise equipment that requires reassembly.
If you’re unsure whether something qualifies, call the program before scheduling. Pickups that arrive and find unacceptable items usually leave them behind, which means you still need to dispose of them.
For households outside city service, items the city won’t take, or jobs that exceed the per-night trash limits, paid removal options range from self-haul to full-service hauling.
Self-haul to a transfer station
$30-$80If you have a truck, regional transfer stations and landfills accept household waste with tipping fees by weight. Cheapest paid option, but you handle loading and unloading.
IESI Bethlehem Landfill: Accepts most non-hazardous residential and commercial waste. Tipping fees by weight.
Lehigh County recycling and HHW programs: County-run drop-off events and facilities for hard-to-recycle items.
Construction debris: Use a licensed C&D landfill or roll-off rental for renovation waste, the city won’t take it curbside.
Always call ahead: Hours, accepted materials, and fees change. Some facilities don’t accept mattresses or specific items.
LoadUp paid pickup
$80+For households not eligible for free programs, LoadUp connects you with independent loaders in the Allentown area. Upfront pricing, same-week scheduling, and licensed disposal handled for you.
What's included: Loading, hauling, and licensed disposal. No prep needed beyond pointing out what goes.
Pricing: Starts around $80 for a single item; full-truck pickups range from $300 to $600 depending on volume.
Other paid services in Allentown: 1-800-Got-Junk and College Hunks Hauling Junk both serve the Lehigh Valley. Local independent operators are typically 20%-30% below national chains. Comparison-shop for larger jobs.
If you can pay for a pickup, your booking helps fund free pickups for someone else. Every paid LoadUp customer can opt in to round up at checkout, and 100% of round-ups go directly to Freemoval’s subsidized jobs.
Book a Allentown pickup with LoadUp → Round-up option appears at checkout. Optional, opt-in only.
Different items have different rules. Here’s a quick reference for the most common things people need to dispose of in Allentown.
Hazardous household materials cannot go in any curbside collection in Allentown. Pennsylvania’s Covered Device Recycling Act also bans most electronics from trash and recycling.
Lehigh County HHW events. The county runs periodic HHW events accepting paint, motor oil, gasoline, pesticides, household cleaners, batteries, and fluorescent bulbs. Call the Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste at (610) 437-8729 for current dates.
City electronics by appointment. Electronics drop-off at 641 S 10th St requires an appointment. Call (610) 437-8729. Best Buy stores also accept most electronics free at customer service.
Auto parts stores. AutoZone, O’Reilly, and Advance Auto stores in the Lehigh Valley accept used motor oil and lead-acid batteries free year-round. This is the easiest option for routine auto maintenance waste.
Pharmacy take-back. Allentown pharmacies and the Allentown Police Department operate medication drop boxes for safe disposal of prescription drugs. Don’t flush or trash medications.
If you see illegal dumping or want to report a dump site, the right channel depends on jurisdiction:
City of Allentown: Call the Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste at (610) 437-8729 or contact Allentown Code Enforcement. The Anti-Litter Ordinance covers placing waste at locations other than the originating property.
Lehigh County: Lehigh County Conservation District handles environmental concerns; the Sheriff’s Office handles active dumping reports.
Pennsylvania DEP: For environmental violations involving hazardous materials or large-scale commercial dumping, contact the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s regional office.
Illegal dumping in Allentown can result in fines plus cleanup-cost recovery and possible misdemeanor charges for repeat or commercial-scale violations. Placing trash from a different property at a city collection point is also a violation. If you’re considering dumping because you can’t afford a haul, please use one of the free options above instead, the bulk pickup is included in standard service at no fee.
Each guide below takes the Allentown rules on this page and adds item-specific prep, donation standards, and the free routes that exist outside city programs: mattress, couch, refrigerator, washer and dryer, furniture, tv and electronics, dresser, bed frame and box spring, dishwasher, air conditioner, water heater, hot tub, piano, tires, exercise equipment, desk and office furniture, patio furniture, pool table, carpet and rugs, grill, trampoline and playset, lawn mower, scrap metal, construction debris, yard waste, toilet, bathtub, and sink, moving boxes and cardboard.
Is bulk pickup really free in Allentown?
Yes. Bulk items go alongside regular trash on the second collection night of your week, with no per-item fee and no appointment needed. The cost is included in standard sanitation service. Set-out is between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM. Regular trash limits apply (up to 5 bags or 2 containers), but bulk items are separate from those.
How did the J.P. Mascaro contract change Allentown trash service?
On June 1, 2025, J.P. Mascaro & Sons became the city's waste hauler. Collection nights stayed the same. The most visible change: yard waste shifted from weekly April-November to every other week year-round. Holiday-night adjustments now apply the night before each major holiday. Set-out limits, bulk pickup rules, and recycling cart use stayed unchanged.
How do I dispose of electronics in Allentown?
Pennsylvania's Covered Device Recycling Act bans electronics from regular trash and recycling. Drop off at the Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste at 641 S 10th St by appointment - call (610) 437-8729 to schedule. Best Buy stores also accept most electronics free at customer service for items within size limits.
What's the cheapest way to get rid of a mattress in Allentown?
Free, set it out at the curb on your second collection night, no appointment. If the mattress is in good condition (no stains, no bedbug history), donate to Salvation Army or check Habitat ReStore Lehigh Valley for current acceptance. Paid hauling services start around $80 if you need same-week pickup.
Why is yard waste collection less frequent now?
Under the new J.P. Mascaro contract that began June 1, 2025, yard waste shifted from weekly April-November to every other week year-round. The annual schedule is published at allentownpa.gov. The yard waste drop-off site at 641 S 10th St is also available the first full week of April through the Saturday before Thanksgiving.
What if I live in a multi-unit apartment building?
City Curbside Collection covers single-family dwellings, rooming units, group homes, and multifamily dwellings included in the program by city ordinance. Larger apartment complexes typically use private waste contractors instead. Your property's contracted hauler may or may not include bulk service. Ask your property manager. If they don't offer it, ask whether they'd consider partnering with Freemoval.
How do I report illegal dumping in Allentown?
Call the Bureau of Recycling and Solid Waste at (610) 437-8729 or contact Allentown Code Enforcement. The Anti-Litter Ordinance covers both dumping at non-property locations and placing waste from one property at another property's collection point. For Pennsylvania state environmental violations, contact PA DEP.
Is this page maintained?
Yes. Freemoval maintains this page as a public resource. We update it when programs change rules, fees, or contact methods. Last checked October 2026. If you find outdated information, let us know.
Freemoval currently serves metro Atlanta and plans to expand nationwide. Reach out now to start the conversation before the program reaches Allentown.
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