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Regulations2

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Commercial Recycling Home Page

Who is required to recycle?

Regulations
Jimmy Small Profile

The commercial recycling regulations require all businesses in Philadelphia that utilize a private trash hauler to do the following:

  • Prepare and submit a recycling plan
    (which can be download from this site).
  • Distribute the plan to all employees and/or tenants
  • Publicly post the plan
  • Separate recyclables up-front (before putting in trash)
  • Provide recycling containers
  • Create an education program to communicate expectations, changes, impacts, etc.
  • Use a hauler or recycling company that is licensed by the City of Philadelphia
  • Set trash & recyclables out at the proper time to ensure proper sanitation
  • File an exemption request if your hauler intends to recover recyclables from mixed trash

These are materials the City has designated for recycling. Companies may gradually begin recycling other materials each year.

Mandatory

Commercial/Industrial/
Government

Apartments/
Residential

Construction/
Demolition

High grade office paper

Glass food & beverage containers

Ferrous and nonferrous metals
 

Aluminum, including cans
 

Aluminum cans

 

Corrugated paper
 

Steel & bimetal cans

 

Ferrous & on-ferrous metals (Except bimetal & steel cans)
 

Newsprint

 

 

Garbage (food waste & other organics)

Motor oils

 

 

Yard waste
 

Yard waste

 

Motor oils
 

 

 

Elective

Commercial/Industrial/
Government

Apartments/
Residential

Construction/
Demolition

All grades of paper not recycled in Mandatory list
 

Corrugated paper and paper board

 

Concrete, sand and glass

Glass food and beverage containers
 

All other grades of paper

Lumber and other wood

Plastics


 

Plastics

 

Plaster, drywall and other gypsum products

Steel and bimetal cans

Garbage (food waste & other organics)
 

Roofing material

 

Textiles

Tires and other rubber

 

Textiles

Tires and other rubber