Introducing the New Township Curbside Service — now you can easily recycle your food waste and yard brush for composting!
How do I participate?
Starting on July 13, 2026, place accepted items in a bucket at your curb every Monday alongside scheduled brush collection.
This option:
- Is free and available to all residents who receive Township trash removal services
- Uses any 5-gallon bucket(s) with a tight-fitting lid
- Requires no sign up or registration
- Is a great composting option if you aren’t able to compost in your own backyard
Why compost?
- Composting is nature’s way of recycling.
- It is one of the most powerful actions we can take to reduce our trash and build healthy soil.
- It transforms our waste into a beneficial, value-added soil supplement that can fertilize plants and lawns and improve water retention.
- The township saves money by composting food waste and brush rather sending it to the incinerator.
Program details:
- Free and available to all residents who receive Township trash removal services
- To start, place accepted items (next page) in a 5-gallon bucket curbside by 6 AM on Mondays with scheduled brush collections. Brush and food waste will be emptied into the same truck and taken to a commercial composting facility.
- You may use your own 5-gallon buckets, tight-fitting lids, and paper bag liners; they do not need to be Township-provided. Paper bag liners are optional, but encouraged to help keep buckets clean.
Curbside Composting Kit Giveaway on June 14th
- Time: 9 AM to 1 PM
- Location: Twp. Building (1014 Darby Rd, Havertown)
- Additional Information:
- The first 900 households will receive one indoor countertop compost collector.
- The first 2,500 households will receive a 5-gallon bucket and lid, bucket decals, and a pack of paper bags (one kit per household).
- Can’t make it? After the giveaway, kits will be available while supplies last at the Township
Building during summer business hours (8:00 AM - 4:00 PM on Monday through Thursday and
8:00 AM - 1:00 PM on Fridays). You can also purchase a 5-gallon bucket and lid at most
home improvement retailers.
Expanded Brush Guidelines:
Starting July 13th, paper bags, weeds, and yard waste will be accepted!
- Must be untreated products such as sticks, branches, brush, woodchips, grass clippings, weeds, and garden trimmings
- Branches must not be more than one-and-a-half inches in diameter or three feet in length
- Must be placed in an unlined trash can or brown paper bag that can be easily lifted and weighs less than 40 pounds
- Must not be in a plastic bag or tied with twine
Helpful Tips:
- Line your compost bucket with a paper bag to aid in cleanliness.
- Rinse your bucket after each collection.
- Don’t add liquids for collection.
- Place pizza boxes under the bucket. Remove wax paper and plastic.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Will it smell?
A well-sealed collection bucket should successfully contain odors when the lid is closed. Countertop collection bins can be emptied into the collection bucket if an odor escapes. A properly managed backyard bin should NOT smell. Tip: Store the curbside collection bucket away from direct sunlight.
- Will it attract animals or bugs?
Animals/bugs are attracted to food, but a well-sealed collection bucket or a secure compost bin will deter pests, similar to a trash can with a lid. For backyard composters, to avoid unwanted flies, cover any food with a layer of leaves and ensure it is damp but not soggy.
- I can’t make it to the giveaway event on June 14. Can I still get a composting starter kit?
Yes! After the giveaway event on June 14, composting kits will be available while supplies last at the Township Building during summer business hours (8:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday through Thursday and, 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM on Fridays). You can also purchase a 5-gallon bucket and lid at most home improvement retailers.
- Where does our waste go?
- Brush and Food Waste:
Beginning on July 13, 2026, brush and food waste will be collected in the same truck on Mondays and sent to Kitchen Harvest at Linvilla Orchards to be composted.
- Recycling:
Recycling is collected once a week and sent to Republic Services in King of Prussia, PA. There, collected materials are sorted and 90% is sold for either recycling or repurposing.
- Leaves:
In the fall, leaves are collected throughout the Township, taken to the Public Works Yard and hauled to American Biosoils in Douglassville, PA where they are turned into compost or mulch.
- Trash:
Trash is collected twice a week and, like all of Delaware County, sent to and burned at Reworld waste-to-energy facility in Chester, PA. A portion of the trash and all ash after incineration is sent to Rolling Hills Landfill in Earls Township, Boyertown, PA.