Recycling

In general

Recycling is mandatory for all North Cornwall residents. This is due to the Pennsylvania State Department of Environmental Protection’s Act 101 regulation, which states that a recycling program is mandatory when a municipality reaches a population of 5,000 or more residents and a population density of at least 300 people per square mile. Current population is 8,489 per 2020 census.

Use the quick links below for more information on electronics recycling, compact fluorescent lightbulbs, sharps disposal and prescription medications disposal.

Electronics

CFLs

Sharps Disposal

Meds Disposal

Recycling Basics

Materials Required to be Recycled

GLASS – clear, green & brown food/drink bottles & jars only

ALUMINUM – food & beverage cans only (steel food cans can also be included)

PLASTIC – bottles, jugs or jars only (opening must be smaller than the base or widest part)

NEWSPAPER – entire newspaper &/or merchandiser (clean & dry; cannot be contaminated with food, auto or animal waste)

LEAF WASTE – leaves from trees, bushes & other plants

YARD WASTES – tree trimmings/woody materials, green/garden residues, except grass clippings & poisonous plants

Preparation of Materials

  • Remove and discard any lids, caps and/or pumps.
  • Empty contents where applicable, unless you have already done so.
  • Rinse briefly.
  • Flatten, if possible, to conserve space in your recycling container. Please hold onto a counter-top or doorway, so that you don’t slip!
  • Recyclable materials can be commingled (placed together) in your recycling container.
  • NEWSPAPER – stack in a paper bag or bundle with string. Placed at the top of the container for easy disposal by your waste/recycling hauler.
  • LEAF WASTE – (during Township collection times) rake into long, narrow piles 1-foot from the curb or property’s edge; LEAVES ONLY; recycling flyers with detailed information are available at the Township office
  • YARD WASTES – (during Township collection times) all material must be placed curbside in easily manageable, separate, compact piles; one pick-up truck load (8’x5’x5′) will be taken per location per week of collection; trimmings cannot exceed 4-5 inches in diameter &/or 8 feet in length; NO grass, poison, nuts/fruit from trees, garbage; recycling flyers with detailed information are available at the Township office.

Containers

North Cornwall has 25-gallon recycling containers at the Township building. If you are in need of one or more containers, please feel free to stop by and pick them up. The containers are free of charge!

Local Garbage/Recycling Haulers

If you are in need of garbage/recycling services, use this guide to help select a local hauler. All of the listed haulers are licensed through the Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority.

TNT Sanitation
319 S College St
Myerstown, PA 17067
Ph: 717-866-2322

Reazer’s Recycling
2449 Elias Ave
Lebanon, PA 17046
Ph: 717-273-7474

Waste Management
4300 Industrial Park Rd
Camp Hill, PA 17011
Ph: 800-634-4595

Weidle Sanitation Service
202 N 12th St
Lebanon, PA 17046
Ph: 717-272-7061

Waste Industries/GFL Environmental
230 Obie Rd
Newmanstown, PA
Ph: 800-207-6618

Waste In Time Disposal
P.O. Box 131
Elm, PA 17521
717-892-8128

Burning

Burning is no longer allowed within North Cornwall. This change is required by State regulations (DEP Act 101, Air Quality and Act 97) for all municipalities that have mandatory recycling. Therefore, the burning of any and all recyclable materials, which includes leaves, tree branches/twigs, junk mail, paper waste and the like, is strictly prohibited.

The only exception that is made under State regulations is for farmers on normal working farms. Farmers of 25 acres or more are able to burn materials that have been WHOLLY GENERATED ON THE FARM, which would include tree limbs, branches, brush and other similar yard waste material. If you are a farmer and fit this criteria, you must apply for a burning permit through the North Cornwall Township office. There is no charge for this permit.

Click here for the Burning Permit Application (pdf format). Upon completion, mail or bring the application to the Township office for approval.

Yard Waste

Yard Waste Curbside Collections

Our Highway Department collects your yard wastes at your curbside or property’s edge! These collections occur during specific times in the spring and fall seasons. Please refer to the color coded Seasonal Yard Waste Collection Map and Street Listing for your area’s collection day. DO NOT send these materials to the landfill!

Acceptable yard wastes for collections:

  • Tree branches up to 5 inches in diameter and 8 feet in length
  • Twigs or other woody sticks
  • Cut hedges/bushes with woody stems
  • Roots smaller than the diameter of your recycling container (FREE of DIRT)
  • Soft, green hedge trimmings
  • Garden residues including weeds, flowers, plants
  • Tall, ornamental grasses
  • Leaves – ONLY DURING SPECIFIED LEAF COLLECTIONS!

STRICTLY PROHIBITED:

  • Regular grass clippings
  • Edging (clumps of grass & dirt)
  • Poisonous plants
  • Stumps/logs
  • Nuts/fruit from trees or plants
  • Dirt on roots
  • Wooden, plastic or metal garden stakes
  • Plastic flower/plant containers
  • Animal excrement
  • Garbage or other foreign materials
  • NO materials in bags or containers!

Curbside Collection Schedules

Refer to the color coded Seasonal Yard Waste Collection Map and Street Listing for the specific collection day of your area.

YARD WASTE COLLECTIONS

  • Materials listed above, excluding leaves
  • First full week of April
  • Second full week of October

LEAF COLLECTIONS

  • Leaves ONLY
  • Last full week in October through the first week in December

Preparation for Curbside Collections

YARD WASTES:

  • DO NOT place piles out for collection earlier than 2 weeks before the scheduled collection weeks.
  • Branches and garden materials can be co-mingled, but must be placed on the pavement and stacked parallel with the street. On narrow streets or on streets with heavy traffic where the materials cannot be placed on the street, piles should be as close as possible to the edge of the pavement and parallel with the street.
  • Piles can be up to 8 feet long x 5 feet wide and can be stacked up to 5 feet high! This is approximately a pick-up truck load.
  • Only one pick-up truck load per house per week will be collected.
  • DO NOT place piles near signs, mailboxes, poles, cars, intersections or any objects which may interfere with loading & collection.
  • NO LEAVES! Leaves will only be collected during the specified leaf collections (see LEAVES section below).
  • Curbside collections are provided for routine spring yard cleanup & recycling, NOT for major removal or clearing of land.
  • All materials must be out by 7:00am on your collection day.
  • To prevent damage to collection equipment, regulations must be followed. Materials will NOT be collected if regulations are not followed.

LEAVES:

  • DO NOT place piles out for collection earlier than 2 weeks before the scheduled collection weeks.
  • LEAVES ONLY! No grass, mulch, hedge clippings, branches, sticks, stones, dirt, weeds, nuts/fruit from trees, animal excrement or other green vegetation.
  • All materials must be out by 7:00am on your collection day.
  • Rake leaves into long, narrow piles. Piles must be parallel with the curb line.
  • Keep piles on street and one foot away from curb.
  • NON-CURBED STREETS – keep leaves on street and no more than one foot on grass.
  • NO large, round or high piles.
  • NO bags or containers.
  • DO NOT place leaves on sidewalks, in yards, under overhanging trees, near vehicles, mailboxes, in alleys or street intersections.
  • To prevent damage to collection equipment, regulations must be followed. Materials will NOT be collected if regulations are not followed.

 

Recycling Drop-Off Site

In addition to our curbside recycling program, we have a recycling drop-off site, thanks to securing funding through a Pennsylvania DEP grant! This site has been in operation since October 2008.

Location-

Adjacent to the North Cornwall Township Police Department building at 320 South 18th Street, Lebanon, Pennsylvania 17042

Hours of Operation –

Paper Materials (front area): FREE of CHARGE!

*Spring/Summer (April 1 – Sept 30)

Monday through every Saturday 7:00AM to 7:00PM
Sunday 10:00AM to 7:00PM

*Fall/Winter (Oct 1 – March 31)

Monday through every Saturday 7:00AM to 5:00PM
Sunday 10:00AM to 5:00PM

Yard Wastes (back area – Key Card operated):

*Spring/Summer (April 1 – Sept 30)

Monday through every Saturday 7:00AM to 7:00PM
Sunday 10:00AM to 7:00PM

*Fall/Winter (Oct 1 – March 31)

Monday through every Saturday 7:00AM to 5:00PM
Sunday 10:00AM to 5:00PM

*PAY AS YOU GO

Monday through Friday 7:00AM to 3:30PM

 

Closed

– All holidays in conjunction with closing of Township offices and also during major snow events.

Eligible Participants

– All North Cornwall Township residents. Photo identification is required upon arrival to apply for yard waste drop off Key Card or Pay As You Go.

Cleona Borough residents are also eligible to utilize the recycling drop-off site. These residents must be pre-approved by Cleona Borough’s Recycling Coordinators. Residency verification forms & photo ID are required prior to arrival.

PLEASE NOTE: Any Lebanon County citizen may utilize the recycling containers for corrugated cardboard, newspapers and mixed papers (please see definition of MIXED PAPERS below).

Landscaping and/or tree trimming businesses are not permitted to utilize this site at any time.

Acceptable Materials

– Materials that are currently accepted include: corrugated cardboard, newspapers, mixed papers and yard wastes.

MIXED PAPERS – magazines, phone books, junk mail & office paper, paperback books, cereal box type material (thin cardboard – NOT corrugated)

YARD WASTES – twigs, tree branches up to five inches in diameter and eight feet in length, garden plant material, green hedge trimmings, cut hedges with woody stems, ornamental grass, minimal amounts of leaves and plant/hedge roots smaller than the diameter of your 25 gallon recycling container (free of dirt).
Must be from North Cornwall Township properties ONLY or from properties of neighboring municipalities who have entered into an inter-municipal agreement with North Cornwall Township.

All loads of material are subject to Township inspection. All loads of material in open truck beds and/or trailers must be tarped for secure transportation!

North Cornwall Township reserves the right to refuse any loads or items deemed unacceptable or contaminated.

Unacceptable Materials

Yard Wastes – No poisonous plants, regular grass clippings, stumps, logs, nuts/fruit from trees or plants, dirt, old mulch, dried leaves, pine needles, garden stakes, plastic plant containers, animal excrement or other foreign materials. No construction or demolition material, lumber, chemically treated wood, pressure treated lumber, telephone poles, railroad ties, wooden fence material and furniture. No bricks, stones, rocks, metal, steel, aluminum, plastic plant containers, garbage of any kind, tires batteries or appliances.
No bags or containers.

Corrugated cardboard – No pizza boxes, no paper board boxes (cereal, aluminum foil, sandwich bag,
cookie/cracker, pasta, clothing and similar). No contamination by food, gas, oil, blood or other
material. No wax-coated boxes.

Newspapers – No plastic bags. No brown, paper bags.

Mixed Papers – No plastic bags. No decorative, gift bags.

User Fees (for YARD WASTE AREA ONLY)

– Individuals must choose one of the two options:

  1. Annual Key Card – $30.00; valid for calendar year (January through December); in addition: one time $5.00 deposit on Key Card for first time issuance. NO CASH ACCEPTED! PLEASE BRING CHECK or MONEY ORDER!
  2. “Pay As You Go” – $4.00 per bag or container; each bag or container cannot exceed 35 gallons; any materials arriving loose in truck beds, back seats or car trunks will not be accepted under “Pay As You Go” – these loads will be charged the $30.00 annual permit fee or will be turned away. NO CASH ACCEPTED IF TOTAL AMOUNT IS OVER $10.00! BRING CHECK or MONEY ORDER IF OVER $10.00!

Recycling Drop-Off Site Application (click here)