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Commerical Collection

Properties with Commercial Hauler Service

Businesses, institutions and apartment complexes using private waste haulers can set up quality recycling programs that save money by reducing trash costs.

Compliance with Philadelphia's commercial waste regulations includes the following:

1. Filing an official Recycling Plan online with the Philadelphia Streets Department. Click here for more information and to complete your plan. Businesses register recycling programs with the city and acknowledge accountability for providing employees, tenants, and patrons with the opportunity to separate recyclables from trash.
   
   
2. Publicly posting your Recycling Plan and distributing copies to all employees and tenants (a first step in educating everyone who occupies the building).
   
   
3. Providing adequate containers for separation of recyclables by employees and tenants. It is recommended that every employee or tenant be given a blue recycling container for separation of materials (a rule of thumb is one recycling receptacle for every trash receptacle).
   
   
4. Materials to separate are generally the same as residential single-stream materials and include:
• Flattened cardboard
• Mixed paper (newspaper, junk mail, magazines, catalogs, old files, reports, etc.)
• Glass jars and bottles
• Metal food and beverage cans (aluminum, bimetal tin cans)
• Plastic containers (#1 - #7 are often accepted by single-stream recyclers)

A note on materials segregation requirements: Each facility will enter into separate contracts with waste and recycling companies. Some recycling companies offer what is commonly called "single-stream" recycling where all recyclables can be mixed together. While this is often the most convenient type of program, the value of materials recovered is reduced because of the need for processing at the MRF (materials recovery facility). Some recycling companies may offer high payments for segregated office paper, cardboard, etc. Each facility manager needs to weigh the value of segregating materials against the convenience of single-stream recycling. Regardless of the choice of separation method, systems for separating all the materials listed above out of the general trash stream are required by City regulations. Separation of recyclables out of mixed municipal solid waste at a transfer station is not an acceptable means of recycling. Recyclables must be segregated from trash at the point of generation.

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