Brush Collection

Brush pick up guidelines are: (effective as of September 2019, updated January 2023)

As a courtesy to residents ONLY within the Borough Limits of Northumberland, the Borough Street Department provides brush collection service.

Brush will be picked up the 2nd full week of each month on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from April through October and after severe storms. Pick up days correspond with the No Parking ordinance. If there is a vehicle parked in front of your brush it will NOT be picked up.

Please follow the guidelines below. Failure to comply will result in your brush NOT being accepted for pickup. Please call the Borough Office at 570-473-3414 with any questions.

Routine Monthly Brush Pickup

Brush Must:

  1. Be placed curbside no sooner than the weekend before, or later than 7:00 AM on the pickup day (Wednesday).
  2. Be less than 4 feet long, no longer than 4 inches diameter; stacked neatly with butts all on one end.
  3. Originate from resident’s property ONLY.
  4. Sticks and twigs may be placed in an orderly pile or in an unlined can.
  5. Leaves, weeds and garden waste must be in biodegradable lawn and leaf bags.
  6. Duke Street brush must be placed on the corners.

Brush Must NOT:

  1. Be bagged. It will NOT be picked up if it is in plastic bags.
  2. Include: stumps, vines, grass clippings, sod, thorns, briars, poison, roots, or root balls.
  3. Be located where it restricts drainage such as in a gutter line or covering an inlet grate.
  4. Be located where it impedes vehicular and or walking traffic in the street or sidewalk.
  5. Include trash, nails, building materials, dirt, or rocks.
  6. Be tied with string, twine, wire, or any other material.
  7. Be left by a commercial tree removal or trimming company. If cut by one of these companies, it should remove it as part of their contract with the resident.
  8. Plants with PURPLE BERRIES will not be picked up. They stain everything.

*GRASS CLIPPINGS: Experts in lawn care recommend that clippings be left on the lawn to absorb back into the soil or composted with other natural yard waste. They will NOT pick up any grass clippings.

The amount of time spent at any one residence should not exceed 2 minutes. In that amount of time, the street department should be able to empty several cans or pick up a bundle of limbs. If you have a large amount of brush, contact the Borough Office to make arrangements for pick-up.