Holiday Trash Collection Schedule in Effect

A holiday recycling schedule is in effect this week because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Monday.

Lower Merion Township residents should visit the township’s Web site to see when their trash will be collected, according to a township news release.

On Wednesday, Jan. 19, trash will be picked up for residents for whom collection was cancelled Jan. 12 because of last week’s snow, the release states. Can limits for those customers will be waived on Wednesday.

Residents also have the option of bringing their trash to the township’s transfer station, located at 1400 N. Woodbine Ave. in Penn Valley, before Wednesday, Jan. 19, at no cost, according to the release.

"We have understandably received some phone calls from residents who were disappointed by the Township's decision to suspend Wednesday's refuse and recycling collection," Director of Public Works Don Cannon said in the release. "We appreciate their understanding and patience. This is not a common occurrence for the Township to miss a collection day, though it is practiced by both municipalities and private trash collection companies during weather-related challenges."

The public works crews are understaffed by about 15 employees, the release states, and they needed to devote their efforts to snow removal as a matter of public safety.

Another reason trash collection was impacted was because this storm happened during a work week instead of the last big snowstorm, which occurred over a weekend when there is no trash or recycling pickup scheduled, the release states.