2023 HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
The Public Works offices and the Transfer Facility will be closed on the following dates. Curbside collection will not be interrupted, except as indicated in bold.
Monday, January 16 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
Monday, February 20 (Presidents' Day)
Monday, April 17 (Patriots Day)
Monday, May 29 (Memorial Day)
Monday, June 19 (Juneteenth)
Tuesday, July 4 (Independence Day) *Tuesday's route will be collected on Wed 7/5, Wed on Thu 7/6, Thu on Fri 7/7, and Fri's will be collected on Sat, 7/8
Monday, September 4 (Labor Day)
Monday, October 9 (Indigenous Peoples' Day)
Friday, November 10 (Veterans Day)
Thursday, November 23 (Thanksgiving Day) *Thursday's route will be collected on Friday, 11/24
Friday, November 24 (Day after Thanksgiving) *Friday's route will be collected on Saturday, 11/25
Monday, December 25 (Christmas)
Monday, January 1, 2024 (New Years Day 2024)
Trash and Recycling
Trash and recycling collection is conducted weekly by Pine Tree Waste, a local company contracted by the City, and hauled to ecomaine, a non-profit, community-owned recycling and waste-to-energy plant in Portland.
Each residence is issued two barrels – green for rubbish and blue for recycling. On your collection day, place barrels curbside, front-facing, by 7am and remove emptied containers by sunset the same day. Barrels must be 3 feet from any obstacles, including each other. Please note that neither yard nor construction debris is accepted in barrels. To report trash that's not picked up or to request a repair or replacement trash or recycling bin, please call Public Works at (207) 767-7635. Recycle lids are available for pickup at the Municipal Services office across from the Transfer Station, if you'd prefer to replace it yourself.
There is no large-item curbside pickup in South Portland. Debris and large items may be taken to the Transfer Facility.
The following items are uniquely recyclable through state take-back programs:
Paint: https://www.paintcare.org/drop-off-locations/#/find-a-drop-off-site?
Rechargeable Batteries: https://www.call2recycle.org/locator/
Lightbulbs & tubes: https://www.maine.gov/dep/gis/datamaps/brwm_recycling/
South Portland participates in a single-sort recycling program and encourages all residents to reduce the amount of waste you generate by recycling. Not only is recycling an environmentally-conscientious action, but it saves you money by saving the City money in solid waste tipping fees. Refer to the chart below for general recycling guidelines. Additional information, along with a submission form for questions about items not listed, can be found on ecomaine's website.
Download the South Portland Recycles App for iPhone or Android, or use the tool below
Use the App or interactive tool below to:
- Check the pickup schedule for your address
- Add trash set-out reminders to your calendar
- Sign up for alerts such as disruptions in service
- Find out “how should I dispose of this?” with the Recyclopedia
Leaf and Christmas Tree Pick-up
Curbside leaf pick-up once per year, in the fall. Collection dates will be provided as the event nears. Place leaves in biodegradable paper bags (no plastic bags, please), and leave curbside until collected. We will collect on each street only once, so bags and trees must be curbside by the Sunday before the start date to be collected.
Christmas trees are collected curbside for approximately 2 weeks following Christmas. In 2023, this starts January 3rd and runs through January 13, weather permitting. Trees must be curbside by 7am on the 3rd. Please try to keep trees from being buried in snow.
Both collections will be picked up by Public Works crews, not Pine Tree Waste. Please set leaf bags and trees curbside, but away from your trash barrels. If you should miss the collection dates, these items can be brought to the Transfer Facility, free of charge.
Hazardous Household and Electronic Waste Collection
Please check out our Household Hazardous Waste/Electronic Waste information page.
Food Waste Composting Program
Diverting food waste from the municipal solid waste stream is one of the most effective ways to reduce waste; on average, up to a third of household waste consists of food scraps. Rather than sending your food waste down the disposal or to a landfill, convert it to compost by participating in the City of South Portland's food waste composting program (click link for more information.)