Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a piece of trash blowing down Market St.? This winter’s windy conditions have tipped the [garbage] can on a dirty little Borough secret – trash has gotten a bit out of hand. Fortunately, last month West Chester Borough Council made a few last-minute changes and set a date for a public hearing on a long-overdue overhaul of Borough Code Chapter 62 – “Garbage, Rubbish, Refuse.”

The chapter was originally written sometime in the 1970s, and while there have been modifications over the years, a major update is urgently needed. While most of the changes pertain to improving private collection, there are notable changes for residents, too. This household, for one, will be out of compliance once this new code goes into effect, likely sometime this spring.

Still, the effort should be worth it.

“These few minor changes will have a direct impact on improving the [West Chester] experience,” said Borough Councilman Bryan Travis.

Bryan, along with his Council colleagues and Public Works Director Don Edwards, led the charge to update the code. This week, I caught up with him on why things gotta change and what people can expect.

“These few minor changes will have a direct impact on improving the [West Chester] experience.”

Borough Councilman Bryan Travis

West Chester Trash Code Questions Answered

HWC: What are some of the changes outlined in the rewrite?

BT: The updates to the ordinance mostly affect the private collection of refuse for residential uses (i.e., apartment complexes). For instance, in the current ordinance, there are clear limits on the number of containers allowed for public residential trash (two 35-gallon containers and up to four trash bags), but there aren’t clear limits for private collection. The revisions make this clear. If a private collection requires more than four 96-gallon containers, a dumpster is required for the property.

The other notable change was to clarify where [residential] refuse containers need to be put after collection. This was clear for residences that have trash collected from the street but not for those that have it collected from an alley. The update will require all residents [with alley collection] to set back their trash containers a minimum of 5 ft with screening on at least two sides. If the property allows containers to be set back to 20 ft from an alley, they do not require any screening.

Editor’s note: For those of you who like to put your trash out in the morning, the cans must now be out by 6 a.m. on the day of collection. It was previously 7 a.m.

HWC: The new ordinance makes lots of mentions of “toters.” What is a toter? And does it pertain to residents?

BT: A toter is the typical refuse container you see nowadays. It’s a rectangular-shaped container on two wheels with handles and an attached lid that flips back. They come in many sizes and are used for both public and private collection. We needed to add a definition in our code to improve clarity, especially for private collection. The current ordinance only references “dumpsters” for private collection. [For public collection], the traditional 35-gallon trash can is still okay, but we’d like to see them converted to toters moving forward.

HWC: Lately, especially with the windy days we’ve seen this winter, there has been a lot of trash blowing around the Borough. Will these measures help stop that?

BT: Yes, that is one of the goals. Screening containers and keeping them from being permanent fixtures in alleys, etc., will keep them from getting knocked over and blown around.

HWC: What are the other goals?

BT: The biggest [goal] is to make the rules clearer for residents, landlords, and West Chester Borough staff who manage and enforce them. With the shifts in property use that occurred over time in the Borough, the ordinance was behind and overdue for an update.

HWC: Anything else people should know about the policy?

BT: We’re doing this so that West Chester remains a great place to live. These updates are essential to ensure our town meets the expectations of those who experience and invest in it.

Thanks, Bryan. I think we’re all looking forward to a cleaner Borough in the future.

Key Takeaways

Changes for residents:

1. Alley trash cans can no longer be left out by the alley. Under the new language, trash cans or toters must be moved at least five feet away from the edge of the alley and screened from view on two sides.  
2. All trash cans must be out for collection earlier than 6 a.m. the day of collection and no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before.  
3. All trash cans must be returned to their screen location no later than midnight of collection day.

Changes of apartments and those using private trash:

1. Any property that generates more than four 96-gallon toters per week must use a dumpster. 
2. All toters must be out for collection no earlier than 6 p.m. on the night before collection.  
3. All toters must be returned to their screen location no later than midnight of collection day.
4. Toters must be set back a minimum of five ft. from the alley and screened on two sides if the property has alley collection. 

All dumpsters must be fenced, screened, or otherwise hidden from view. Review Borough code Section 62-8 for complete requirements.

A public hearing on the changes is being held on March 19 at 6:30 p.m. Go to the Borough Meetings page and click the “attachment” link next to Public Hearing: Chapter 62 to view the ordinance update in its entirety.

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Originally published on Feb. 28, 2025

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