Burns & Co. Waste Recycling Center of Philadelphia, PA

Burns & Co. Waste Recycling Center on Rising Sun Avenue is the sort of place neighbors drop off boxes, bags, and bulky recyclables when curb pick-up isn’t enough. People from around Philadelphia bring household recyclables and materials from small cleanouts here to keep stuff out of the landfill. It’s a practical, working site rather than a fancy facility.

Drive up the lane and you’ll see a small entrance booth and a scale-loads are weighed so expect to stop twice if bringing a truck or trailer. The recycling bins and sorting areas sit to the right just past the booth, and there’s a mix of open bays and covered areas where materials get tipped. The yard is industrial: concrete pads, piles of sorted material, and trucks coming and going, with a noticeable hum of activity on busy days. Special collection programs, like periodic electronic or bulky item drop-offs, are often run at centers like this, so look for posted notices at the gate.