How Republic Services’ Holiday Schedule Affects Your Trash Pickup

Trash and recycling collection is an essential service that most homeowners rely on without much thought. We put our bins curbside and expect them to be emptied on schedule. However, during major holidays, regular trash pickup schedules are often disrupted.

Republic Services is one of the largest waste management providers in the United States, serving over 16 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers across the country. Like most trash haulers, Republic Services observes major holidays by closing their operations, which causes delays and changes to your regular trash and recycling collection schedule.

Knowing when these holidays occur and how they affect your pickup days is crucial to ensure your waste continues to be collected in a timely manner.

Major Holidays Observed by Republic Services

Republic Services closes their operations and suspends regular collection services on the following major holidays:

• New Year’s Day – January 1
• Memorial Day – Last Monday in May
• Independence Day – July 4
• Labor Day – First Monday in September
• Thanksgiving Day – Fourth Thursday in November
• Christmas Day – December 25

On these holidays, if your regular service falls on or follows the holiday, expect a one-day delay. For example, if your normal collection day is Thursday and the holiday falls on Monday, your pickup will be shifted to Friday that week.

Service typically resumes on the next regularly scheduled collection day after the holiday.

Notify Customers in Advance

Leading up to major holidays, Republic Services sends out notifications and reminders of the holiday schedule changes to forewarn customers. This allows households and businesses to plan accordingly so trash does not pile up outside during the disruption.

For example, in November 2022 before Thanksgiving, Republic Services notified the Southern Ute Indian Tribe that they would be closed on Thursday, November 23 and there would be a one-day delay in service the rest of the week.

Contact Republic Services directly through their customer support options if you have not received any notices prior to holidays that occur during your scheduled pickup days.

Holiday Schedule Impacts Vary by Location

While Republic Services closes operations nationally on major holidays, delays and schedule changes are not uniform across all regions. How the holiday affects your pickup depends on:

• Your locality – Some cities and municipalities may observe additional holidays, causing further service delays beyond Republic Services’ closures.

• Where the holiday falls – Holidays that fall on weekends have little impact to collection, while midweek holidays shift service days.

• Your pickup days – If the holiday falls right before your scheduled service, delays are minimal versus falling several days before.

• Service type – Residential, commercial, and industrial pickup schedules are impacted differently.

• Makeup collection policies – How missed pickups are managed after holidays varies.

Always confirm directly with your local Republic Services branch how each holiday will specifically impact your area’s trash and recycling collection schedule. Never assume your days will be shifted uniformly.

Options for Dealing With Missed Collection

When you know Republic Services’ holiday schedule will cause your pickup day to be missed, you have a few options to prevent trash buildup:

• Hold onto your waste an extra day or two until your makeup collection occurs. Republic Services will empty all contents on your next resumed service day.

• Bring bins in off the curb once filled so waste is not sitting outside longer.

• Call Republic Services to inquire about collection status in severe overflow cases to get your unique situation resolved.

• Take overflow trash and recycling to your local drop-off center if bins cannot contain all waste generated during the holiday gap.

• Adjust your schedule by taking trash out 1-2 days later if you can store safely. Check for pickup notices on delayed collection days before putting bins out.

• Upgrade to a larger bin size temporarily to accommodate more trash and recycling during extended gaps between service days.

Planning ahead is key to handling interrupted collection schedules during Republic Services’ holiday closures. With some preparation, you can prevent unsightly trash piles from accumulating curbside when service is suspended.

Has Your Pickup Been Missed?

If your scheduled service day has passed after a Republic Services holiday closure and your trash and recycling bins are still full, take the following steps:

• Double check for collection notices – New pickup days are often communicated via emails, mailers, or on Republic Services’ website. Your day may have been rescheduled without your knowledge.

• Contact Republic Services to confirm new pickup status – Call their customer service line or chat online to verify when makeup collection will occur.

• Request off-cycle pickup – If missed collection is excessive and overflowing, you can arrange for unscheduled “on-demand” service for an added fee.

• Request servicing of spilled waste – If delay caused waste to spill from bins, ask Republic Services to send a team to clear it.

• Adjust your service level – Upgrade bin sizes or add an extra collection day each week to prevent future issues from holiday delays.

• Provide feedback – Inform Republic Services of continual missed collection issues so they can improve reliability after holidays.

Establishing open communication channels with your local Republic Services team is key to getting pickup schedules restored and resolving anySolid waste removal does not pause for holidays. By understanding Republic Services’ holiday schedule and how it impacts your regular trash and recycling collection, you can take proactive measures to keep your home or business on track. Maintain service by planning ahead, confirming new pickup days, and contacting Republic Services with any issues. Consistent communication and preparation will help you navigate changes in collection smoothly.