How to Find Your Trash and Recycling Pickup Schedule

Knowing your weekly trash and recycling collection schedule is important to ensure bins are set out on the right day. Trash pickup schedules can vary by location, so it’s essential to check the calendar for your specific area. This article covers different ways to find and get your local trash and recycling pickup schedule.

Why Do Pickup Days Vary?

Trash collection schedules can be different depending on where you live for a few key reasons:

• Multiple providers – Cities and counties contract with various waste companies, each with their own schedules.

• Service zones – Many areas are split into service zones or districts with different pickup days.

• Municipal service – Some cities handle their own waste collection on set days.

• Holiday shifts – Schedules get disrupted around major holidays.

With so many factors involved, there is no universal trash day. Checking the schedule for your neighborhood is the only way to know for sure when to expect pickup.

How to Find Your Exact Trash and Recycling Schedule

Here are some tips for getting your location-specific collection schedule:

Check municipal website – Most city and county government websites provide trash pickup calendars. Just search “[city name] trash schedule” to find it.

Check provider website – Major waste companies like Waste Management and Republic Services have pickup schedules for the areas they serve. Search “[company name] [zipcode]” to find their local page.

Account info – If you have an account with the trash company, your pickup days are listed on your bill and account dashboard.

Confirmation letter – When starting new service, the confirmation letter should include your designated pickup days.

Contact provider – Calling the waste company’s customer service center can get schedule info for your address.

Check billing app – Apps like Waste Management’s WM Assistant give pickup reminders and calendars.

Ask neighbors – Those living close by likely have the same schedule if you use the same provider.

Standard Trash and Recycling Schedule

While pickup days vary locally, many areas follow standard conventions on collection frequency and recycling weeks:

• Trash – Collected 1-2 times per week, usually either Monday/Thursday or Tuesday/Friday.
• Recycling – Collected every other week on the same day as trash service.
• Yard Waste – Separate weekly pickup during warm months in some areas.

For example, a common schedule would be trash pickup every Tuesday and Friday, with recycling every other Friday.

Some neighborhoods have different weekly schedules or additional pickup days. Check your local calendar to confirm specifics for your area.

What Information is Typically Provided?

Trash collection schedules include a few key details:

• Your designated pickup days for trash, recycling, and any specialty items like yard waste.

• The biweekly recycling weeks and which days recycling falls on.

• Start and end dates for any seasonal service like yard waste.

• List of holidays that disrupt service, along with revised pickup dates that week.

• Reminders of when carts need to be curbside.

• Customer service contact information.

Having all these schedule details in one place makes it easy to know when to take carts to the curb.

What Should You Do with Your Trash Schedule?

Once you have your local trash pickup schedule, here are some tips for putting it to use:

• Mark it on your household calendar, including revised dates for holidays.

• Post it on the fridge or another visible spot you’ll see often.

• Set reminders on your phone for pickup days and recycling weeks.

• Keep a copy with your trash cans as an easy reference.

• Write your pickup days on your cans using paint or stickers.

Referring back to your printed or digital schedule can help avoid missed collections due to forgetting when your trash day is that week.

Reconfirm Your Schedule if Moving

If you’re moving to a new home or area, be sure to recheck the pickup calendar. Even neighborhoods in the same city can have different collection days.

When establishing service at a new address, request or look for the trash pickup schedule during account setup. Don’t rely on following the old schedule for your previous residence.

Consistent Pickup is Key

Having reliable weekly trash and recycling collection means remembering when those services occur in your neighborhood. While pickup varies from place to place, multiple options exist for easily finding your local schedule. Keeping it handy and referring to it regularly can help you never miss your designated trash day.