Trash and recycling pickup in Memphis: schedule, holidays, bulk

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Memphis Solid Waste, household garbage and recycling pages, the city’s holiday notices, and Shelby County’s Household Hazardous Waste page.

The City of Memphis Solid Waste Management division collects household garbage and recycling every week and bulky “outside the cart” waste twice a month, all on your regular collection day. Carts need to be at the curb by 7 a.m. Find your day by typing your address into the collection schedule tool on the city’s Solid Waste page, or in the free Memphis Curbside Collection app. For a missed pickup or any other question, call 311 (901-636-6500).

Who to call

• Missed pickup, bulk items, tires, dead animals: 311, or 901-636-6500 (operators 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays); report online
• Solid Waste office: 125 N. Main St., Room 628, Memphis, TN 38103
• Senior and disability discount questions: 901-636-6500
• Household hazardous waste: Shelby County facility, 901-222-7729
• Official page: City of Memphis Solid Waste

What day is my pickup?

Every address has one collection day. The city’s schedule tool, powered by ReCollect, shows it along with your bulk weeks and lets you sign up for reminders. Some neighborhoods are served by the city’s contractor, Team Waste, not city crews; the city’s holiday notices give separate instructions for Team Waste customers.

The city’s curbside rules:

• Put carts out no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before collection and bring them in by 8 a.m. the day after.
• Set carts within 3 feet of the street, not in a storm drain, lid facing the street and handle facing the house.
• Leave 4 feet between carts and away from cars, mailboxes, utility poles and fire hydrants, with nothing hanging overhead.
• Bag or wrap food waste and keep lids closed.

Need a second garbage cart? The city leases extra 90-gallon carts for $10 a month, added to the solid waste fee on your MLGW bill. Orders are taken only on the mailed order form, not by phone.

Holiday schedule

There is no city collection on days City Hall closes for a holiday, and the city posts a revised schedule in its news releases a week or more ahead. Recent examples:

Excess trash and yard waste pickup is limited in holiday weeks. The 2026 Thanksgiving and Christmas schedules had not been posted when we checked; we will add them here when the city announces them.

Bulk and yard waste

“Outside the cart” collection comes twice a month on your regular day, for furniture, tree limbs and yard debris beyond two bags. The city’s rules:

• Piles may not be larger than 10 cubic yards and must be within 3 feet of the street, clear of mailboxes, parked cars, fences and low limbs. Crews cannot leave the street.
• Tree debris must be cut to less than 5 feet long and less than 13 inches across.
• Keep limbs and leaves in a pile separate from furniture and bagged trash; the city mulches and composts the organic material.
• Up to two bags of yard waste go out weekly; the weekly limit is half a cubic yard of bagged, organic-only debris.
• Lawn services, tree trimmers and other contractors must haul away their own debris by city ordinance, and the city does not pick up construction or demolition debris.
• Up to four tires can go to the curb; call 311 first.

Recycling

Recycling goes in the 96-gallon recycling cart with no sorting. Empty bottles and cans (labels are fine, rinsing is optional) and break down boxes. No plastic bags or film, no Styrofoam, no hoses or cords and no yard waste. The full list is in the city’s recycling guide (PDF).

Three recycling drop-off sites take bottles, jugs, paper, glass, cartons and cans, but not plastic bags or cardboard:

• Downtown: Mud Island Drive, at the north entrance of Mud Island Park
• Cordova: near the Agricenter, about 300 yards from Germantown Parkway
• Hickory Hill: Hickory Hill Community Center

Drop-off centers and the landfill

City solid waste customers can take waste to two city convenience centers. Bring your latest MLGW bill and a photo ID:

• Collins Yard, 304 Collins St., 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday to Sunday
• Farrisview, 3207 Farrisview Blvd. (the city’s fall 2025 notice listed it as open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays for storm debris)

Fee-paying customers can also take one truckload of non-hazardous waste a month to Republic Services’ North Shelby Landfill, 7111 Old Millington Road, Millington, or South Shelby Landfill, 5494 Malone Road, Memphis.

Hazardous waste

Oil-based paint, solvents, pesticides and other household chemicals go to the Shelby County Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 6305 Haley Road (off Farm Road between Walnut Grove and Mullins Station), open to county residents Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The facility no longer takes latex paint; dry it out and bag it with your garbage.

Discounts for seniors and disabled residents

The city’s Solid Waste Fee and Sewer Rate Discount lowers those charges on the MLGW bill for residents 65 and older or disabled who meet income limits. Applications take at least 45 days; call 901-636-6500 about eligibility.

What this means for you

• Look up your day once in the city tool or app and set a reminder.
• Carts out by 7 a.m., but not before 5 p.m. the night before.
• Bulk goes out only in your two bulk weeks a month, cut to under 5 feet.
• Watch for the city’s holiday notice the week before Thanksgiving and Christmas.

More guides: who to call at City Hall, power outages and moving to Memphis.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Memphis?

Garbage and recycling are collected weekly on your regular collection day. Type your address into the collection schedule tool on the city’s Solid Waste page, use the Memphis Curbside Collection app, or call 311 (901-636-6500).

When is bulk trash pickup in Memphis?

Outside-the-cart bulk waste, such as furniture, tree limbs and yard debris beyond two bags, is collected twice a month on your regular collection day. The collection schedule tool shows your bulk weeks.

Does Memphis trash pickup change on holidays?

Yes. The city announces a revised schedule before each holiday it closes for. For Thanksgiving 2025, Tuesday and Wednesday customers rolled out carts Tuesday and Thursday and Friday customers rolled out Wednesday.

Where can I drop off trash in Memphis?

City solid waste customers can use the convenience centers at 304 Collins St. and 3207 Farrisview Blvd. with a recent MLGW bill and a photo ID, or take one truckload a month to a Republic Services landfill.

Where do I take paint and chemicals in Memphis?

To the Shelby County Household Hazardous Waste Facility, 6305 Haley Road, open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call 901-222-7729. Latex paint is not accepted.