Cincinnati Trash Pickup Schedule, Recycling & Bulk 2026
Find your Cincinnati garbage day, recycling week, yard waste schedule, bulk pickup rules, and 2026 holiday delays for City-served addresses.
City of Cincinnati · Department of Public Services / Office of Environment & Sustainability · Updated March 2026
Find Your Cincinnati Collection Day
Select your collection day to see your full schedule — garbage, recycling, yard waste, and 2026 holiday impact.
👈 Select your day above to see your complete Cincinnati collection schedule.
⚠ Don’t know your exact schedule? Use the City of Cincinnati 311Cincy Collection Schedule search tool for your address. See all contact options ↓
Cincinnati Waste Collection — Quick Facts
The City of Cincinnati Department of Public Services provides weekly garbage collection, every-other-week recycling, biweekly seasonal yard waste, and scheduled bulk item pickup for eligible City-served residential addresses. Collection days generally run Monday through Thursday, with holiday delays pushing routes one day later.
Garbage Cart & Recycling Cart — How Cincinnati Collection Works
Eligible Cincinnati households typically use a City-issued garbage cart for weekly trash and a recycling cart for every-other-week pickup. Garbage is handled by the City, while curbside recycling is collected under City contract by Rumpke.
Garbage Cart
Household trash should go in your assigned City cart. If an item is too large for regular collection, schedule a bulky pickup instead.
Collected weekly by Cincinnati DPS.
Weekly • CurbsideRecycling Cart
Single-stream recycling collected every other week. Place accepted items loose in the cart.
Collected by Rumpke for the City.
Biweekly • Curbside⏰ Set-Out Rules — Garbage, Recycling & Yard Waste
- Place carts and yard waste at the curb no later than 6:00 a.m. on collection day.
- Do not set items out earlier than 5:00 p.m. the previous day.
- Keep carts clear of mailboxes, parked cars, utility poles, and low-hanging branches.
- Recycling in Cincinnati is curbside and may be collected between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
- If an item exceeds regular collection limits, schedule a bulky pickup through 311Cincy.
Cincinnati Curbside Collection — What Residents Need to Know
Unlike alley-based systems in some major cities, Cincinnati residential sanitation service is primarily a curbside collection system. Residents should place garbage carts, recycling carts, yard waste, and approved bulky items at the curb within the City’s set-out window.
📌 Standard Curb Rules
- Garbage, yard waste, bulk items, and recycling carts should be placed at the curb by 6:00 a.m.
- Set-out is allowed after 5:00 p.m. the previous day.
- Collection day depends on your address and is assigned by the City.
- Use the 311Cincy Collection Schedule tool to confirm your next dates.
Cincinnati Recycling Service — City Program + Rumpke Collection
Cincinnati curbside recycling is available at no additional cost for eligible City-served homes. The City’s Office of Environment & Sustainability oversees the program, while Rumpke provides curbside collection and processing. Recycling is collected every other week on the same weekday as your regular route.
🔵 City Eligibility
Single-family homes and multi-unit properties with 4 units or fewer that receive City garbage service are generally eligible for curbside recycling.
If your property is not eligible for City garbage service, you will not receive the City recycling program.
🟢 Rumpke Collection
Rumpke collects Cincinnati curbside recycling for the City.
Use the 311Cincy Collection Schedule tool to confirm your recycling week and next pickup date.
Cincinnati Holiday Garbage Schedule 2026
Cincinnati Public Services notes that City holidays may alter your garbage, recycling, yard waste, and bulk collection schedule. When a holiday affects service, collections for the remainder of the week are typically delayed one day later. Since regular routes generally run Monday through Thursday, delayed Thursday routes usually move to Friday.
| Holiday | 2026 Date | Garbage | Recycling / Yard Waste / Bulk |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thu, Jan 1 | 1-Day Delay | 1-Day Delay |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Mon, Jan 19 | 1-Day Delay | 1-Day Delay |
| Presidents Day | Mon, Feb 16 | 1-Day Delay | 1-Day Delay |
| Memorial Day | Mon, May 25 | 1-Day Delay | 1-Day Delay |
| Juneteenth | Fri, Jun 19 | Check official schedule | Check official schedule |
| Labor Day | Mon, Sep 7 | 1-Day Delay | 1-Day Delay |
| Veterans Day | Wed, Nov 11 | 1-Day Delay | 1-Day Delay |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thu, Nov 26 | 1-Day Delay | 1-Day Delay |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25 | Check official schedule | Check official schedule |
Cincinnati Recycling Cart — What’s Accepted
Cincinnati uses single-stream curbside recycling. The City’s recycling guidance highlights common accepted household recyclables including paper, cardboard, cartons, metal cans, glass bottles and jars, and common plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, and cups. Put accepted items in your recycling cart for your every-other-week pickup.
✅ Accepted in the Recycling Cart
- Paper: office paper, junk mail, newspapers, magazines, paper bags
- Cardboard and paperboard: flattened boxes, cereal boxes, tubes
- Cartons: milk, juice, broth and similar cartons
- Metals: aluminum cans and cups, steel cans
- Glass bottles and jars of any color
- Plastic bottles and jugs
- Plastic tubs and cups accepted by the City program
🚫 Never in the Recycling Cart
- Plastic grocery bags or film
- Food-soiled materials
- Electronics, batteries, or hazardous materials
- Construction debris
- Tanglers such as cords, hoses, and wire
- Items not listed by the City recycling program
🚩 Cart Sizes & Recycling Help
The City provides curbside recycling carts for eligible properties, and residents can contact 311 for cart questions, repairs, swaps, or service clarification. Recycling collection is handled by Rumpke between roughly 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Cincinnati Yard Waste Collection
Cincinnati yard waste is collected every other week beginning April 20, 2026 and continuing through the second week of January. Yard waste is collected on the same day as your recycling.
🌿 Yard Waste Rules
- Set out yard waste on your recycling day.
- Place at the curb by 6:00 a.m., but no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the day before.
- Do not place yard waste in City garbage carts, recycling bins, or plastic bags.
- Yard waste bags and containers exceeding 25 lbs. will not be collected.
- Use the City schedule lookup tool to confirm your next yard waste date.
🎄 Seasonal Reminder
The City announced that 2026 yard waste collection resumes on April 20, 2026 and typically runs until the second week of January. Because service is seasonal, always confirm the current status if you are checking outside the main growing season.
Cincinnati Bulky Item Pickup — Schedule via 311
The City of Cincinnati provides scheduled curbside bulky item collection for addresses that are eligible for City trash service. Residents may schedule up to 5 bulk items per household by calling 311, visiting 311Cincy.com, or using the 311Cincy mobile app.
📅 How to Schedule Bulk Pickup
- Call 311 or (513) 765-1212, visit 311Cincy, or use the mobile app.
- Create a bulk item pickup request for your address.
- Wait for your scheduled collection date before setting the items out.
- Place items at the curb following the City’s set-out rules and keep access clear.
✅ Common Bulky Items
- Furniture such as sofas, tables, chairs, and dressers
- Mattresses and box springs
- Large household items too big for regular collection
- Other residential bulk items approved through 311
🚫 Bulk Pickup Is Not for Everything
- Items from properties not eligible for City trash service
- Commercial waste
- Construction and demolition debris
- Hazardous materials, electronics, or banned curbside items
Cincinnati Special Drop-Offs — Electronics, Hazardous Waste & Non-Curbside Items
Cincinnati’s regular curbside trash and recycling programs do not accept many special materials such as electronics, batteries, hazardous waste, and certain oversized or restricted items. These materials typically require a separate special drop-off, retailer take-back option, or county/regional program.
⏰ What Not to Put in Regular Carts
- Electronics and batteries
- Hazardous household chemicals
- Plastic bags and film
- Construction debris
- Items not listed on the City recycling page
✅ Better Next Step
- Check the City recycling website for accepted curbside items
- Use Hamilton County / regional recycling resources for special waste
- Contact 311 first if you are unsure whether an item belongs in bulk pickup
🚫 Don’t Guess
- Do not place questionable items in the recycling cart
- Do not use bulk pickup for hazardous or banned materials
- Do not place plastic bags in curbside recycling
📅 Regional Recycling Help
For special materials that do not belong in Cincinnati curbside carts, residents can consult regional resources such as Hamilton County environmental services or program-specific recycling options.
Cincinnati Food Scrap & Composting Options
Cincinnati does not have citywide curbside food scrap collection, but the City’s Office of Environment & Sustainability promotes community composting and drop-off options. Residents can use the City’s composting resources, including neighborhood-based opportunities and participating drop-off sites.
🌿 How It Works
- Visit the City composting pages to find community food scrap and composting options.
- Collect food scraps in a sealed kitchen container at home.
- Use an approved local drop-off or community composting option when available.
Cincinnati has promoted MakeSoil and other local composting participation options through its sustainability program.
What to Do If Your Trash Wasn’t Collected in Cincinnati
- Confirm your schedule using the Cincinnati 311Cincy Collection Schedule tool for your address.
- Check for a holiday delay. City holidays can shift curbside collections one day later for the rest of the week.
- Verify set-out time: items should be at the curb by 6:00 a.m., but not before 5:00 p.m. the previous day.
- Make sure access was clear. Carts blocked by cars, poles, branches, or similar obstacles may be skipped.
- Report through 311Cincy once the route window has passed. Recycling may run until 5:00 p.m., and bulk items may be collected by multiple trucks.
Cincinnati Trash & Recycling Tips Every Resident Should Know
🏠 New to Cincinnati or Just Moved In?
Start with the official 311Cincy Collection Schedule tool. It helps confirm your garbage day, recycling week, and yard waste dates. If you need a cart repair, swap, or service clarification, contact 311.
🧤 City Service vs. Private Service
Not every building in Cincinnati receives City trash collection. Single-family homes and many 2–4 unit properties are part of the City program, but ineligible buildings must arrange private service. If in doubt, verify eligibility before assuming a missed pickup.
🚫 5 Mistakes Cincinnati Residents Make
- Putting carts out after the truck has already passed instead of by 6:00 a.m.
- Setting items out too early instead of waiting until after 5:00 p.m. the previous day
- Putting plastic bags into the recycling cart
- Forgetting that yard waste is every other week, not weekly
- Reporting a missed collection before the route window is actually over
Contact Cincinnati Public Services, Recycling & 311
| Contact | Details |
|---|---|
| Cincinnati 311 | Dial 311 inside the city or (513) 765-1212 — service requests, missed pickups, bulky scheduling, cart questions, and general help |
| 311Cincy Online & App | cincinnati-oh.gov/311 · 311Cincy mobile app — collection schedule, service requests, and tracking |
| Garbage Collection | City garbage collection page — weekly garbage, set-out rules, and regular collection info |
| Yard Waste | City yard waste page — seasonal every-other-week service, dates, and rules |
| Bulk Item Collection | City bulk item collection page — up to 5 scheduled items per household |
| Recycling Program | Cincinnati curbside recycling — accepted materials, cart info, eligibility, FAQs |
| Rumpke | Rumpke Cincinnati service area — recycling collection partner and regional waste/recycling information |
| Composting | City composting resources — community composting and food scrap options |
Frequently Asked Questions — Cincinnati Trash Pickup
Still Can’t Find Your Collection Day?
If the Collection Day Finder above hasn’t resolved your question, use the official Cincinnati schedule lookup. Enter your address to see your exact garbage, recycling, and yard waste dates and to manage service requests.
🔍 Official Cincinnati Lookup & Contact Options
All of the following are free and help confirm your exact schedule and service eligibility:
🔍 Look Up My Schedule 📞 Call 311 — (513) 765-1212| Collection Schedule | 311Cincy Collection Schedule — address-specific garbage, recycling, yard waste, and related City services. |
| Cincinnati 311 | Dial 311 inside the city, or (513) 765-1212. Service requests, missed pickups, cart issues, and bulk item scheduling. |
| Bulk Item Requests | Bulk Item Pickup Request — schedule up to 5 bulky items for eligible addresses. |
| Recycling Program | Curbside Recycling — accepted items, eligibility, cart information, and FAQs. |
| Not Eligible? | Buildings not eligible for City collection are considered commercial for service purposes and must use a registered private waste hauler. |
You will leave this website when using any of the links above.
Trash & Recycling Schedules for Cities Near Cincinnati
Looking for waste collection information in another nearby city? Here are five related city guides: