Hartford Trash Pickup Schedule, Recycling & Bulk 2026
Find your Hartford DPW collection day, recycling rules, bulky waste scheduling, and 2026 holiday delays — all by address.
City of Hartford · Department of Public Works — Waste & Recycling Division · Updated 2026
Find Your Hartford Collection Day
Hartford DPW operates five weekday routes. Select your collection day below for your full schedule — or use the official address map to look up your exact day.
👈 Select your day above, or use the official address lookup to find your exact route.
⚠ Don’t know your day? Use the official Hartford Sanitation Map — enter your address and click your dot. Or call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311. All contact options ↓
Hartford Waste Collection — Quick Facts
The City of Hartford Department of Public Works collects trash and recycling from single-family homes and multi-family properties of 6 units or fewer. Properties with more than 6 units must use private haulers. All five collection routes run Monday through Friday; your day depends on your street address.
Hartford’s Two Collection Streams — What Goes Where
The City of Hartford provides residents with city-issued trash bins and recycling bins. Both are collected on the same weekday, every week. Only city-issued bins are serviced unless other arrangements have been made with DPW.
Trash Bin — City-Issued
All non-recyclable household waste. Must be in the City-issued bin. No hazardous materials, construction debris, or hot ashes.
Weekly • City-issued bin onlyRecycling Bin — Single-Stream
All recyclables together, no sorting. Items must be empty, rinsed, clean, and open. Do not shred, bag, box, or bundle.
Weekly • Same day as trash⏰ Set-Out Rules
- Place bins curbside after 4:00 PM the evening before your collection day, or before 7:00 AM the morning of collection.
- Remove bins from the curb within 24 hours after collection. Leaving bins out 24+ hours can result in a fine (Infraction #26).
- Only city-issued trash bins are collected. Personal trash cans, bags left outside, or non-city bins will not be picked up.
- Parking is prohibited on most Hartford streets on your trash collection day. See the parking section below for your street’s rules.
Hartford Holiday Trash Collection Schedule 2026
Hartford DPW observes 13 City holidays. When a holiday falls during the week, trash collection on that day and all subsequent days that week are delayed by one day. The same parking restrictions apply on the delayed collection day. Call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 for specific holiday schedule details.
| Holiday | 2026 Date | Impact | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thu, Jan 1 | 1-Day Delay | Thu → Fri | Mon–Wed: normal |
| MLK Jr. Day | Mon, Jan 19 | 1-Day Delay | All routes that week shift one day later |
| Lincoln’s Birthday | Fri, Feb 13 | 1-Day Delay | Fri → Sat | Mon–Thu: normal |
| Washington’s Birthday | Mon, Feb 16 | 1-Day Delay | All routes that week shift one day later |
| Good Friday | Fri, Apr 3 | 1-Day Delay | Fri → Sat | Mon–Thu: normal |
| Memorial Day | Mon, May 25 | 1-Day Delay | All routes that week shift one day later |
| Juneteenth | Fri, Jun 19 | 1-Day Delay | Fri → Sat | Mon–Thu: normal |
| Independence Day | Sat, Jul 4 | Normal | Falls on Saturday — no weekday impact |
| Labor Day | Mon, Sep 7 | 1-Day Delay | All routes that week shift one day later |
| Columbus Day | Mon, Oct 12 | 1-Day Delay | All routes that week shift one day later |
| Veterans’ Day | Wed, Nov 11 | 1-Day Delay | Wed → Thu | Thu → Fri | Mon–Tue: normal |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thu, Nov 26 | 1-Day Delay | Thu → Fri | Mon–Wed: normal |
| Christmas Day | Fri, Dec 25 | 1-Day Delay | Fri → Sat | Mon–Thu: normal |
Hartford Recycling — Single-Stream, Every Week
Hartford uses single-stream recycling, collected every week on the same day as your trash. Connecticut has a universal accepted materials list. All items must be empty, rinsed, clean, and open. Do not shred, bag, box, or bundle recyclables.
✅ Accepted in the Recycling Bin
- Paper: newspapers, magazines, junk mail, office paper
- Flattened cardboard and box board
- Aluminum, steel, and tin cans
- Glass bottles and jars (rinsed)
- Plastic bottles, jugs, and containers (rinsed, open)
- Cartons: milk, juice, soup (rinsed)
- Empty aerosol cans
🚫 Never in the Recycling Bin
- Plastic bags or film → grocery store drop-off
- Styrofoam → trash bin
- Food waste → trash bin
- Electronics or batteries → MDC HHW program
- Tanglers: hoses, cords, lights, twine
- Clothing or textiles
- Ceramics, Pyrex, or mirror glass
- Shredded paper (too small to sort)
Hartford Yard Waste & Leaf Collection
Hartford DPW operates a seasonal leaf collection program each fall to allow residents to dispose of fallen leaves before the first heavy snowfall. A spring yard waste collection is also available. Residents should check the City’s published zone schedule for collection windows. Visit the Hartford Yard Waste Collection page for the current season’s schedule.
🌿 Yard Waste Rules
- Yard waste cannot contain garbage, soil, or rocks.
- Loose yard waste and yard waste in plastic bags will not be accepted.
- Large branches and brush are considered bulky waste and require a Bulky Waste Permit — schedule via Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311.
- Yard waste must not be placed in your recycling bin.
- For the spring 2026 schedule, download the Spring Yard Waste Collection flyer (PPTX).
Hartford Bulky Waste Pickup — Schedule by Appointment
Hartford DPW collects bulky waste (large items too big for regular bins) by appointment only. Do not place bulk items at the curb without scheduling first — the fine is $99. Each unit in an eligible 1–6 unit property gets 2 free pickups of up to 5 items per year.
📅 How to Schedule Bulky Waste Pickup
- Call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 or Public Works at (860) 757-9983 to schedule. Have an itemized list of items ready. Confirm your pickup date before ending the call.
- Place items curbside after 4:00 PM the night before your scheduled collection, or before 7:00 AM on the day of collection.
- Place listed items only — unlisted items will not be collected. Items should not block roadways or sidewalks.
- If you need more than your free pickups, schedule additional collections at $75 per collection, or obtain a $10 transfer station permit (max 4 visits) and self-deliver items to the transfer station.
📦 Free Pickup Allocation by Property Size
- 1-family home: 2 free yearly pickups
- 2-family home: 4 free yearly pickups
- 3-family home: 6 free yearly pickups
- 6-family home: 12 free yearly pickups
- Each pickup allows up to 5 items
✅ Accepted Bulky Items
- Furniture: sofas, chairs, tables, bed frames
- Mattresses and box springs
- Appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers)
- Electronics: TVs, computers, monitors
- Small bundles of tree branches
- Tires (limited)
- Carpets and rugs
🚫 Not Accepted — Bulk
- Hazardous or toxic materials → MDC HHW program
- Construction or demolition debris
- Unscheduled items (placed without a confirmed appointment)
- More than 5 items per scheduled pickup
- Items from commercial properties or 7+ unit buildings
Household Hazardous Waste — MDC Regional Program
Hartford residents can dispose of household hazardous waste through the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) regional HHW collection program. Collections are held at local sites each spring and fall on Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Hartford is a participating MDC member community.
🚩 MDC HHW Collections 2026
Held on Saturdays, 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM at rotating local sites.
Hartford residents can attend any MDC-sponsored collection day in any participating town: Bloomfield, East Granby, East Hartford, Hartford, Newington, Rocky Hill, West Hartford, Wethersfield, Windsor, Windsor Locks.
🚩 Schedule & Info Packet
Download the 2026 HazWaste Information Packet at themdc.org for the full schedule of collection dates, locations, accepted items, and alternative disposal options.
No appointment needed for MDC community collection days.
Also available: small business, non-profit, and municipality collection options.
✅ Accepted at MDC HHW Events
- Paint: latex and oil-based
- Household chemicals and solvents
- Motor oil and automotive fluids
- Batteries (all types)
- Fluorescent and CFL bulbs
- Electronics: TVs, computers, phones
- Pesticides and herbicides
- Pool chemicals
🚫 Not Accepted at MDC Events
- Unlabeled containers with unknown contents
- Radioactive materials
- Explosives or ammunition
- Waste from spills or cleanups
- Hazardous waste generated by a business
- Regular household trash
Parking Restrictions on Hartford Collection Days
As part of a citywide program, parking is prohibited on most Hartford streets on your trash collection day, except for vehicles with a valid handicap tag. Certain streets are designated as Sanitation Safe Parking Zones where parking is permitted. The same restrictions apply when collection is delayed due to a holiday.
🚗 Sanitation Safe Parking Zones (Examples)
- Monday: Franklin Ave (Preston St to Maple Ave), Maple Ave, Wethersfield Ave (Preston St to Wethersfield Townline)
- Tuesday: Broad St (Vernon St to New Britain Ave), Chandler St, Fairfield Ave, Maple Ave, Waterford St
- Wednesday: Allen Pl, Broad St (Park St to Allen Pl), Farmington Ave (Prospect to Sisson Ave), Orange St, Park St, Wilson St, and others
- Thursday: Blue Hills Ave, Coventry St, Elizabeth St, Farmington Ave, Fraser Pl, Gillett St, Huntington St, Imlay St, Whitney St, and others
- Friday: Barbour St, Capen St, Vine St, Albany Ave, Battles St
For the complete official street list and parking zone maps, visit hartfordct.gov/Government/Departments/Public-Works/Waste-Recycling-Division.
What to Do If Your Trash Wasn’t Collected in Hartford
- Confirm your collection day using the Hartford Sanitation Map or call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311. Verify your property is eligible (1–6 unit residential).
- Check for a holiday delay. Hartford observes 13 holidays that can delay collection. If a holiday fell earlier in your collection week, your route may run one day later.
- Verify bin placement: bins must be out after 4:00 PM the night before (or before 7:00 AM day-of), and returned within 24 hours of collection.
- Check for a red violation notice. If DPW left a Waste & Recycling Notice at your property, read the infraction number. Infraction #10 = hazardous waste left out; Infraction #26 = bins left out more than 24 hours. Resolve the issue before next collection.
- Check that only city-issued bins were placed out. Non-city bins, personal trash cans, and loose bags are not collected.
- Call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 to report the missed pickup. DPW will arrange a follow-up collection.
Hartford Trash & Recycling Tips Every Resident Should Know
🏠 New to Hartford or Just Moved In?
Use the Hartford Sanitation Map to find your collection day by entering your address. If you don’t have a city-issued trash bin, call Hartford 311 at (860) 757-9311 to request one. Recycling bins are also issued by the City; call 311 if yours is missing.
🚫 5 Common Mistakes Hartford Residents Make
- Using non-city-issued trash bins — they will not be collected
- Placing bulk items curbside without an appointment — $99 fine
- Forgetting the 13 City holidays — Hartford observes more than most cities, including Lincoln’s Birthday, Good Friday, Juneteenth, and Columbus Day
- Parking on the street on collection day — check your street’s safe parking zone status
- Putting plastic bags, shredded paper, or food waste in the recycling bin
🚚 Private Haulers for Ineligible Properties
If your property has more than 6 units or is commercial, the City does not provide trash service. Hartford-area private haulers include: All Waste, Inc. (860-952-0256), CWPM (860-747-1335), Dainty Rubbish (860-525-8889), Paine’s Inc. (860-844-3000), USA Hauling & Recycling (860-746-3200), and Windsor Sanitation (860-688-3955).
Contact Hartford DPW & Waste Services
| Contact | Details |
|---|---|
| Hartford 311 | 📞 (860) 757-9311 — missed pickups, bulk scheduling, collection day questions, all city services |
| Public Works Direct | 📞 (860) 757-9983 — DPW Waste & Recycling Division direct line |
| Hartford Sanitation Map | gis.hartford.gov/PublicWorks/Sanitation — enter your address to find your trash day and route |
| DPW Waste & Recycling Page | hartfordct.gov — Waste & Recycling Division — full rules, bulky waste, yard waste, holiday schedule |
| MDC HHW Collections | themdc.org — 2026 HHW schedule, participating towns, accepted materials |
| RecycleCT | recyclect.com — Connecticut universal recycling guide, what goes in & what stays out |
| City Hall | 550 Main St, Suite 001, Hartford CT 06103 |
Frequently Asked Questions — Hartford Trash Pickup
Still Can’t Find Your Collection Day?
The Hartford Sanitation Map is the most accurate tool for finding your exact trash day by address. Enter your street address in the top-right corner of the map, then click the dot that appears on your property to see your route and collection day.
🔍 Official Hartford Lookup & Contact Options
All of the following are the authoritative sources for Hartford residential waste information:
🔍 Hartford Sanitation Map 📞 Call Hartford 311| Hartford Sanitation Map | gis.hartford.gov/PublicWorks/Sanitation — enter your address to find your trash collection day and route |
| Hartford 311 | (860) 757-9311 — missed pickups, bulk scheduling, bin requests, holiday schedule questions, all city services |
| DPW Waste & Recycling | hartfordct.gov — Waste & Recycling Division — full collection rules, bulky waste, yard waste, parking zones, private haulers |
| Public Works Direct | (860) 757-9983 — DPW direct for service questions |
| MDC HHW Program | themdc.org — 2026 Household HazWaste collection schedule, accepted materials, locations |
| RecycleCT | recyclect.com — Connecticut universal recycling guide |
You will leave this website when using any of the links above. The Hartford Sanitation Map is the most complete source for address-based collection day information.
Trash & Recycling Schedules for Other US Cities
Looking for waste collection information in another city? Here are cities we’ve already covered with full schedules, recycling rules, and bulk pickup guides: