Washington, D.C. — Trash & Recycling Pickup

Washington, D.C. Trash, Recycling & Food-Waste Pickup Schedule (2025)

Complete guide for District residents: once-a-week trash & recycling for most single-family homes, holiday “slide” rules, bulk pickup by appointment, seasonal leaf collection, the Food Waste Collection program, HHW/e-cycling & drop-offs, and how to report missed service.

Updated:

Find My Pickup Day
What Goes Where
Schedule Bulk Pickup

Frequencies

DPW collects trash & recycling once a week for most single-family homes and buildings with ≤3 units.

Find Your Day

Use the official Collection Day app to see your day, print a calendar, and set reminders.

Bulk Items

By appointment via 311; up to 7 items per appointment.

📍 Address Lookup & Collection Calendar (Official)

Check your exact trash & recycling day(s), get holiday adjustments, and sign up for reminders in DPW’s tools.

Open Collection Day — DPW

🗓️ Weekly Service & Set-out Rules

  • Frequency: most DPW-served homes get once-weekly trash & recycling.
  • Set-out time: place materials out per your building rules and ensure lids can close with clear access for crews. (Confirm specifics in the City app.)
  • Bins & repairs: request new or replacement bins via 311 or the Residential Collection portal.
  • Twice-a-week areas: some neighborhoods follow Mon/Thu or Tue/Fri; holiday slides are handled per the official guide.

♻️ Recycling & 🌿 Food Waste (Compost)

Recycling — What Goes Where

  • Use the District’s What Goes Where lookup to confirm if an item is recyclable, trash, HHW, or drop-off only.
  • Keep recyclables empty, dry & loose (no plastic bags).

Open: What Goes Where

Food Waste Collection (Program)

  • DC’s curbside composting pilot (2023–24) transitioned to a broader Food Waste Collection Program with curbside participants, drop-off, and “smart bins.”
  • There may be a waitlist for curbside enrollment; all residents can use food-scrap drop-offs and smart bins.

📦 Bulk Items — By Appointment (Up to 7)

  • Schedule through 311 (web/app/call) before set-out; up to 7 items per appointment. Place items out the night before (6:30 p.m.–6:00 a.m.).

Schedule Bulk Pickup

🍂 Leaf Collection (Seasonal)

  • Leaf collection typically runs from late October through early February. Check your section and dates in the Leaf Tracker each season. (Example 2024–25 window: Oct 28, 2024–Feb 8, 2025.)
Find your section and set-out rules at dpw.dc.gov/leaf each fall.

🧪 HHW, E-Cycling & Drop-offs

Site / Program Address / Hours Notes
Fort Totten Transfer Station 4900 Bates Rd NE — open for residents & haulers; HHW/e-cycling collected during special events hosted by DPW. See schedule. Check DPW’s HHW/E-cycling & Shredding page for event dates; bring DC ID.
Benning Road Transfer Station 3200 Benning Rd NE — closed to the public for electronics; use DPW HHW events or manufacturer mail-back programs. See DOEE’s e-cycle guidance for options and current status.

🎉 Holiday “Slide” Schedule

  • On City-observed holidays, collections usually “slide” to the next day for the rest of the week. DPW publishes an annual Slide Guide with details (incl. twice-a-week areas).

Open: Holiday Slide Guide

🚚 Missed Pickup — What to Do

  1. Recheck set-out: containers placed on time, lids closed, and accessible.
  2. Report via 311 (web/app/call) after your service day; include photos if possible. Watch DPW alerts on X for weather/operational notes.

📞 Contacts (District of Columbia)

  • DPW — Trash/Recycling hub: service info & day lookup.
  • 311 (DC): bulk appointments, missed pickup, bin requests.
  • Zero Waste DC: item lookup & program resources.
Open: Trash/Recycling — DPW

🔗 Data Sources

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