Skip to content

When Is Trash Day? How to Find Your Trash Collection Schedule in Any City

You just moved. Or maybe you've lived here for years and keep forgetting. Either way, you need to know: what day does the garbage truck come?

It sounds like a simple question, but every city in America does it differently. Some have online lookup tools. Some bury the information in a PDF from 2019. Some require you to call a phone number during business hours. And if there's a holiday? Good luck figuring out whether your pickup shifted by a day.

Here are five ways to find your trash collection schedule — ranked from fastest to most old-school.

Method 1: Use an Address Lookup Tool (Fastest)

The fastest way to find your trash day is an address-specific lookup tool. Enter your address, get your exact pickup day — including recycling schedule and holiday adjustments.

TrashAlert covers 4 million+ addresses across 9 US cities. You enter your street address, and in under a second you get:

Currently covered cities:

San Diego · Austin · Houston · Phoenix · Philadelphia · Los Angeles · Boston · Denver · New York City

Look up your address now →

Method 2: Check Your City's Website

Most cities have trash collection information on their Public Works or Environmental Services department page. The challenge: it's often buried several clicks deep, and the format varies wildly.

What you'll typically find:

Pro tip: Search “[your city] trash pickup schedule” — the city page usually shows up in the first few results. Look for the “.gov” domain.

Method 3: Call 311

In most major US cities, dialing 311 connects you to non-emergency city services. Trash collection schedule is one of the most common questions they get.

Pros: You'll get a human who can look up your specific address. Cons: Wait times can be 10-30 minutes, and 311 is typically only available during business hours (Mon-Fri, 8 AM - 5 PM). Not helpful at 10 PM on a Sunday when you're wondering if tomorrow is trash day.

Method 4: Ask Your Neighbors

The old-fashioned approach, and surprisingly reliable. Your next-door neighbor has the same pickup day you do (usually — some addresses on the same street can be on different routes).

Pro tip: On your first morning in a new place, look outside. If neighbors have their bins out, that's your day. If you see them bringing bins back in, you missed it by one day.

Method 5: Check Your Waste Hauler's Website

Not every city handles trash collection directly. Many contract with private waste haulers like Waste Management, Republic Services, or EDCO. If your city uses a private hauler:

What About Holidays?

Holidays are the #1 reason people miss trash day. In most US cities, these holidays shift collection by one day for the rest of the week:

How the shift works: If the holiday falls on Monday and your normal pickup is Tuesday, your pickup moves to Wednesday. Wednesday moves to Thursday. And so on. Friday pickups may move to Saturday or stay the same — it depends on the city.

San Diego Trash Schedule

San Diego uses a city-managed collection system for most neighborhoods. Pickup day depends on your specific address and route. EDCO handles some areas (like Encinitas and La Mesa) under contract.

Look up your San Diego pickup day →

Austin Trash Schedule

Austin Resource Recovery handles trash collection for the city. Austin uses an A/B week system for recycling, similar to San Diego.

Look up your Austin pickup day →

Never miss trash day again

Enter your address once. Get your exact schedule with holiday adjustments and optional night-before reminders.

Look Up Your Address Now →

Free. No account required. 4M+ addresses covered.

Related articles