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

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Knoxville’s Garbage, Service Day and Disposal Information, Recycling, Drop-Off Centers, Transfer Station, Household Hazardous Waste and Leaf Collection pages.

The City of Knoxville picks up household garbage once a week and curbside recycling every other week. The city’s contractor, Waste Connections, runs the routes. There is no separate bill: the city says trash and recycling are paid for through city taxes. To report a missed pickup or a broken cart, call 311 (865-215-4311).

Check your day again this fall. The city re-routed some trash and recycling service days, and says that as of Oct. 13, 2026, its Service Day and Disposal lookup shows the correct day for every eligible city address.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, carts, recycling sign-up, brush and leaves: Knoxville 311, 865-215-4311
• Household Hazardous Waste facility: 865-215-6710, 1033 Elm St.
• Transfer Station: 1033 Elm St.
• Outside city limits: Knox County Solid Waste (the county runs its own convenience centers)

Curbside garbage

• Once a week, on the day the city lookup gives for your address.
• Cart out by 7 a.m. on pickup day. The city asks you to bring the empty cart back from the curb by 9 p.m. the same day.
• Missed pickup: the city asks you to wait until the next business day before reporting it to 311.
• Extra cart: you can rent a second garbage cart from Waste Connections for a monthly fee.
• Bags that do not fit in the cart are not collected as bulky waste.

Some older homes and residents who cannot roll a cart to the curb can ask about the city’s backdoor garbage service.

Holidays

The city says Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only planned days of the year when curbside trash and recycling are not picked up as scheduled. Every other holiday, pickup runs on the normal day. Severe weather can still delay a route; the city posts changes on its news page.

Recycling

Curbside recycling is free but you have to ask for it. Sign up on the city’s recycling page or by calling 311. The cart is collected every other week. Flatten cardboard boxes and put them in the recycling cart.

Glass is not collected at the curb and has not been since January 2017. Take it to one of the city’s recycling drop-off centers, staffed by Goodwill, or to UT’s Recycling Center. The city says Knox County convenience centers do not take glass. Plastic bags are not accepted at the drop-off centers.

The city changed the centers’ hours this year; check the Drop-Off Centers page before you go.

Bulky waste

Bulky waste is furniture, appliances, tires with the rims removed, old personal trash cans and other approved household items too big for an empty garbage cart. Request a pickup through 311. The city’s bulky waste page lists what it will not take:

• Extra bags of garbage
• Construction, renovation and demolition waste
• Very heavy or very bulky items such as pianos and auto parts
• Items more than 6 feet long

Brush and leaves

• Brush (March through October): crews pick up a pile up to 6 feet by 6 feet by 6 feet on a two-week cycle.
• Leaves (November through February): brush pickup stops and crews vacuum loose leaves neighborhood by neighborhood. Rake leaves loose to the street edge, not to the alley, by the Monday of your pickup week. Do not bag them; plastic bags jam the mulching equipment.

The city’s Leaf Collection page shows where the crews are. Last season the city said it collected more than 7,000 tons of leaves and turned them into mulch.

Transfer Station and hazardous waste

The city’s Transfer Station and Household Hazardous Waste facility share a site at 1033 Elm St. The city lists these hours:

• Free day: the first Saturday of each month is free for City of Knoxville residents, unless a holiday closes the site. County residents and businesses cannot use it that day.
• Transfer Station limits: no brush, no shingles, no commercial vehicles or dump trucks, four tires a day, and one visit per household on free days.
• Hazardous waste: free for accepted materials. Each day you can bring up to 20 gallons of oil-based paint, 10 gallons of other liquids and 100 pounds of material, in containers no bigger than 5 gallons. Every vehicle crosses the scale. Businesses must hire a private contractor.

What this means for you

• New to Knoxville? Look up your address, sign up for recycling the same day, and keep glass in a separate bin for the drop-off center.
• Moving in or out? Big loads and furniture go to the Transfer Station; the first Saturday of the month costs nothing for city residents.

Related guides: who to call at City Hall, moving to Knoxville and parks and trails.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Knoxville?

It depends on your address. Garbage is picked up once a week and recycling every other week; the city’s Service Day and Disposal lookup gives the day for each address and was updated Oct. 13, 2026, after a re-route.

Does Knoxville pick up trash on holidays?

Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only planned days of the year when the city’s curbside trash and recycling are not picked up as scheduled.

Does Knoxville recycle glass?

Not at the curb. Glass goes to the city’s recycling drop-off centers or UT’s Recycling Center; Knox County convenience centers do not take it.

How do I get a recycling cart in Knoxville?

Sign up online or call 311 (865-215-4311). Curbside recycling is free for city residents; trash and recycling are paid for through city taxes.

Where can I take household hazardous waste in Knoxville?

The Household Hazardous Waste facility at 1033 Elm St., 865-215-6710. Drop-off of accepted materials is free for residents.