City help · City of Columbus
Columbus trash pickup schedule, recycling, and bulk pickup (2026)
Columbus collects trash and recycling weekly and yard waste every other week. Find your day by address at the City's 311 site or the PickUp CBUS app. There is no pickup on 11 city holidays in 2026; after each one, color-schedule trash days move forward a day. Bulk items must be scheduled through 311 first. Checked Sep 22, 2026.
Find your collection day
The City's 311 site ↗ and the PickUp CBUS app look up your address and return your trash, recycling, and yard waste days, a reminder signup, and a printable calendar. Or call 614-645-3111. Not every address is on the color schedule; if yours is, the color's hotline states the current day around the clock.
- Navy 614-645-6289
- Pink 614-645-7465
- Ruby 614-645-7829
- Gold 614-645-4653
- Gray 614-645-4729
Carts out no earlier than 6 p.m. the day before and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day; back in by 2 p.m. the day after. Crews run 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday.
2026 holiday schedule
No trash collection on city-observed holidays. For residents on a color schedule, every collection day after the holiday moves forward one day and stays there until the next holiday. Recycling and yard waste are delayed one day only in the holiday week, with Friday routes collected Saturday.
- Thu, Jan 1 New Year's Day
- Mon, Jan 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Mon, Feb 16 Presidents Day
- Mon, May 25 Memorial Day
- Fri, Jun 19 Juneteenth
- Fri, Jul 3 Independence Day (observed)
- Mon, Sep 7 Labor Day
- Mon, Oct 12 Indigenous Peoples Day
- Wed, Nov 11 Veterans Day
- Thu, Nov 26 Thanksgiving Day
- Fri, Dec 25 Christmas Day
The trash calendar marks eleven holidays; the recycling and yard waste calendar marks six (New Year's, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas). Good Friday does not affect collection.
Recycling: what goes in the blue cart
Weekly, in the 64-gallon blue cart, since June 2023. No fee.
Yes
- Paper and flattened cardboard
- Plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, and cups (lids on, straws out)
- Glass bottles and jars, any color
- Metal cans and cups (aerosol tips removed)
- Cartons, rinsed, lids removed
No
- Plastic bags, wrap, or film (keep recyclables loose)
- Batteries, propane tanks, flammables
- Tanglers: hoses, wires, chains, clothing, electronics
- Plastic or foam plates and food containers
- Dirty containers; rinse jars first
Damaged or stolen carts: contact 311 with the serial number; the property owner requests replacements. Replacement trash cart $90, recycling cart $45. One extra cart of each is allowed per household, about $97 for trash and $48 for recycling. Prices subject to change.
Overflow and items the cart will not take: search Recycle Right ↗ for the item, or use a SWACO drop-off box ↗.
Bulk pickup
Schedule online through 311 or call 614-645-3111. Nothing is collected unscheduled. Out no earlier than 72 hours before and no later than 6 a.m. on the scheduled day, at the curb or alley line.
Accepted
- Furniture
- Carpet, rolled 4 feet long by 2 feet wide and tied
- Appliances without refrigerant, such as dishwashers and washers
- Mattresses and upholstered items, fully sealed in plastic; tell 311 about bed bugs
Not accepted
- Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, and other refrigerant appliances
- Tires, auto parts, building and excavation material
- Hazardous, flammable, or explosive items
- Pianos, hot tubs, pool tables, furnaces
- Move-out, eviction, or foreclosure set-outs (use a licensed hauler)
- Bags and boxes (not bulk)
Free for Columbus residents at the Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers, 2100 Alum Creek Dr. and 1550 Georgesville Rd., Tuesday through Saturday, 9 to 5.
Yard waste
Every other week, on an A or B zone schedule, all year in 2026.
- Paper yard bags, or plastic or metal cans with handles marked Yard Waste, 32 gallons and 50 pounds max; no plastic bags
- Branches under 4 inches thick, cut under 4 feet, bundles under 2 feet wide
- Grass, leaves, twigs, shrubbery only; no dirt, sod, rocks, or food
- Set 3 feet from carts, hydrants, mailboxes, and trees
Hazardous waste and electronics
SWACO Household Hazardous Waste drop-off, 645 E. 8th Ave., Columbus 43201. Monday through Friday 9 to 5, and the first Saturday of each month 9 to 2. Closed holidays. Franklin County residents only; no businesses. Free, except latex paint at about $1 per gallon. Phone 614-294-1300.
SWACO Recycling Convenience Center, 2566 Jackson Pike, Monday through Friday 9:30 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 4, takes TVs and monitors for $15 to $45 and tires for $5. The City's Convenience Centers take computers, printers, and phones free for Columbus residents.
Who to call, and missed pickups
311: 614-645-3111, Phone Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; online and the CBUS 311 app any time. Submit a request ↗ or track one ↗. Email [email protected].
Report a missed pickup to 311 with your name, address, and phone. The City lists common causes: the cart went out after the truck passed, it held prohibited material, a parked car blocked it, or it was in the wrong spot. No reporting deadline is published.
Outside the city limits
A Columbus mailing address does not mean City of Columbus service. Suburbs run their own contracts; each row links to that city's page.
| Place | Hauler | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bexley | Rumpke, billed with the water bill | Mondays. Report a miss before 2 p.m. Tuesday. | City page ↗ |
| Dublin | Rumpke | Wednesdays; holiday weeks shift to Thursday. | City page ↗ |
| Gahanna | Local Waste Services | Mondays west of Route 62, Tuesdays east. | City page ↗ |
| Grandview Heights | City crews, no fee | Day by sanitation route map; recycling needs a sticker. | City page ↗ |
| Grove City | Local Waste Services, billed quarterly | Same-day trash, recycling, and yard waste. | City page ↗ |
| Hilliard | Local Waste Services | Tuesdays, out by 7 a.m. | City page ↗ |
| Upper Arlington | Local Waste Services, billed twice a year | Bulk at the curb by 7 a.m. on your regular day. | City page ↗ |
| Westerville | City with Rumpke | Trash and recycling Tuesdays, yard waste Mondays. | City page ↗ |
| Worthington | Local Waste Services | Fridays, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. | City page ↗ |
Common questions
- How do I find my Columbus trash day?
- Enter your address at the City's 311 site (https://www.columbus.gov/311) or in the PickUp CBUS app. It shows your trash, recycling, and yard waste days and can send reminders. If you are on a color schedule, the color hotlines give the current day.
- Is there trash pickup on holidays in Columbus in 2026?
- No. No trash collection on city-observed holidays. For residents on a color schedule, every collection day after the holiday moves forward one day and stays there until the next holiday. Recycling and yard waste are delayed one day only in the holiday week, with Friday routes collected Saturday.
- Is Columbus recycling weekly or every other week?
- Weekly, in the 64-gallon blue cart, since June 2023. No fee.
- Can I put plastic bags in the Columbus recycling cart?
- No. Plastic bags, wrap, and film are not accepted. Keep recyclables loose in the cart.
- How do I get rid of a couch or mattress in Columbus?
- Schedule online through 311 or call 614-645-3111. Nothing is collected unscheduled. Mattresses and upholstered furniture must be sealed in plastic. Free for Columbus residents at the Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers, 2100 Alum Creek Dr. and 1550 Georgesville Rd., Tuesday through Saturday, 9 to 5.
- Where do I take paint, batteries, or a TV?
- SWACO Household Hazardous Waste drop-off, 645 E. 8th Ave., Columbus 43201, Monday through Friday 9 to 5, and the first Saturday of each month 9 to 2. Closed holidays. Franklin County residents only; no businesses. SWACO Recycling Convenience Center, 2566 Jackson Pike, Monday through Friday 9:30 to 5 and Saturday 9 to 4, takes TVs and monitors for $15 to $45 and tires for $5. The City's Convenience Centers take computers, printers, and phones free for Columbus residents.
- My trash was not picked up. What do I do?
- Report a missed pickup to 311 with your name, address, and phone. The City lists common causes: the cart went out after the truck passed, it held prohibited material, a parked car blocked it, or it was in the wrong spot. No reporting deadline is published.
Sources and check dates
City of Columbus and SWACO pages only, each read on Sep 22, 2026. Holiday dates were read from the City's 2026 calendars. Fees and hours change; the linked page wins if it differs. See how we check facts.
- columbus.gov/Services/Trash-Recycling-Bulk-Collection/Find-My-Collection-Day
- columbus.gov/Services/Trash-Recycling-Bulk-Collection/Household-Trash-Collection
- columbus.gov/files/sharedassets/city/v/1/public-service/trash-recycling-amp-bulk-collectio
- columbus.gov/files/sharedassets/city/v/1/public-service/trash-recycling-amp-bulk-collectio
- columbus.gov/Services/Trash-Recycling-Bulk-Collection/How-to-Dispose-or-Recycle/How-to-Rec
- columbus.gov/Services/Trash-Recycling-Bulk-Collection/How-to-Dispose-or-Recycle/Trash-Recy
- columbus.gov/Services/Trash-Recycling-Bulk-Collection/Bulk-Collection
- columbus.gov/Services/Trash-Recycling-Bulk-Collection/How-to-Dispose-or-Recycle/Other-Recy
- columbus.gov/Services/Trash-Recycling-Bulk-Collection/Yard-Waste-Collection
- swaco.org/195/Household-Hazardous-Waste
- swaco.org/459/Recycling-Convenience-Center
- swaco.org/diversion/communities/recycling-drop-off-program/
- columbus.gov/311
- columbus.gov/Services/Trash-Recycling-Bulk-Collection/How-to-Dispose-or-Recycle/Common-Que