Trash & Recycling in Fort Smith, AR

If you live in Fort Smith or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Fort Smith has 7 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Recycling Requirements

Every Fort Smith residential customer can get a free city recycle cart for curbside pickup, with cardboard, paper, plastics, aluminum, and tin commingled and collected every other week.

Key details: Cart cost: Free, on request. Cart sizes: 65 or 95 gallons. Materials: Cardboard, paper, plastics, aluminum, tin. Pickup frequency: Every other week. Damage replacement: $70-$90 per cart.

There's no penalty for not recycling, participation is by request, but damaging a city-issued cart through neglect or misuse triggers a $70 or $90 replacement charge depending on cart size.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Fort Smith gives residents more flexibility on recycling requirements.

Bin Placement Rules

Fort Smith residents can't roll garbage and recycling carts to the curb before noon the day before pickup, and empty carts must be back off the right-of-way by midnight on collection day.

Key details: Earliest set-out: Noon the day before pickup. Must be removed by: Midnight on collection day. Placement: Curbside or beside alley. Exempt area: Alley rights-of-way.

Setting carts out early or leaving them at the curb past midnight on collection day violates the code; continuing violations carry a fine under the city's general penalty section.

Bulk Item Disposal

Fort Smith residential customers get one free dial-a-truck pickup of up to five bulky items every three months, plus a separate paid brush-collection service for material too big for the yard-waste bin.

Key details: Free bulky pickup: 5 items, every 3 months. Extra items: $60-$180 flat fee. Brush size limit: Under 8 ft, 1 ft diameter. Brush placement: Curbside or public right-of-way.

Requesting more than the free quarterly dial-a-truck allowance without paying the per-item fee, or setting out brush that isn't curbside and within the size limits, means the pickup isn't made until the fee is paid or the material is re-cut.

Dumpster Rules

New commercial and multifamily development in Fort Smith must show dumpster location and a screening plan on its development plan before the city issues a building permit.

Key details: Applies to: Nonresidential 5,000+ sq ft or 8+ units. Requires: Dumpster location and screening plan. Reviewed by: Planning and zoning director. Also required on: Final landscape and architectural plans.

A development plan missing the required dumpster location and screening detail is incomplete and won't be approved, which holds up the building permit for the project.

Collection Schedule

The City of Fort Smith collects residential garbage once a week and picks up recyclables and yard waste every other week, on a schedule the city administrator sets.

Key details: Garbage pickup: Once per week. Recycling/yard waste: Every other week. Monthly residential rate: $15.89 plus sales tax. Schedule set by: City administrator or designee.

Not a punishable offense on its own: it's the fixed pickup schedule; unpaid solid waste service fees are billed and collected like other city utility charges.

Yard Waste Collection

Fort Smith picks up yard waste every other week and offers a paid brush service for bulkier limbs and trimmings.

Key details: Collection frequency: every other week. Brush size limit: under 8 ft, under 1 ft diameter. Brush fee (0-10 cu yd): $60.00 flat fee. Excludes: commercial tree trimmer/landscaper debris.

Brush collection is fee-based, billed by volume from $60 for up to 10 cubic yards to $180 for loads over 20 cubic yards; oversized trunks/branches or contractor-generated debris are refused under the residential program.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping solid waste or animal carcasses anywhere in Fort Smith without the city administrator's advance written approval is unlawful, backed by fines that climb with each repeat offense.

Key details: Prohibited: Dumping solid waste anywhere unapproved. Includes: Animal carcass transfer storage. First offense fine: Up to $1,000. Continuing violation: Up to $500 per day. Approval authority: City administrator, in writing.

Up to $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 for a second, and $4,000 for each subsequent offense, plus up to $500 per day the dumping continues uncorrected (City Code § 1-9).

Compared to other cities, Fort Smith takes a harder line on illegal dumping. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

Fort Smith's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Fort Smith is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Fort Smith can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.