How Memphis Handles Trash & Recycling: A Practical Guide

Memphis maintains 129 local ordinances across all categories, and 9 of those deal specifically with trash & recycling. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Memphis falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Collection Schedule

City Code § 9-56-3 makes solid waste collection in Memphis exclusive to the city: no one else may collect, remove or dispose of solid waste here except a private collector holding a location permit under § 9-56-25. Every residential unit is automatically issued at least one 90-gallon garbage cart under § 9-56-12 and billed monthly, whether or not the cart is ever set out.

Key details: Enforcing agency: City of Memphis Solid Waste Division. Minimum cart assignment: One 90-gal garbage + one 90-gal recycle cart. Standard monthly fee: $41.96 single-family/duplex/triplex/quadruplex. Reduced senior/disabled fee: $9.23/month, income ≤$25,000. Nonpayment consequence: Water shutoff after 30 days delinquent.

Chapter 9-56 (Garbage, Trash and Refuse) is one of the chapters listed in § 1-24-1(C) that carries a minimum $200.00 penalty for any violation, in addition to the standard misdemeanor fine under § 1-24-1(A), and each day a violation continues is a separate offense. An unpermitted hauler collecting waste in Memphis violates § 9-56-3 directly; a delinquent residential account faces water-service termination and suspended collection under § 9-56-15(B) until the balance is paid.

Recycling Rules

Every residential solid waste account in Memphis is assigned at least one 90-gallon recycle cart alongside its required 90-gallon garbage cart under City Code § 9-56-12, Note 1, and the city defines a 'recycling bin' at § 9-56-1 as any container it distributes for collecting recyclable materials curbside.

Key details: Cart size: 90-gallon recycle cart, minimum one per unit. Standard set: one garbage + one recycle cart. Reduced fee: $9.23/month for qualifying seniors/disabled. Standard fee: $41.96/month residential. Interference: unlawful under § 9-56-20.

Interfering with a recycling bin or garbage cart, or removing its contents, is unlawful under § 9-56-20 for anyone other than the property's owner or occupant or an authorized city or licensed private collector. Households keeping an unregistered or unauthorized city-issued cart are subject to confiscation under § 9-56-7(E), and damage from failing to secure a cart is billed to the person in possession of the premises.

Yard Waste Collection

Memphis Code § 9-56-11 requires leaves, grass cuttings, garden trimmings, weeds and roots to go out in disposable containers or carts at the front property line, or the back line where alley pickup runs, and caps each container at roughly 30 gallons, the maximum a collector can lift by hand. Bulky trimmings and tree limbs must be separated and neatly placed at the curb.

Key details: Governing section: Memphis Code § 9-56-11. Container cap: ~30-gallon capacity, hand-liftable. Limb/log limit: Over 13 in. diameter or 5 ft not collected. Placement: Front property line (or back line for alley). Newspapers/magazines: Must be bundled and securely tied.

Chapter 9-56 carries a minimum $200.00 penalty per violation under § 1-24-1(C), on top of the general misdemeanor fine of up to $50.00 under § 1-24-1(A), and each day noncompliant yard waste sits out improperly bagged, oversized, or mixed with regular garbage counts as a separate offense. Limbs and logs exceeding the 13-inch/five-foot limit are simply left uncollected until the owner arranges private hauling.

Illegal Dumping

Memphis Code § 9-60-2 bans throwing, dumping or depositing litter on any property, public or private, and on parkways, streets, parks or recreation areas unless the site is designated for that use. A violation is a misdemeanor carrying up to a $50.00 fine per offense under § 9-60-7, plus a $50.00 traffic citation and possible vehicle impoundment when dumping is traced to a motor vehicle.

Key details: Governing section: § 9-60-2, Chapter 9-60 Litter Control. Maximum fine: $50.00 per violation, § 9-60-7. Vehicle-linked dumping: Additional $50.00 traffic citation. Unpaid citation: Grounds for vehicle impoundment, § 11-40-27. Evidence rule: Named item on litter = prima facie evidence.

Section 9-60-7 makes any violation of the litter control chapter a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $50.00, with each violation treated as a separate offense. When the dumping is tied to an identified motor vehicle, the city also issues a $50.00 traffic citation against that vehicle, and if the citation goes unpaid it becomes grounds for impoundment or immobilization of the vehicle under § 11-40-27.

This is one of the stricter rules in Memphis's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Dumpster Rules

Memphis Code § 9-56-26.1 regulates commercial dumpsters in the downtown solid waste collection district bounded by the Mississippi River, Auction Street, Danny Thomas Boulevard and G.E. Patterson. Any dumpster there needs a location permit, must be screened from public view unless in an approved right-of-way site, and its owner pays the city $200.00 a month for the right-of-way space.

Key details: District boundary: Mississippi River, Auction St., Danny Thomas Blvd., G.E. Patterson. Right-of-way fee: $200.00/month per dumpster. Screening: Required if visible from public view. Locking: Padlocked at all times, § 9-56-26.1(H)(2). Penalty: Up to $50.00/day, each day separate offense.

Violating § 9-56-26.1 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $50.00 per violation, and each day the noncompliance continues, an unpadlocked dumpster, missing screening, an unpermitted right-of-way placement, is charged as a separate offense. The city or the Downtown Memphis Commission can also physically remove a noncompliant dumpster at the owner's expense after seven days' written notice, or immediately for a permit-less unit.

This is one of the stricter rules in Memphis's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Bulk Item Disposal

Memphis provides bulk waste pickup for items that do not fit in the standard roll cart. Residents must call 311 or use the Memphis 311 app to schedule a bulk pickup. Items should be placed at the curb on the scheduled date. Accepted items include furniture, mattresses, appliances, and large household items. Hazardous waste, tires, and construction debris are not accepted through bulk pickup and must be taken to designated drop-off locations.

Key details: Scheduling: Call 311 or use Memphis 311 app. Accepted Items: Furniture, mattresses, appliances, large items. Not Accepted: Hazardous waste, tires, construction debris. Placement: At curb on scheduled date. Cost: Included in city services for residents.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Memphis collects your green garbage cart and gray recycling cart weekly on the same day, with twice-monthly Outside-the-Cart bulk pickup. Find your day in the Memphis Curbside Collection app; some holidays shift routes.

Key details: Collection frequency: Garbage and recycling weekly. Find your day: Memphis Curbside Collection app. Holiday shift: Monday routes move to Tuesday. Bulk pickup: Outside-the-Cart, twice monthly. Set-out time: By 7 a.m. collection day.

Under City Code Chapter 9-56, carts go out by 7 a.m. (not before 5 p.m. the prior day), within three feet of the street with the lid facing the street, and removed by 8 a.m. the following day. Violations are enforceable as ordinance offenses.

Recycling Requirements

Memphis provides curbside recycling collection through a separate blue recycling cart. Recycling is single-stream, meaning all accepted recyclables go in one cart. Accepted materials include paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and containers (#1-#7), aluminum and steel cans, and glass bottles. Contaminated items, plastic bags, and food waste should not be placed in the recycling cart. Recycling is collected on the same day as trash but may be on an alternate schedule.

Key details: System: Single-stream curbside recycling. Container: City-issued blue recycling cart. Accepted: Paper, cardboard, plastics #1-7, cans, glass. Not Accepted: Plastic bags, food waste, Styrofoam. Collection: Weekly: check schedule via 311.

Bin Placement Rules

Memphis residents must place their city-issued roll cart at the curb with the handle facing the house and the opening facing the street. Carts must be at least 3 feet from mailboxes, utility poles, parked cars, and other obstacles. Carts should be on a flat surface at the edge of the curb or street. On non-collection days, carts must be stored behind the front plane of the house or otherwise out of public view.

Key details: Cart Orientation: Handle toward house, opening toward street. Clearance: 3 feet from mailboxes, poles, vehicles. Surface: Flat surface at curb edge. Storage: Behind front plane of house on non-collection days.

The Bottom Line

Memphis is tougher than many cities when it comes to trash & recycling. Out of the 9 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Memphis, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

These rules come from Memphis's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.