Trash & Recycling in Columbus, IN (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Columbus, Indiana, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
The City of Columbus, Indiana collects residential solid waste once per week, and it must be at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the designated day. Containers go out no earlier than twenty-four hours before pickup and come in within twenty-four hours after. Apartments and commercial sites hire a private hauler.
Trash Pickup Rules and Set-Out Times, Columbus, Indiana
Some RestrictionsColumbus Municipal Code § 8.24.030
The city services manager, through the adoption and promulgation of rules by the board, shall be authorized to fix and arrange the dates and schedules for the public collection of solid waste in the various sections of the city. Apartment complexes, commercial and industrial establishments, and residents residing on private streets in for profit residential establishments shall be responsible f...
Bin Placement Rules
In the City of Columbus, Indiana, toters go to the curb no earlier than twenty-four hours before collection and come back within twenty-four hours after pickup. Between pickups they belong in a side or rear yard or an enclosure that hides them from public view.
Garbage Toter Set-Out Rules in Columbus, Indiana
Some RestrictionsColumbus Municipal Code § 8.24.090
City-owned containers and city-approved containers shall be placed at curbside no earlier than twenty-four hours prior to the scheduled collection time and shall be removed within twenty-four hours after pickup and placed in either a side or rear yard or placed within a building, structure or other enclosure that minimizes or substantially obstructs the toter from public view. In lieu of these ...
Bulk Item Disposal
In the City of Columbus, Indiana, cardboard boxes must be flattened and stacked neatly, tree cuttings cannot exceed six feet in length, and newspapers must be bundled when they are outside an approved container. Tires, batteries and other items are refused outright.
Boxes and Tree Cuttings Disposal in Columbus, Indiana
Some RestrictionsColumbus Municipal Code § 8.24.130
When disposing of cardboard boxes, they shall be flattened and stacked neatly. Tree cuttings, not to exceed six feet in length, shall be piled neatly and free of any other solid waste. Newspapers shall be bundled when they are not in an approved container.
Illegal Dumping
In the City of Columbus, Indiana, Columbus Municipal Code § 8.24.280 bars throwing or depositing solid waste anywhere except a city-owned or city-approved container. After a 24-hour written notice, the city cleans up and bills a fee of at least $50 and no more than $250, and unpaid fees go to court.
Illegal Dumping Rules in Columbus, Indiana
Some RestrictionsColumbus Municipal Code § 8.24.280
A. No person shall throw, place or deposit solid waste in any street or other place or on any public or private property except in proper city-owned or city-approved containers, ... F. In the event any solid waste is disposed of improperly, as above set forth, the property owner or if responsible party can be determined as in subsections A, C, D and E of this section, permitting or causing such...
Yard Waste Collection
In the City of Columbus, Indiana, grass and leaves go in a city-owned or city-approved container and are collected curbside only by composting crews, one day after the regular sanitation route, with Friday material collected on Monday.
Grass and Leaf Collection in Columbus, Indiana
Some RestrictionsColumbus Municipal Code § 8.24.210
All grass and leaves shall be placed in a city-owned or a city-approved container (Section 8.24.070) and collected curbside only by composting crews. Composting routes will run one day after the regular sanitation routes with the exception of Friday which will be collected on Monday. Grass and leaves shall be free of any trash, twigs, garden waste or other debris. This will be supplemented by a...
Dumpster Rules
In the City of Columbus, Indiana, a dumpster that sits in a marked public parking stall needs a continuous parking permit from the city engineer. A permit covers one stall within one block for one to twenty weekdays, and the city engineer alone decides whether to issue it.
Dumpster Parking Permits in Columbus, Indiana
Some RestrictionsColumbus Municipal Code § 10.28.360
B. The city engineer has the authority to grant the use of one or more parking stalls for continuous use by construction vehicles, equipment or dumpsters. The vehicles or equipment eligible for a continuous parking permit must house or transport the materials, tools or equipment needed on a daily basis by the contractor. Permits will not be issued for personal or company vehicles whose main pur...
Collection Schedule
In the City of Columbus, Indiana, Columbus Municipal Code § 8.24.030 puts city trash pickup at residential dwellings and mobile home parks one time per week, with containers out by 7:00 a.m. on the designated day. Apartment complexes and businesses arrange their own private hauler.
Columbus, Indiana Residential Trash Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsColumbus Municipal Code § 8.24.030
The city services manager, through the adoption and promulgation of rules by the board, shall be authorized to fix and arrange the dates and schedules for the public collection of solid waste in the various sections of the city. ... Solid waste will be collected by the city from residential dwellings and mobile home parks one time per week and must be put out for collection by 7:00 a.m. on the ...
Recycling Rules
In the City of Columbus, Indiana, corrugated cardboard and office paper from apartment complexes and commercial establishments go in a city container of one and one-half to three cubic yards. Cardboard must be flattened, and non-compliance means private hauling at the responsible party's cost.
Commercial Recycling Rules in Columbus, Indiana
Some RestrictionsColumbus Municipal Code § 8.24.240
Corrugated cardboard and office paper will be collected from apartment complexes and commercial establishments as needed. These recyclable items shall be placed in a minimum one and one-half cubic yard, maximum three cubic yard city-owned or city-approved container that is in accordance with the regulations of Sections 8.24.070D and 8.24.080. Cardboard must be flattened and free of any debris. ...
Looking for Bartholomew County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Columbus city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Bartholomew County →