Trash & Recycling in Knoxville, TN (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Knoxville, Tennessee, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Knoxville limits residential collection to one weekly cart pickup plus five bulky items, with recycling picked up every other week; missed pickups must be reported within 24 hours.
Knoxville Residential Trash Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 13-15
Each residence will be entitled to a weekly garbage pickup of the city issued container plus five (5) bulky items, and every other week collection of the city issued recycling container. Missed pickups must be reported to the city within twenty-four (24) hours of the close of business of scheduled pickup day; missed pickups reported later than twenty-four (24) hours will revert to the next sche...
Bin Placement Rules
Knoxville requires trash and recycling carts be set out between 6 p.m. the night before collection and 7 a.m. on collection day, then retrieved by 9 p.m. that same day.
Knoxville Trash Cart Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 13-16
Containers shall be placed for collection no earlier than 6:00 p.m. on the day before collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. on the day of collection. Containers must be retrieved no later than 9:00 p.m. on the day of collection. For homes with collection at the front curb or street, upon retrieval, containers shall be stored in an area behind the front building line of the structure. For homes...
Bulk Item Disposal
Knoxville residents can set out furniture, tires, appliances, and other oversized household goods for bulky-item pickup on a city-set schedule, but only after 6 p.m. the night before and by 7 a.m. collection day.
Knoxville Residential Bulky Waste Pickup
Some RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 13-167
Bulky waste includes household goods that, by their size or shape, cannot be placed in a city-approved container. Bulky waste items appropriate for residential curbside pickup include furniture, tires, appliances, and other household goods Residential bulky trash will be collected on a schedule determined by the director or their designee. Such refuse shall be kept separate from yard waste and ...
Recycling Requirements
Knoxville accepts garbage, bulky waste, and yard waste for residential collection, while recyclables must go in the city-issued recycling container; the director sets which materials qualify based on commodities markets.
Knoxville Curbside Recycling Rules
Some RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 13-17
The following refuse shall be considered to be acceptable for residential garbage collection provided that it does not exceed contents of cart plus five (5) bulky items. (1)Garbage;(2)Bulky waste; and(3)Yard waste. Bagged yard waste in excess of contents of cart will not be picked up as bulky waste. Recyclable material shall be considered to be acceptable for residential recycling collectio...
Illegal Dumping
Knoxville bans dumping or depositing litter on another person's property or on any public street, park, or public property, enforced as a misdemeanor under the city's general penalty provision.
Knoxville Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 13-193
No person shall throw, dump, deposit or cause to be thrown, dumped or deposited litter on property owned by another person, or upon any public highway, street or road, upon public parks or recreation areas, or upon any other public property, except that property designated for that use.
Yard Waste Collection
Knoxville collects brush and leaves from residential properties on a regular schedule, but branches must be under 10 feet long and 12 inches in diameter, and stumps and mixed garbage are never accepted.
Knoxville Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 13-168
Residential yard waste shall include brush, leaves, grass cuttings and garden trimmings, weeds, and roots from which all dirt has been removed. Each residential property owner within the limits of the city shall be entitled to have brush and leaves collected from each parcel of real property owned by him on a regular basis as designated by the Director; provided that any such pickup will be ref...
Dumpster Rules
Every business in Knoxville must keep solid waste in a containerized dumpster, and that dumpster can never sit in the public right-of-way or block sight distance for pedestrians and vehicles.
Knoxville Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 13-102
All businesses must provide adequate containerized storage of the solid waste generated by said business. Containers used for collection of commercial solid waste (commonly known as "dumpsters") shall not be placed in the public right-of-way nor in any location that restricts or impedes the movement or sight distance of pedestrians or vehicles traveling on a public right-of-way.
Collection Schedule
Knoxville collects residential solid waste weekly at no charge, while nonresidential producers get at least weekly pickup; yard waste and bulky waste run on their own director-set schedule.
Knoxville Weekly Trash Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsKnoxville Code of Ordinances § 13-77
The director or their designee is authorized to approve schedules for regular collection of solid waste throughout the city as submitted by the contracted waste hauler. Refuse shall be collected from residences weekly and from approved nonresidential producers at least weekly and otherwise as often as reasonably necessary to protect against health, safety and fire hazards. Yard waste and bulky ...
Looking for Knox County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Knoxville city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Knox County →