Trash & Recycling in Tempe, AZ (2026)
8 verified trash & recycling rules for Tempe, Arizona, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Commercial haulers can't pull trash from a business or industrial property within 500 feet of a home between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Section 28-41 also gives a contractor just eight working hours to answer a City service call before Tempe can step in and double-bill the company.
Tempe Commercial Trash Pickup Hour Limits
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 28-41
(a)Commercial solid waste shall not be removed from commercial or industrial property that is within five hundred (500) feet of residential development between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.(b)Garbage shall not be allowed to collect on any commercial or multifamily residential property in unsanitary quantities. The licensed contractor shall, within eight (8) working hours of a telephoned ...
Bin Placement Rules
Tempe requires trash, recycling and green-organics carts at the front curb, lids facing the street, no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before pickup and off the curb by 8 p.m. the day of collection. Blocking the sidewalk or leaving a cart out late can bring a City relocation charge.
Tempe Garbage Cart Placement and Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 28-34
(a)All garbage, recycling or green organics containers used for City collection service shall be placed at the front curb in a position that is easily accessible to collection vehicles, unless otherwise authorized by the Public Works Director.(b)All containers must be placed in such a manner that the container lid opens toward the street or alley, in order to facilitate proper emptying of the c...
Bulk Item Disposal
Bulky items and brush that won't fit in a City cart go curbside as 'uncontained items,' capped at ten cubic yards and no earlier than ten days before the scheduled pickup week. Tree trimmings must be cut to 48 inches and stacked; leaving a pile out too early draws a Public Works notice.
Tempe Bulk Item and Brush Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 28-52(c), (e)
(c)Collection of uncontained items. In areas where uncontained cannot be placed entirely inside City-owned garbage containers, or where City-owned containers are not provided, uncontained items shall be placed next to the property line, parallel to the alley or street, in as orderly a fashion as possible. The volume of placed uncontained items shall not exceed ten (10) cubic yards. ... (e)Uncon...
Recycling Requirements
Tempe bans putting anything but recyclables into a recycling container and bans leaving material outside one. City Code Section 28-74 backs the City's definition of 'contamination,' the deposit of garbage or non-collectible items in a green organics or recycling bin, which can bring code enforcement.
Tempe Recycling Container Contamination Ban
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 28-74
No person shall place any materials other than recyclables in any recycling container. No person shall leave any materials outside of a recycling container.
Illegal Dumping
Dumping garbage or solid waste on any Tempe street, alley, or private lot is a City Code violation, not just a mess. Section 28-57 bans depositing garbage or solid waste on streets, alleys, or premises outside the chapter's collection methods, and Section 28-51 bars hazardous waste, septic contents, and uncontained items left more than ten days before pickup. Violators face fines up to $2,500 under the Code's general penalty section.
Tempe Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsTempe City Code § 28-57
No person shall deposit or cause to be deposited upon any street, alley or premises in the City any garbage, or solid waste of any kind except as specifically permitted in this chapter. It shall be the duty of all solid waste collection personnel, public or private, to immediately clean up any refuse spilled during the garbage collection process.
Dumpster Rules
Commercial dumpsters and roll-off boxes in Tempe must stay painted, clean and marked with the hauling contractor's name and phone number, and Public Works decides both how many containers a business needs and where they can sit, favoring an inconspicuous spot over a visible one.
Tempe Commercial Dumpster and Roll-Off Rules
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 28-36
(a)Garbage containers, including roll off containers and garbage compactors, may be supplied by a licensed contractor. All garbage containers shall be painted and maintained in a clean, neat and sanitary manner at all times, and shall have the name and telephone number of the licensed contractor identified legibly thereon.(b)A commercial establishment shall maintain sufficient containers to acc...
Collection Schedule
Tempe runs a closed collection system: only the City or a contractor it has licensed may pick up solid waste anywhere in the city. Residential customers can't simply cancel service either, unless a narrow state-law exemption applies, so most households stay on the municipal or licensed-hauler roll.
Tempe Mandatory Licensed Trash Collection
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 28-21(a)
(a)Only contractors licensed by the City may collect solid waste within Tempe boundaries. A license will be issued by the City only under the following conditions:
Recycling Rules
Anyone who wants to maintain a recycling container within Tempe, from bottle-and-can bins to donation-style drop points, must first get an annual permit from the Public Works Department under City Code Section 28-71. Operating an unpermitted container is unlawful, and a noncompliant one can be impounded.
Tempe Recycling Container Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsTempe City Code § 28-71
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to maintain a recycling container within the City without having first obtained a City permit on an annual basis. That required permit will be the responsibility of the permit holder to maintain and renew on an annual basis through the Public Works Department.
Looking for Maricopa County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Tempe city rules.
Trash & Recycling in Maricopa County →