Trash & Recycling in Tulsa, OK (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Tulsa, Oklahoma, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Tulsa requires trash and recycling carts to sit curbside from 5 p.m. the day before pickup until 6 a.m. on collection day, with lids shut and three feet of clearance from obstructions, per the Solid Waste Management Code.
Tulsa Curbside Trash Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsTulsa Revised Ordinances, Title 11-B, Section 207
Solid waste carts, recycling carts, bags with an extra refuse sticker, curbside yard waste and bulky waste shall be placed curbside no earlier than 5:00 p.m. on the day preceding the scheduled collection day, and no later than 6:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. All carts and bags shall be removed from curbside by 6:00 a.m. of the following day unless a missed collection is reported to ...
Bin Placement Rules
Tulsa residents must place solid waste and recycling carts curbside no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before collection and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day, then remove them by 6 a.m. the next day.
Tulsa Trash Cart Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsTulsa Revised Ordinances, Title 11-B, Section 207.A
Solid waste carts, recycling carts, bags with an extra refuse sticker, curbside yard waste and bulky waste shall be placed curbside no earlier than 5:00 p.m. on the day preceding the scheduled collection day, and no later than 6:00 a.m. on the scheduled collection day. All carts and bags shall be removed from curbside by 6:00 a.m. of the following day unless a missed collection is reported to ...
Bulk Item Disposal
Tulsa residents must call the city to schedule bulky waste pickup, which is capped at eight cubic yards and carries a collection fee under the city's solid waste code.
Tulsa Bulky Waste Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsTulsa Revised Ordinances, Title 11-B, § 206
A. A person must contact the city to request that a bulky waste collection be scheduled for a residential service unit. A fee is charged for a bulky waste collection. B. Bulky waste placed for collection shall not exceed eight (8) cubic yards in volume. C. Bulky waste must be separated and placed a minimum of three (3) feet away from carts and extra acceptable solid waste bag(s) and curbside ya...
Recycling Requirements
Tulsa's voluntary residential recycling program requires materials to go loosely into the authority-issued recycling cart with the lid fully closed: non-program items aren't collected, and repeatedly contaminated carts get pulled from service.
Tulsa Curbside Recycling Cart Rules
Some RestrictionsTulsa Revised Ordinances, Title 11-B, § 204
Program recyclable materials shall be placed loosely in recycling carts provided by the authority and in a manner that does not impede the free flow of materials from the cart when it is being emptied. Program recyclable materials placed outside of a recycling cart will not be serviced. The lid to the cart must close completely. Placing any item or substance that is not a program recyclable mat...
Illegal Dumping
Tulsa makes it unlawful to dump garbage, trash, or debris on public property or someone else's private property without consent, and the municipal court can order the violator to pay restitution to the affected property owner.
Tulsa Illegal Dumping Ban
Some RestrictionsTulsa Revised Ordinances, Title 11-B, § 105 - Unlawful Dumping
It shall be unlawful and an offense for any person to deliberately place, drop, dump, deposit, throw, or discard any garbage, trash, waste, rubbish, refuse, debris or other deleterious substance on any public property or private property owned by another, including but not limited to any street, road, or park, without the consent of the property owner. This does not apply to the lawful deposit ...
Yard Waste Collection
Tulsa collects curbside yard waste weekly alongside regular trash, but grass, weeds and leaves must be bagged and brush bundled to strict size and weight limits.
Tulsa Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsTulsa Revised Ordinances, Title 11-B, Chapter 2, § 205
Curbside yard waste may be placed in the solid waste cart only when it fits in the primary solid waste cart, on the primary service day, with the lid closed and does not impede the free flow of materials from the cart when it is being emptied. Grass clippings, weeds and leaves must be placed in a bag before being placed in the solid waste cart. All other curbside yard waste may be placed loosel...
Dumpster Rules
Tulsa's zoning code restricts where dumpsters can sit on commercial property: no sidewalk, parking, hydrant, or setback encroachment, and screening from street view is required unless the dumpster sits in an alley.
Tulsa Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsTulsa Zoning Code § 45.050 (Tulsa Revised Ordinances, Title 42)
Dumpsters may only be placed with the written permission of the owner of the subject property. Dumpsters must be located on a dustless, all-weather surface. Dumpsters may not: a. Obstruct motorized or non-motorized traffic; b. Reduce any sidewalk or walkway designed for the passage of pedestrians to less than five (5) feet in width; c. Be located within ten (10) feet of a fire hydrant or fire s...
Collection Schedule
Tulsa residents choose curbside, backyard, or extended backyard pickup with once- or twice-weekly collection, using authority-issued carts under an implied service contract enforced through utility billing.
Tulsa Weekly Trash Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsTulsa Revised Ordinances, Title 11-B, § 200(C)
each residential service unit may choose between curbside, backyard collection service, extended backyard collection service, and physically limited services for collection of residential solid waste and program recyclable materials. Subject to TARE's existing collection and disposal contracts with its contractors, rules and regulations promulgated by the Director, and other applicable restrict...
Recycling Rules
Tulsa requires recyclables loose in the city-issued cart with the lid fully closed; anything outside the cart or any non-recyclable item gets skipped.
Tulsa Recycling Cart Rules
Some RestrictionsTulsa Revised Ordinances, Title 11-B, § 204
Program recyclable materials shall be placed loosely in recycling carts provided by the authority and in a manner that does not impede the free flow of materials from the cart when it is being emptied. Program recyclable materials placed outside of a recycling cart will not be serviced. The lid to the cart must close completely. Placing any item or substance that is not a program recyclable mat...