Fort Smith, AR Property Maintenance: Trash Bin Storage (2026)

The cart program is operated by the Fort Smith Department of Solid Waste Services under Chapter 25, Article VII of the Code of Ordinances (Solid Waste). Each Fort Smith single-family home, duplex, triplex, or fourplex is provided one city-owned trash cart at no cost; replacement and additional carts are billed to the resident (the City lists $70 for a 65-gallon recycling cart and $90 for a 95-gallon recycling cart as comparable replacement pricing). Because the City uses automated side-loading and rear-loading trucks with mechanical arms, the three-foot clearance rule is operationally critical: carts that are blocked by parked vehicles, mailboxes, low overhanging tree branches, or low-hanging power lines are passed by and counted as a missed pickup attributable to the resident, not the City. Carts must be placed at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on collection day - Solid Waste does not run a fixed-time route but issues a window starting at 7 a.m. that may extend through late afternoon depending on truck loads and weather. Lids must be fully closed; overfilled carts and items stacked on top of the lid are not collected because debris spills onto the curb during the lift cycle and creates a separate scattering-rubbish liability. Tires, paint, motor oil, and hazardous materials cannot go in the cart - tires must be taken to the Westark Collection Center at 601 Oak Grove Road in Van Buren. Walk-out service is offered free of charge to elderly or disabled residents who cannot move the cart themselves; call 479-784-2350 to enroll. Service questions: Sanitation 479-784-2350 / Admin 479-784-1070 / sanitation@fortsmithar.gov.