Trash & Recycling in Tennessee (2026)
114 rules on the books across Tennessee, 18 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Trash and recycling collection days, what time to put bins out, and rules about sorting materials for curbside pickup.
Chattanooga
Some RestrictionsChattanooga City Code § 18-46 limits residential curbside pickup to non-hazardous, on-site garbage in approved…
Read full rule →Clarksville
Some RestrictionsClarksville runs no residential garbage route and neither does Montgomery County. Households either pay a private…
Read full rule →Collierville
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Collierville collects only refuse placed inside Town-distributed regulated containers. Carts must stay…
Read full rule →Franklin
Some RestrictionsFranklin residents may not set out their rollout container earlier than 7:00 p.m. the night before collection and must…
Read full rule →Hendersonville
Some RestrictionsHendersonville spells out exactly how trash goes to the curb: residential cans can't be loaded past 50 pounds…
Read full rule →Jackson
Some RestrictionsThe City of Jackson provides twice-weekly curbside polycart collection for every residential unit under Jackson…
Read full rule →Kingsport
Some RestrictionsKingsport collects household, yard and other waste only at or near a public street or alley improved with asphalt…
Read full rule →Knox County
Some RestrictionsKnox County runs no curbside garbage or recycling truck outside the incorporated cities: households haul trash…
Read full rule →Knoxville
Some RestrictionsKnoxville limits residential collection to one weekly cart pickup plus five bulky items, with recycling picked up every…
Read full rule →Memphis
Some RestrictionsMemphis collects your green garbage cart and gray recycling cart weekly on the same day, with twice-monthly…
Read full rule →Murfreesboro
Some RestrictionsMurfreesboro residents must set refuse carts out no earlier than 6 p.m. the evening before pickup, have them at the…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Nashville picks up garbage and recyclables once a week from one- and two-family homes in the Urban Services…
Read full rule →Shelby County
Some RestrictionsShelby County government does not provide universal curbside garbage collection in most unincorporated areas; residents…
Read full rule →Smyrna
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 11-401(1)(m) bars garbage pick-up by commercial garbage and waste businesses from…
Read full rule →Spring Hill
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Spring Hill, Tennessee, the city's contractor collects residential refuse curbside once per week under §…
Read full rule →Sumner County
Some RestrictionsSumner County government runs no countywide curbside trash service. Collection is handled city-by-city, so incorporated…
Read full rule →Williamson County
Some RestrictionsWilliamson County runs no curbside trash service. Unincorporated residents haul household waste free to one of the…
Read full rule →Bin Placement Rules
Where to position trash and recycling carts, when they may go to the curb and must come back, and the screening or enclosure rules for where bins live between pickups.
Chattanooga
Some RestrictionsChattanooga sets exact placement rules for curbside cans, within 5 feet of a driveway or street for manual pickup…
Read full rule →Clarksville
Some RestrictionsClarksville Code section 8-203 is the only container-storage rule. Between pickups, garbage cans must sit no closer to…
Read full rule →Collierville
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Collierville, carts go adjacent to and back of the curb and out of the street at the time scheduled for…
Read full rule →Franklin
Some RestrictionsFranklin, Tennessee requires residents to set trash carts within about two feet of the curb, clear of obstructions…
Read full rule →Hendersonville
Some RestrictionsEvery Hendersonville property owner must keep an approved can for refuse -- watertight, rodent-proof, 20 to 32 gallons…
Read full rule →Jackson
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Jackson, Tennessee, residents must put waste in the city-issued polycart rather than substitute bags or…
Read full rule →Kingsport
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Kingsport, Tennessee, carts go to the curb or alley no sooner than 24 hours before pickup and come back…
Read full rule →Knox County
Some RestrictionsKnox County has no curbside trash service, so there are no set trash-cart setout times, but open storage of junk and…
Read full rule →Knoxville
Some RestrictionsKnoxville requires trash and recycling carts be set out between 6 p.m. the night before collection and 7 a.m. on…
Read full rule →Memphis
Some RestrictionsMemphis residents must place their city-issued roll cart at the curb with the handle facing the house and the opening…
Read full rule →Murfreesboro
Some RestrictionsMurfreesboro residents must set garbage carts out no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before pickup, keep them 3 feet from…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Nashville limits curbside garbage and recycling containers to a set window, 7 p.m. the night before collection to…
Read full rule →Shelby County
Some RestrictionsShelby County's sanitary code (Chapter 44, Division 2) governs how garbage containers are kept in the unincorporated…
Read full rule →Smyrna
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, § 17-104 requires refuse containers to sit adjacent to and back of the curb at…
Read full rule →Spring Hill
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Spring Hill, Tennessee, containers go at curbside, as close to the roadway as practicable without…
Read full rule →Bulk Item Disposal
How to dispose of large items like furniture, appliances, and mattresses, including scheduled pickups and drop-off locations.
Chattanooga
Some RestrictionsChattanooga residents must call the city to schedule bulky-item pickup, furniture and appliances over 50 pounds or 30…
Read full rule →Franklin
Some RestrictionsFranklin collects non-containerized bulky items curbside for a per-load fee, plus separate limits on brush and limb…
Read full rule →Jackson
Some RestrictionsSections 17-401 and 17-402 give one- and two-family residential units twelve bulk waste or bulk yard waste pickups per…
Read full rule →Kingsport
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Kingsport, Tennessee, the city collects furniture and appliances from residences on an on-call basis…
Read full rule →Knox County
Some RestrictionsKnox County residents can self-haul large items free to a Convenience Center, which accepts hot water tanks, furniture…
Read full rule →Knoxville
Some RestrictionsKnoxville residents can set out furniture, tires, appliances, and other oversized household goods for bulky-item pickup…
Read full rule →Memphis
Some RestrictionsMemphis provides bulk waste pickup for items that do not fit in the standard roll cart. Residents must call 311 or use…
Read full rule →Murfreesboro
Some RestrictionsMurfreesboro residents must schedule bulk item pickup with the Solid Waste Department, capped at one collection per 30…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Nashville has no curbside pickup for furniture, appliances or tires: residents haul bulky waste to a Waste…
Read full rule →Shelby County
Some RestrictionsShelby County's litter-control code defines 'bulky refuse' as discarded appliances, furniture, and inoperable vehicles…
Read full rule →Williamson County
Some RestrictionsWilliamson County has no bulk curbside pickup. Residents self-haul large items to a convenience center, up to three…
Read full rule →Spring Hill
Light RestrictionsIn the City of Spring Hill, Tennessee, the city's refuse contractor must provide special collection of bulky waste…
Read full rule →Clarksville
Few RestrictionsThe Street Department runs a free spring and fall yard waste pickup on request for city addresses. Furniture…
Read full rule →Recycling Requirements
Mandatory recycling rules including which materials must be separated, contamination penalties, and composting requirements.
Tennessee: statewide
StatewideLight RestrictionsTennessee sets a statewide goal to cut per-capita municipal solid waste sent to landfills and incinerators by 25…
Read full rule →Chattanooga
Some RestrictionsChattanooga collects recyclables biweekly in City-issued lidded bins, limited to clean aluminum, cardboard, paper…
Read full rule →Franklin
Some RestrictionsFranklin defines recyclables narrowly: only director-approved commodities like cardboard, aluminum, tin, steel, and…
Read full rule →Kingsport
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Kingsport, Tennessee, the producer sets recycling containers at the alley or curbside facing the street…
Read full rule →Knox County
Some RestrictionsRecycling in Knox County is voluntary, not mandatory. Residents drop recyclables free at Convenience Centers, which…
Read full rule →Knoxville
Some RestrictionsKnoxville accepts garbage, bulky waste, and yard waste for residential collection, while recyclables must go in the…
Read full rule →Memphis
Some RestrictionsMemphis provides curbside recycling collection through a separate blue recycling cart. Recycling is single-stream…
Read full rule →Murfreesboro
Some RestrictionsUnder Recycle Murfreesboro, dumping non-recyclable trash at a designated collection point and scavenging through…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Nashville requires every premises to keep lidded, director-approved containers for garbage and recyclables, set…
Read full rule →Clarksville
Few RestrictionsClarksville has no curbside recycling and no ordinance requiring anyone to recycle. Bi-County takes recyclables free at…
Read full rule →Williamson County
Few RestrictionsRecycling in Williamson County is voluntary, not mandatory. Tennessee has no statewide residential recycling law…
Read full rule →Valet Trash Rules
Multi-family building rules around door-to-door (valet) trash and recycling service, including container standards, hallway-storage prohibitions, and fees.
Holiday Pickup Schedule
How collection days shift around major holidays, where to verify the current schedule, and rules for putting bins out around shifted pickup dates.
Murfreesboro
Light RestrictionsMurfreesboro Solid Waste's 2026 residential garbage holiday schedule moves Thursday service to Friday on Thanksgiving…
Read full rule →Spring Hill
Light RestrictionsIn the City of Spring Hill, Tennessee, § 17-204(C) names six refuse collection holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day…
Read full rule →Illegal Dumping
Penalties and enforcement for dumping trash, debris, or hazardous materials on private or public property without authorization.
Chattanooga
Heavy RestrictionsDumping rubbish, trash, or waste on Chattanooga vacant lots, streets, alleys, or in any stream or body of water is a…
Read full rule →Franklin
Heavy RestrictionsFranklin makes it unlawful to dump municipal solid waste into any stream, ditch, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, or other…
Read full rule →Hendersonville
Heavy RestrictionsDumping fill, garbage, refuse, or construction debris anywhere in Hendersonville without a Fill Permit is a…
Read full rule →Knox County
Heavy RestrictionsDumping more than ten pounds or 15 cubic feet of waste anywhere in Knox County is aggravated criminal littering under…
Read full rule →Knoxville
Heavy RestrictionsKnoxville bans dumping or depositing litter on another person's property or on any public street, park, or public…
Read full rule →Memphis
Heavy RestrictionsMemphis Code § 9-60-2 bans throwing, dumping or depositing litter on any property, public or private, and on parkways…
Read full rule →Murfreesboro
Heavy RestrictionsDumping garbage, rubbish, or other waste anywhere in Murfreesboro besides a licensed dump, convenience center, or…
Read full rule →Shelby County
Heavy RestrictionsShelby County Code section 44-88 prohibits throwing, dumping, or depositing litter on another's or public property, and…
Read full rule →Collierville
Significant RestrictionsIn the Town of Collierville, Tennessee, no person can dump trash or garbage of any kind on public or private property…
Read full rule →Jackson
Significant RestrictionsJackson Municipal Code § 17-602 bans throwing, dumping, or depositing litter on public parkways, streets, parks, or…
Read full rule →Nashville
Significant RestrictionsMetro Nashville bans dumping waste anywhere but an approved disposal facility or into someone else's private receptacle…
Read full rule →Clarksville
Some RestrictionsClarksville makes it unlawful to throw, place, or scatter objects on city-owned or private property with intent to…
Read full rule →Kingsport
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Kingsport, Tennessee, no one can throw or deposit litter on a street, sidewalk or other public place…
Read full rule →Smyrna
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, Municipal Code § 17-107 bans disposing of refuse in any quantity, in any public or…
Read full rule →Spring Hill
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Spring Hill, Tennessee, Municipal Code § 17-107 expressly prohibits disposing of refuse in any quantity…
Read full rule →Yard Waste Collection
Rules for separating grass clippings, leaves, branches, and other yard waste from regular trash, including pickup days and bag/bin requirements.
Chattanooga
Some RestrictionsChattanooga picks up residential yard trash only by scheduled request, capped at twelve pickups a year per property…
Read full rule →Collierville
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Collierville collects yard waste from every residential property: grass in bags under 40 pounds, limbs…
Read full rule →Franklin
Some RestrictionsFranklin will not shovel up loose leaves or clippings: yard waste has to go into biodegradable paper bags of no more…
Read full rule →Jackson
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Jackson, Tennessee, yard waste covers tree trimmings, grass cuttings, garden trimmings, weeds and loose…
Read full rule →Kingsport
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Kingsport, Tennessee, residential yard waste must be separated from other solid waste and is removed…
Read full rule →Knox County
Some RestrictionsKnox County has no curbside yard-waste pickup: residents haul greenwaste, meaning logs, limbs, leaves, grass and brush…
Read full rule →Knoxville
Some RestrictionsKnoxville collects brush and leaves from residential properties on a regular schedule, but branches must be under 10…
Read full rule →Memphis
Some RestrictionsMemphis Code § 9-56-11 requires leaves, grass cuttings, garden trimmings, weeds and roots to go out in disposable…
Read full rule →Murfreesboro
Some RestrictionsMurfreesboro caps residential yard waste piles at six cubic yards, requires limbs cut to six feet or under, and limits…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Nashville bans yard waste from garbage containers and only picks it up as curbside brush stockpiles under the…
Read full rule →Smyrna
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee provides free chipper service to residential citizens inside the corporate limits under…
Read full rule →Spring Hill
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Spring Hill, Tennessee, tree, shrub and brush trimmings go to the curb as a bundle, securely tied and…
Read full rule →Dumpster Rules
Permits and placement rules for residential or construction dumpsters, including how long they can stay and ROW obstruction limits.
Franklin
Significant RestrictionsFranklin's Sanitation Department does not run a dumpster program: businesses needing six or more rollout containers a…
Read full rule →Memphis
Significant RestrictionsMemphis Code § 9-56-26.1 regulates commercial dumpsters in the downtown solid waste collection district bounded by the…
Read full rule →Collierville
Some RestrictionsCommercial properties in the Town of Collierville that produce more refuse than three 90 to 95 gallon containers can…
Read full rule →Hamilton County
Some RestrictionsNew or expanding commercial, office, and multi-family developments in unincorporated Hamilton County must screen every…
Read full rule →Hendersonville
Some RestrictionsCommercial and multi-family dumpsters in Hendersonville need a solid brick or stone screen wall on three sides, two…
Read full rule →Jackson
Some RestrictionsJackson Municipal Code § 17-305 requires the city's contractor to furnish dumpster and roll-off container service to…
Read full rule →Kingsport
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Kingsport, Tennessee, businesses arrange dumpster and roll-off service privately with a permitted…
Read full rule →Knoxville
Some RestrictionsEvery business in Knoxville must keep solid waste in a containerized dumpster, and that dumpster can never sit in the…
Read full rule →Murfreesboro
Some RestrictionsCommercial, multifamily, industrial and institutional developments in Murfreesboro must screen dumpsters from view…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Nashville bans emptying dumpsters near homes from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and requires non-metal lids plus a one-inch…
Read full rule →Shelby County
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Shelby County, businesses and multi-unit properties using bulk-type garbage and trash containers…
Read full rule →Spring Hill
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Spring Hill, Tennessee, commercial refuse containers must be covered, strong, durable and rodent and…
Read full rule →Collection Schedule
Day-of-week pickup schedules by neighborhood, set-out and take-back time windows, and where to find your specific block's schedule.
Chattanooga
Some RestrictionsChattanooga picks up residential garbage weekly and recycling every other week, with both required at the curb by 7…
Read full rule →Collierville
Some RestrictionsIn the Town of Collierville, residential refuse is collected once per week and commercial refuse twice per week, in…
Read full rule →Franklin
Some RestrictionsFranklin charges every residential address a mandatory sanitation fee under Municipal Code § 17-110, even though…
Read full rule →Hendersonville
Some RestrictionsHendersonville doesn't run its own trash trucks: the City Administrator bids out an exclusive multi-year hauling…
Read full rule →Jackson
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Jackson, Tennessee, every residential, industrial and commercial unit must have city refuse collection…
Read full rule →Kingsport
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Kingsport, Tennessee, the city collects solid waste once each week from the curbside or alley, or…
Read full rule →Knoxville
Some RestrictionsKnoxville collects residential solid waste weekly at no charge, while nonresidential producers get at least weekly…
Read full rule →Memphis
Some RestrictionsCity Code § 9-56-3 makes solid waste collection in Memphis exclusive to the city: no one else may collect, remove or…
Read full rule →Murfreesboro
Some RestrictionsMurfreesboro collects residential refuse once a week, twice weekly for apartment complexes of five or more units, and…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Water Services picks up garbage and recyclables once a week for homes and apartments, but only inside the Urban…
Read full rule →Spring Hill
Some RestrictionsIn the City of Spring Hill, Tennessee, the city's contractor provides curbside residential refuse collection one time…
Read full rule →Recycling Rules
Which items can and cannot go in residential single-stream recycling bins, contamination penalties, and rules for hazardous-waste drop-off.
Memphis
Some RestrictionsEvery residential solid waste account in Memphis is assigned at least one 90-gallon recycle cart alongside its required…
Read full rule →Nashville
Some RestrictionsMetro Nashville bans corrugated cardboard and electronics from trash containers, and every licensed waste hauler must…
Read full rule →Shelby County
Some RestrictionsShelby County has no curbside recycling ordinance for households; its one recycling-specific rule targets tire…
Read full rule →Smyrna
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Smyrna, Tennessee, makes it unlawful to steal, pilfer, or rummage through materials deposited in a…
Read full rule →Kingsport
Light RestrictionsThe City of Kingsport, Tennessee encourages every resident to separate newspapers, glass bottles, aluminum and steel…
Read full rule →