Tempe, AZ Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Who may collect
- Only City or City-licensed contractors
- License term
- Annual, July 1-June 30 fiscal year
- Annual fee
- Per-vehicle fee or 2% of gross receipts
- Opt-out limit
- No discontinuing service absent A.R.S. §49-746
- Revoked license
- 6-month reapplication bar
Summary
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.
(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:
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Code: Supplement 33 Update 4 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 11 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 28-21(a) restricts solid waste collection in Tempe to the City itself or contractors it licenses: only contractors licensed by the City may collect solid waste within Tempe boundaries. A hauler only gets that license after showing the Public Works Department Solid Waste Services Section it has the equipment and qualifications to collect, transport and dispose of waste consistent with state and county health rules, filing an application with a license bond and an annual per-vehicle fee, and identifying its owners and managers. Licenses run on the City's fiscal year, July 1 through June 30, are nontransferable, and can be suspended or revoked for repeat violations, license fraud, working while suspended or fee delinquency, with a revoked operator locked out for six months before reapplying.
S. Section 49-746 are not eligible to petition the City to temporarily discontinue solid waste service. Charges for a newly built structure start once the City delivers containers and activates the account, and green organics or inert material dropped at the City's compost or inert facility carries its own per-ton gate rate under Section 28-61(d).
Violations & Fines
Collecting solid waste in Tempe without a City license is itself unlawful under Section 28-21, and an operator's license can be suspended or revoked for three or more chapter violations in twelve months, submitting false license information, operating while suspended, or falling behind on City fees, with reapplication barred for six months after a revocation. A resident who is not exempt under A.R.S. Section 49-746 cannot simply stop paying to end City service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hire any private hauler to pick up my trash in Tempe?
Can I cancel my City trash service if I don't want it?
How long does a Tempe solid waste collector's license last?
What can get a hauler's license revoked in Tempe?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tempe
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