Knoxville, TN Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Each residence will be entitled to a weekly garbage pickup of the city issued container plus five (5) bulky items, and every other week collection of the city issued recycling container. Missed pickups must be reported to the city within twenty-four (24) hours of the close of business of scheduled pickup day; missed pickups reported later than twenty-four (24) hours will revert to the next scheduled pickup.(c)Confiscation of unsatisfactory storage containers. The director or their designee is herein authorized to confiscate or to remove unsatisfactory storage containers from the premises of residences and establishments, public and private when such containers are not suitable for the healthful and sanitary storage of solid waste material. Such unsatisfactory containers shall be removed and disposed of following a seven-day notification period of impending action to the owner or owners of such containers or to the property owner(s) of the location of the container.(d)Any container in excess of the city supplied container must be approved by the city or the city's approved hauling contractor or it will not be collected. (Ord. No. O-451-00, § 1, 10-3-00; Ord. No. O-59-2011, § 4, 5-31-11; Ord. No. O-138-2016, § 3, 8-30-16; Ord. No. O-204-2016, § 5, 12-20-16)