Nashville, TN Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Frequency
- Once weekly, one/two-family homes
- Placement window
- 7 p.m. day before to 7 p.m.
- Container weight cap
- 50 lbs per container
- Coverage
- Urban Services District only
- Penalty
- Up to $50 per day
Summary
Metro Nashville picks up garbage and recyclables once a week from one- and two-family homes in the Urban Services District, with containers capped at 50 pounds and placed curbside only between 7 p.m. the night before and 7 p.m. on collection day.
The department shall collect and dispose of garbage and rubbish once per week from one-family and two-family residences and the director shall determine by regulation the maximum amount thereof it will pick up each time. All garbage and rubbish shall be placed in containers approved by the director and no container's contents shall weigh more than fifty pounds; provided, however, these limits shall not apply if the department or other department furnishes a container with greater capacity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53 | Charter: Republication 9).
Full Breakdown
Metro's Department of Waste Services runs curbside pickup under Metropolitan Code of Laws § 10.20.220, but the schedule reaches only the Urban Services District (USD): the denser core paying the higher tax rate. One- and two-family homes get weekly collection, containers capped at 50 pounds unless Metro supplies bigger equipment. Multifamily and most commercial accounts also get weekly service; downtown-core commercial accounts get pickup six days a week, capped at 192 gallons daily. Containers can go to the curb or alley starting 7 p.m. the night before collection and must come back by 7 p.m. on collection day, per § 10.20.110(A). Homes in the General Services District outside the USD fall outside this schedule.
Violations & Fines
Placing containers curbside outside the 7 p.m.-to-7 p.m. window, letting anyone but the owner or a licensed hauler move a container, or scavenging from bins violates Chapter 10.20; fines run up to $50 per day the violation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Nashville trash pickup happen everywhere in Davidson County?
When can I put my trash and recycling containers out?
Is there a limit on how much trash Metro will pick up?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashville
Compare Nashville to another location·View the Tennessee trash & recycling overview
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