Pima County, AZ Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Unlike incorporated cities such as Tucson which provide municipal trash collection, unincorporated Pima County relies on private waste haulers for residential and commercial trash pickup. Residents must independently contract with a licensed hauler -- the county does not assign haulers or set rates. Major haulers serving unincorporated Pima County include Republic Services and Waste Management. The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) licenses solid waste haulers and regulates collection standards. Curbside pickup schedules vary by hauler and area, typically once per week for trash and every other week for recycling. Containers must be placed at the curb or designated pickup point no earlier than the evening before and retrieved by the evening of collection day. The county operates several transfer stations and the Los Reales Landfill for residential self-haul disposal. Bulky items, yard waste, and hazardous household waste have separate disposal requirements through PDEQ programs. Illegal dumping in desert areas is a persistent problem enforced by the Sheriffs Department and PDEQ.