Chattanooga picks up garbage weekly and recycling every other week. Carts at the curb by 7 a.m. Find your day on the city map or call 311 at 423-643-6311.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Chattanooga’s Waste and Recycling pages, run by the Public Works Department’s Solid Waste and Recycling division.

The City of Chattanooga collects household garbage once a week and recycling every other week. Carts must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on collection day; crews work 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays until every route is done. To find your day, use the city’s garbage, recycling and bulk pickup map or call 311 at 423-643-6311.

Who to call

This page covers homes inside Chattanooga city limits. Red Bank, East Ridge, Signal Mountain and unincorporated Hamilton County run their own services.

Weekly garbage

  • Garbage is collected weekly. Bag all household garbage and close the lid.
  • Set the cart with its wheels and handle against the curb, within 2 feet of it, 3 feet from anything else and 5 feet from parked cars. Take it back in after pickup.
  • Crews do not pick up spills, garbage left on the ground or on top of a cart, or bags beside it.
  • Trucks do not serve alleys, private driveways or private parking lots.
  • A home may lease up to two garbage carts. New construction gets one at no charge; a replacement or extra cart costs $75, according to the city’s garbage collection page.

Holidays

Garbage is collected on every holiday except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Garbage missed on those days is picked up on the Saturday after the holiday. This year that means:

  • Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26: Thursday garbage is collected Saturday, Nov. 28.
  • Christmas, Friday, Dec. 25: Friday garbage is collected Saturday, Dec. 26.

Recycling every other week

The city collects curbside recycling biweekly. Carts are free, but you have to sign up for one or call 311. A home can have up to two; a household with more than one garbage cart can swap one for a recycling cart at no cost.

Goes in the cart, clean and loose (not bagged):

  • Flattened cardboard, newspapers, magazines, junk mail and office paper
  • Paper cups and food and drink cartons (milk, juice, soup, broth)
  • Plastic bottles, cups and containers marked 1 and 2
  • Steel and aluminum cans

Stays out: glass, plastic bags, aerosol cans, food, clothes, large toys, yard waste and plastics 3 to 7, which the city says have no market right now. Details are on the recycle collection page.

Glass

Glass is not taken in the curbside cart. Take brown, green and clear glass to one of the recycle centers below. The city also runs a curbside glass pilot with Overlooked Materials in parts of Belvoir, Brainerd, Brainerd Hills, Missionary Ridge, Ridgedale and Highland Park; it was renewed for a second year from July 1, 2026. Check your address and sign up with Overlooked Materials.

Brush and bulk trash

Brush, bulk trash, bagged yard waste and leaves are picked up by trucks that sweep one of four areas of the city each week. Put each in its own pile at the curb by 7 a.m. on the Monday of your area’s week. Your area is on the same pickup map.

Month Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4
October Oct. 5-9 Oct. 12-16 Oct. 19-23 Oct. 26-30
November Nov. 2-6 Nov. 9-13 Nov. 16-20 Week of Nov. 23
December Dec. 7-11 Dec. 14-18 Dec. 21-25 Dec. 28 to Jan. 1

Source: City of Chattanooga brush and bulk trash schedule.

  • Bulk trash taken: mattresses, furniture, heavy appliances, water heaters, grills, carpet and padding, TVs and large toys.
  • Not taken: building materials, lumber, tires, brick, concrete, drywall, tile, glass and mirrors, cardboard, recyclables, household garbage, paint and other hazardous materials.
  • Brush: natural wood only, no piece longer than 8 feet or thicker than 18 inches, piles no taller than 4 feet. No land clearing and no contractor brush.
  • Each address is limited to 12 brush and 12 bulk pickups in any 12 months. Businesses, apartment complexes and landlords are not eligible for bulk pickup.

Loose leaves are collected November through March. Call 311 to request priority leaf pickup in November and December; from January requests go through the roaming service system. See the loose leaves page.

Drop-off centers

Recycle centers and refuse collection centers are closed Mondays and open Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m.

  • Recycle centers (open to all Hamilton County residents): 5955 Brainerd Road, 1250 E. Third St., 3189 Cummings Highway, 8004 Batters Place Road and 4504 N. Access Road. They take glass, cardboard, paper, cans, plastics 1 and 2, computer electronics and cooking oil (not at Batters Place Road). Recycle centers page.
  • Refuse collection centers (city residents only, 12 visits a calendar year, standard pickup loads, eight bags a visit, a driver’s license showing a Chattanooga address and Hamilton County tags): 4276 Airport Road, 4500 N. Access Road and 1400 W. 57th St. Refuse centers page.
  • Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility: Tuesday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., for Tennessee residents with a state driver’s license; up to 15 gallons or 150 pounds a visit. It takes oil-based paint, gasoline, motor oil, pesticides, batteries, fluorescent tubes and propane bottles up to 30 pounds, but not latex paint. Location and full list.

All the drop-off sites close on major holidays, including Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

What this means for you

  • Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only days garbage is not picked up on time this year; both make up on the Saturday after.
  • Leaf season starts in November. Call 311 early for priority pickup.
  • For anything the curb will not take, the refuse and recycle centers are the free option.

Related guides: who to call at City Hall, moving to Chattanooga and property taxes.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Chattanooga?

It depends on your address. Look it up on the city’s garbage and recycling day map, or call 311 at 423-643-6311. Carts must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on collection day.

How often is recycling picked up in Chattanooga?

Every other week. Recycling carts are free, but you have to sign up for one online or through 311.

Is trash picked up on holidays in Chattanooga?

Yes, on every holiday except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Garbage missed on those two days is collected the Saturday after the holiday.

How do I get rid of a mattress or old furniture in Chattanooga?

Put it at the curb for bulk trash pickup by 7 a.m. on the Monday of your area’s collection week, or take it to one of the city’s three refuse collection centers.

Does Chattanooga recycle glass at the curb?

Not in the regular recycling cart. Glass goes to the city’s recycle centers, or to the curbside glass pilot run with Overlooked Materials in six neighborhoods.