Trash and recycling pickup in Nashville: schedule, holidays, bulk

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Facts on this page come from the Nashville Department of Waste Services pages on curbside trash and recycling, trash guidelines, Recycle Right, convenience centers, bulky items and household hazardous waste, and the Nashville Department of Transportation’s brush and leaf collection page.

Metro Nashville picks up trash every week and recycling every other week at single-family homes in the Urban Services District, which includes duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes. The Nashville Department of Waste Services says its crews make more than 1 million stops a month at more than 150,000 households. To report a missed pickup or ask for a cart, call 311 (615-862-5000) or file a request with hubNashville.

Check your day. Metro changed trash and recycling pickup days in February 2026. The Nashville Waste and Recycling App looks up your address, shows your trash, recycling and brush dates, and sends reminders.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, new service, extra carts: 311 or 615-862-5000, or hubNashville
• Nashville Department of Waste Services: 1600 Second Ave. N., 615-862-5000
• Brush you want gone sooner: Living Earth, 615-730-7238 (free drop-off for Davidson County residents; trailers pay a fee)
• Outside the Urban Services District or in an apartment: your property manager or a private hauler

Curbside trash

• Weekly, in the brown Metro cart. Trash must be bagged.
• Cart out by 6 a.m. at the curb or alley, with the arrow on the lid pointing to the street. Crews collect between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Bring the cart in by 7 p.m. on pickup day, and store it out of sight of the street.
• Keep the cart 4 feet from cars, mailboxes, poles and other carts, with 15 feet of clearance under wires and limbs.
• Anything outside the cart is not picked up. Take extra trash to a convenience center.
• Extra or replacement cart: $65. Metro says the owner pays to replace a lost, stolen or damaged cart.

Not allowed in the trash cart: brush, leaves and grass clippings; cardboard; construction debris; electronics; and liquid paint or chemicals. Dry out latex paint with the lid off or with cat litter before it goes in the trash.

Holidays

Metro posted this schedule for the rest of the year. Every other holiday, pickup runs on the normal day.

Black Friday (Nov. 27) and Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) are collected as normal. Convenience centers are closed on Metro holidays.

Recycling

Curbside recycling is collected every other week. You can have up to two recycling carts at no extra cost. Metro’s Recycle Right list:

• Paper and cartons: newspaper, magazines, mail, food and drink cartons, flattened cardboard, cereal and tissue boxes, paper towel rolls
• Cans: food and beverage cans
• Plastic: bottles, jugs and food jars
• Clean, empty and dry. Loose, never in a plastic bag.
• No glass at the curb. Take bottles and jars to a drop-off site or convenience center.

Drop-off recycling sites take the same items plus glass. Metro lists WeGo Bellevue Park and Ride (7650 Coley Davis Road, open 24 hours), Hillsboro High School (3812 Hillsboro Pike, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., 5 p.m. in winter), William Whitfield Park (Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon), and sites at Joelton Middle, Lakewood City Hall, McGavock High and Whites Creek High. Check the hours and locations page before you go.

Convenience centers and bulky items

Metro does not pick up furniture at the curb. Its four convenience centers take household trash, all recyclables including glass, bulky items and more. All are open Tuesday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Furniture: one bulk trash item free; fees apply after that.
• Mattresses and box springs: up to four a month, with a fee.
• Tires: up to four without rims a month, free, at East and Ezell Pike only.
• Scrap metal and appliances: one item or three bags free.
• Small do-it-yourself construction waste: up to 1 cubic yard, Omohundro only.

Household hazardous waste

Drop-off is free at the East and Ezell Pike centers for Davidson County residents, up to 15 gallons or 100 pounds a month. They take motor oil, antifreeze, gasoline, oil-based paint, pesticides, pool chemicals, fluorescent bulbs and car batteries. They do not take latex paint, propane tanks, ammunition, medicines or business waste.

Brush and leaves

The Nashville Department of Transportation collects brush four times a year on 12 routes for single-family homes in both the Urban and General Services districts. The app shows your route’s start date; crews can take one to three weeks to finish a route.

• Leaves and grass in paper yard bags only, never plastic.
• Limbs up to 4 inches across and 12 feet long, close enough to the curb for the truck’s arm.
• No lumber, household trash or bamboo over 8 feet.
• Metro does not collect brush on private streets or in Belle Meade, Berry Hill or Forest Hills.

What this means for you

• New in town? Look up your address in the app, ask for a recycling cart through hubNashville, and keep glass separate for the drop-off site.
• Big cleanout? Plan a convenience center run on a Tuesday through Saturday, and remember the one free bulk item.

Related guides: who to call at Metro, moving to Nashville and parks and trails.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Nashville?

It depends on your address. Metro collects trash weekly and recycling every other week in the Urban Services District; the Nashville Waste and Recycling App gives your day. Pickup days changed in February 2026.

Does Nashville pick up trash on holidays?

Routes that fall on Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day move to the following or preceding Monday. For example, Thanksgiving Day routes are collected Monday, Nov. 30, 2026.

Can I put glass in my Nashville recycling cart?

No. Glass bottles and jars go to a recycling drop-off site or a Metro convenience center, not the curbside cart.

Who picks up trash outside the Urban Services District?

Homes in the General Services District and most apartment complexes use a private hauler. Metro says every private hauler must offer recycling.

Where can I take household hazardous waste in Nashville?

The East and Ezell Pike convenience centers take it free from Davidson County residents, up to 15 gallons or 100 pounds a month. Call 615-862-5000 with questions.