Mobile Trash Pickup & Garbage Schedule 2026

The City of Mobile separates routine sanitation into two main residential services. Household garbage is the bagged waste placed inside your brown City cart and picked up once a week. Residential trash means tree limbs, tree and yard debris, discarded furniture, and bedding placed roadside for every-other-week pickup.

How to Find Your Mobile Trash Pickup Day (Fast Lookup)

Mobile uses an address-based system, so the easiest way to confirm your collection day is the City’s My Place tool. It shows your garbage pickup day and your roadside trash pickup day for your exact address.

1. Open My Place. Go to cityofmobile.gov/services/mapping/my-place.
2. Enter your exact address. This loads your City service details for that property.
3. Check both services. Confirm your weekly household garbage day and your every-other-week roadside trash day.
4. Use Mobile 311 if anything looks wrong. Call 251-208-5311 or use Mobile 311 for help with routes, service questions, or missed pickups.
5. Save the date. Because trash is every other week, a reminder on your phone helps avoid missed curbside set-outs.

Mobile Trash Pickup Schedule: What Runs When

Mobile does not use one simple “all-in-one” curbside system. The City splits household sanitation into weekly cart collection, every-other-week roadside pickup, and resident recycling drop-off centers.

If you only remember one rule, make it this: brown cart equals weekly garbage, and roadside piles equal every-other-week trash collection. Recycling is separate and handled through City drop-off locations.

Mobile Brown Cart, Roadside Trash, and Recycling System

Mobile’s system is different from cities that offer curbside recycling carts. Instead, residents use the brown cart for household garbage, place approved roadside trash items out on the proper trash week, and use City recycling drop-off centers for recyclables.

Mobile uses single-stream recycling at its drop-off sites, so residents do not need to sort accepted recyclables before bringing them in. The City says glass is not accepted at the recycling centers.

Mobile Set-Out Rules

Mobile’s garbage cart rules are very specific, and the roadside trash rules are strict about placement. Following them matters because the City says blocked or improperly placed items may not receive return service.

• Set brown garbage carts out by 6:00 a.m. on your regular garbage day.
• Bring brown carts back by 11:59 p.m. on collection day.
• Face the cart correctly. The handle should face away from the street.
• Leave clearance around the cart. Keep it at least 3 feet away from vehicles, poles, trees, fences, hydrants, and other obstructions.
• Do not overfill the cart. The lid should close, and loose bags outside the cart will not be collected.

Mobile Roadside Trash Pickup Rules

Mobile’s roadside trash service covers more than just tree limbs. The City defines residential trash as tree limbs, tree and yard debris, discarded furniture, and bedding. This is an every-other-week roadside service for residential properties.

Common roadside trash items include:

• Tree limbs and branches within the size limits
• Tree and yard debris
• Discarded furniture
• Bedding
• Bagged leaves, plants, and grass clippings within the allowed volume limit

1. Use your correct trash week. Mobile trash pickup is every other week, not weekly.
2. Keep the pile on the property where it originated. Place it close to the street without blocking sidewalks, gutters, drains, or traffic.
3. Do not set it out too early. The City prohibits putting the trash pile at the curb more than 48 hours before your scheduled pickup day.
4. Stay within the size rules. Bagged leaves, plants, and grass clippings can be set out as long as the pile does not exceed the 2-cubic-yard limit.
5. Keep prohibited items out. Contractor debris, fencing, construction materials, sinks, bathtubs, HVAC units, sheetrock, glass, and other banned items should not be mixed into the pile.

Mobile 2026 Holiday Trash Schedule

Mobile uses holiday-specific sanitation adjustments instead of one simple citywide delay rule. Some holidays use Saturday makeup service, some holidays have no makeup day for roadside trash, and some dates still run normal routes.

The safest move around holidays is to check the official Sanitation Holiday Schedule instead of assuming every holiday works the same way.

What to Do If Mobile Missed Your Garbage or Trash Pickup

If your cart or pile was set out correctly but not collected, Mobile 311 is the main city contact for sanitation questions and service issues.

1. Check your address and service week first. Make sure you did not confuse weekly garbage with every-other-week trash service.
2. Review the holiday schedule. Mobile uses special holiday adjustments, and some trash holidays do not have a makeup day.
3. Confirm placement rules. Carts and piles blocked by vehicles, poles, trees, or other obstructions may not receive return service.
4. Call Mobile 311. Use 251-208-5311 for route questions, missed pickups, extra service questions, or special work orders.
5. Use the online City help page if needed. You can also start from Mobile 311.

Mobile Recycling and Disposal Options

Mobile residents have three City recycling drop-off centers. These sites use single-stream recycling, are meant for City residents only, and may ask for proof of residence. They also accept small residential electronics in special blue bins.

Normal recycling center hours: Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday through Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mobile Trash Pickup

Official Mobile Trash Collection Resources

Need help? Start with My Place to verify your address-based service days, then call 251-208-5311 if you need help from Mobile 311.