Ann Arbor Trash Pickup & Garbage Schedule 2026
Ann Arbor trash pickup is weekly for City residential trash carts, recycling is collected weekly at the curb by Recycle Ann Arbor under the City program, and compost changes by season. The smart move is to confirm your address on the City collection map, place carts correctly by the deadline, and treat large items, electronics, toxics and student move-out waste as separate disposal routes.
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Quick Answer for Ann Arbor Residents
For City of Ann Arbor residential service, trash carts are collected weekly. Recycling is also collected weekly, and compost is weekly during the main season but monthly for compost carts only during winter. Residential carts must be out before 7 a.m.; Downtown Development Area carts must be out before 4 a.m.. Missed pickup and cart problems go through A2 Fix It, Customer Service or the City contact line.
Weekly cart pickup
Single-family and duplex residential trash is collected weekly in City trash carts. Large furniture and appliances are not regular curbside trash.
Weekly curbside
Use the recycling cart loose, clean and dry. Do not bag recyclables, and keep the lid closed.
Seasonal rules
Winter compost is monthly for carts only. Weekly carts, bags and bundles resume April 6, 2026 and continue into early December.
Not curbside
Furniture, mattresses, appliances and excess trash should go to reuse, the Drop-Off Station, Recovery Yard or county cleanup routes.
If the item fits in the correct cart with the lid closed and is allowed for that stream, use curbside pickup. If it is large, toxic, electronic, battery-powered, construction material, scrap metal, a tire, or a mattress/furniture item, pause and use the item checker below.
City of Ann Arbor vs Ann Arbor Township vs Apartment Service
Search results often mix City of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor Township, campus housing, apartment dumpsters and private-hauler service. This guide is for City of Ann Arbor solid waste customers. Your address and property type decide the exact rule.
Use City curbside rules
Weekly trash, weekly recycling and seasonal compost apply to standard City residential curbside locations.
Check property setup
Multi-family locations may use dumpsters, 96-gallon carts or building-managed container areas. Do not leave bulky items beside shared dumpsters.
Use your provider
An Ann Arbor mailing address does not always mean City pickup. Use the City map or your property manager/hauler bill before following City rules.
Ann Arbor Trash Pickup Schedule 2026: Find Your Collection Day
Ann Arbor does not use one citywide pickup weekday for every address. Use the City’s solid waste collection map to confirm your weekday for trash, recycling and compost service.
- Open the official collection map. Enter your Ann Arbor service address, not only your ZIP code.
- Write down your regular service day. Trash, recycling and compost use the same weekly waste collection day for many curbside homes, but compost season changes.
- Check the 2026 holiday table. A holiday can shift the pickup later in the week.
- Set a night-before reminder. Carts should be ready early, especially in the DDA, winter storms and holiday weeks.
- Use A2 Fix It only after checking set-out rules. Late set-out, overweight carts, blocked carts, wrong item type or a holiday slide can look like a missed pickup.
Ann Arbor Pickup Tools: Schedule, Holiday, Item Route and Reminder
Use these quick helpers before pickup morning, during student move-out, after a storm, or when you are not sure whether an item belongs in trash, recycling, compost, Drop-Off Station, Home Toxics or reuse.
Ann Arbor Holiday Trash Schedule 2026
Holiday weeks are the easiest time to make a pickup mistake. The table below separates full-week shifts, partial-week shifts and no-impact holidays.
| Holiday | 2026 date | Collection impact | Resident action |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026 | Thursday and Friday collections moved later that week. | Thursday routes use Friday; Friday routes use Saturday. |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 25, 2026 | Holiday listed in the 2025–2026 guide as an impacted City holiday. | Expect Monday–Friday routes to shift Tuesday–Saturday unless City posts otherwise. |
| Independence Day | Saturday, July 4, 2026 | No impact to service. | Use the normal weekday schedule. |
| Labor Day | Monday, Sept. 7, 2026 | Monday–Friday service shifts to Tuesday–Saturday. | Set carts out one day later than normal that week. |
| Thanksgiving | Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026 | Thursday and Friday service shifts to Friday and Saturday. | Monday–Wednesday stay normal; Thursday and Friday shift. |
| Christmas Day | Friday, Dec. 25, 2026 | Friday service shifts to Saturday. | Friday routes should use Saturday set-out timing. |
| New Year’s Day | Friday, Jan. 1, 2027 | Friday service shifts to Saturday. | Useful for the final 2026 service week crossing into 2027. |
Do not rely on a repeating phone alert during holiday weeks. Check the City page, then move the reminder only for the affected route days.
Ann Arbor Cart Placement Rules
Cart placement is part of the schedule. A correct pickup day can still fail if carts are late, blocked, overweight, buried in snow, placed in bike lanes, or facing the wrong way.
Correct cart setup
- Put residential carts out before 7 a.m.
- Use 4 a.m. timing for carts in the DDA area.
- Place carts on the lawn extension or against the curb unless bike-lane rules require another safe position.
- Make handles face away from the street.
- Keep carts 3 feet apart from each other and obstacles.
- Keep lids fully closed.
- Keep carts level, visible, accessible and free of snow or ice.
- Bring carts back after service and store them at the side or rear of the dwelling.
Common service failures
- Cart in a bike lane or vehicle travel lane.
- Cart buried in a snowbank instead of shoveled out.
- Trash or debris stacked on or around carts.
- Recycling bagged inside plastic bags.
- Cart out more than 24 hours early.
- Overweight cart: 224 pounds for 64-gallon or 336 pounds for 96-gallon carts.
- Bulky items left beside the cart as if they are regular pickup.
Ann Arbor Garbage Pickup: What Goes in Trash?
Trash is for material that is not recyclable, compostable, reusable, repairable, hazardous or heavy. Do not use the trash cart to hide items that can injure workers, damage trucks, contaminate recycling, cause fires or require special handling.
Usually belongs in the trash cart
- Food wrappers, pouches and bags that are not recyclable.
- Single-use disposable plates and cups that are not accepted in recycling.
- Diapers, pet waste and litter.
- Non-recyclable glass and ceramics.
- Styrofoam and black plastic when no drop-off option is used.
- Small non-recyclable household trash that fits with the lid closed.
Keep these out of trash carts
- Large furniture, mattresses and appliances.
- TVs, computers and electronics.
- Rechargeable batteries and lead-acid batteries.
- Liquids, used motor oil, fuel and propane tanks.
- Yard trimmings, logs, stumps and tree waste.
- Concrete, bricks, rocks, construction material and carpet.
- Hazardous, flammable, corrosive or poisonous household chemicals.
Ann Arbor Recycling Pickup: What Goes in the Cart?
Recycle Ann Arbor collects curbside recycling weekly for City residents in a single-stream system. The cart should contain only accepted materials, loose, clean and dry, with the lid closed.
| Accepted in curbside recycling | How to prepare | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Paper, newspapers, magazines, junk mail and office paper | Keep clean and dry. | Wet paper and shredded paper can cause problems. |
| Cardboard and boxboard | Empty and flatten; fit loosely inside the cart. | Cardboard beside the cart may wait until the next week or need drop-off. |
| Metal cans and foil | Empty and clean. | Scrap metal and auto parts are not curbside recycling. |
| Glass bottles and jars | Empty bottles and jars; follow cap guidance. | Ceramics, Pyrex, mirrors and window glass are not the same as bottles and jars. |
| Plastic bottles, tubs and containers | Use accepted #1, #2 and #5 plastics; keep recyclables loose. | #3, #4, #6, #7 plastics, foam, film and plastic bags should stay out. |
| Aseptic / Tetra Pak cartons | Empty cartons such as milk, juice, broth and similar cartons. | Food residue and liquids create contamination. |
Best habits
- Place recycling out by 7 a.m. on weekly service day.
- Keep items loose; do not bag recyclables.
- Keep the lid closed.
- Place the metal lift bar facing the street.
- Keep 3 feet from vehicles, mailboxes, poles, fences and other carts.
- Use the A-Z guide for confusing items.
Top contaminants
- Plastic bags, plastic film and bubble wrap.
- Batteries, bulbs and electronics.
- Yard waste, food waste and plate scrapings.
- Paint, oil, medical waste and syringes.
- Textiles, furniture, construction debris and wood.
- Styrofoam, ceramics, Pyrex and tempered glass.
Ann Arbor Compost and Yard Waste Pickup 2026
Compost rules change by season. In January, February and March, compost carts are emptied once per month during the first full week of the month, and no bags or bundles are collected. Weekly collection of compost carts, yard bags and bundles resumes April 6, 2026 and continues through early December.
| Compost period | 2026 service rule | Resident action |
|---|---|---|
| Winter compost | Jan. 5–9, Feb. 2–6 and March 2–6, 2026 | Compost carts only, on your regular service day. No yard bags or bundles. |
| Main weekly compost season | Weekly service resumes April 6, 2026 through early December | Use carts, paper yard bags and bundled brush following City limits. |
| April through Oct. 7 | 10 paper yard bags per property limit | Each bag must weigh less than 50 pounds. |
| Fall leaf season | Bag limit expands to 20 starting Oct. 7 | Keep bags out of roads and bike lanes. |
| Compost facility drop-off | Up to 1 cubic yard per household per day at no charge for eligible City residents | Bring a valid license with a City of Ann Arbor address. |
Cart-friendly material
- Food scraps, including meat and bones.
- Coffee grounds and paper filters.
- Food-soiled paper.
- Grass clippings, leaves, weeds and garden prunings.
- Branches under 6 inches in diameter that fit with lid closed.
- Undecorated, cut-up Christmas trees.
- Cool wood ashes.
Keep out
- Plastic bags or containers.
- BPI or PLA compostable plastic products.
- Bamboo or palm leaf products.
- Glass, trash and recyclables.
- Dirt, rocks, gravel, sawdust and stumps.
- Animal waste, cat litter and diapers.
- Branches over 6 inches diameter or over 4 feet length.
Ann Arbor Bulk Trash, Large Items and Excess Garbage
Ann Arbor is not a city where you can simply place a sofa or mattress at the curb and expect regular trash crews to collect it. Large items such as furniture, mattresses and appliances are not regular curbside pickup and can create fines if left out too long.
| Item / problem | Curbside answer | Better route |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture, mattresses and appliances | Not collected if left at the curb as regular trash. | Reuse first if usable; otherwise use Drop-Off Station, Recovery Yard or county cleanup options. |
| Excess trash or excess recycling | Do not pile it around carts. | Use the Drop-Off Station or store extra recycling until next week. |
| TVs, computers and electronics | Prohibited from trash and recycling carts. | Use manufacturer take-back, Best Buy, Drop-Off Station or county electronics collection. |
| Freon appliances | Not normal trash cart material. | Use Drop-Off Station or an appliance recycler that handles Freon removal. |
| Carpet, concrete, rocks, bricks and construction debris | Not accepted in trash carts. | Use Recovery Yard, Drop-Off Station or contractor disposal. |
| Student move-out furniture | Do not leave usable items at curb as trash. | Use donation, reuse, resale, swap and move-out resources first. |
Leaving large items at the curb because “it is garbage day” can create a missed-service problem and a property problem. Route large items before you move them outside.
Missed Trash, Recycling or Compost Pickup in Ann Arbor
Before reporting a missed pickup, check whether the cart was out on time, placed correctly, on the correct holiday-adjusted day, not blocked, not overweight and not filled with prohibited material. Then use A2 Fix It or the City customer contact path.
Self-check list
- Was it your official collection day?
- Was there a holiday shift?
- Was the cart out before 7 a.m. or DDA 4 a.m.?
- Were handles facing away from the street?
- Were carts 3 feet apart and away from obstacles?
- Was the cart lid fully closed?
- Was the cart free of snow, ice and bike-lane blockage?
- Was the item actually trash, recycling or compost?
Use A2 Fix It
Use A2 Fix It for missed pickup or other solid waste problems. Add a photo when useful, describe the address, stream and cart placement, and keep carts accessible until the issue is resolved.
Ann Arbor Drop-Off Options: Large Items, HHW, Electronics and Compost
Drop-off is the right route for many items that cannot go in carts. Always check the facility’s current hours, fees and accepted materials before loading your vehicle.
| Place | Address / phone | Use it for | Important note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recycle Ann Arbor Drop-Off Station | 2950 East Ellsworth Rd, Ann Arbor 734-971-7400 |
Large items, excess trash/recycling, hard-to-recycle materials, some electronics and special materials. | Public hours include Tuesday/Thursday 8:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m., Friday 7 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; closed Monday, Wednesday and Sunday. |
| Recycle Ann Arbor Recovery Yard | 7891 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor 734-426-2280 |
Construction-like loads, recovery materials and roll-off services. | Check current prices, restrictions and hours before driving. |
| Ann Arbor Compost Facility | 4170 Platt Road | Yard trimmings, food waste, branches and compost-related drop-off. | City residents may drop off up to 1 cubic yard per household per day at no charge with valid City ID. |
| Washtenaw County Home Toxics / HHW | 705 N. Zeeb Rd, Ann Arbor or 10843 W. Five Mile Rd, Northville | Paint, solvents, cleaners, oil, pesticides, fluorescent bulbs, rechargeable batteries and sharps. | Appointments are required for county HHW options. |
Student Move-In, Move-Out and Reuse in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor’s move-out weeks create extra furniture, mattresses, boxes, electronics, small appliances, clothes and reusable household goods. The better route is reuse first, not dumping at the curb or overloading apartment dumpsters.
Donate, sell or swap
Use local reuse stores, campus/community swap routes and donation options before disposal.
Flatten cardboard
Flatten cardboard and fit it in the recycle cart with the lid closed, or use the Drop-Off Station for excess cardboard.
Do not pile outside
Apartment dumpster overflow can become a property violation and service problem. Ask management for move-out instructions.
Official Ann Arbor Links Residents Actually Need
Use the link that matches the task. Schedule lookup, cart placement, recycling, compost, large-item disposal and toxics are separate workflows.
Reader Intent Coverage
This guide answers the practical questions behind searches such as Ann Arbor trash pickup schedule, Ann Arbor garbage collection, Ann Arbor recycling pickup, Ann Arbor holiday trash schedule 2026, Ann Arbor compost pickup, Ann Arbor yard waste, Ann Arbor bulk trash pickup, large item disposal, A2 Fix It missed pickup, Ann Arbor Drop-Off Station, Recycle Ann Arbor, Home Toxics, student move-out trash and Ann Arbor collection map.
Address first
The page pushes residents to the official collection map because pickup day is address-based.
Cart vs drop-off
Trash, recycling, compost, electronics, batteries, toxics, furniture and construction debris are separated by route.
Reusable tools
The holiday helper, item checker and reminder builder make this page useful before each pickup, not only once.
Ann Arbor Trash Pickup FAQ
How do I find my Ann Arbor trash pickup schedule?
Use the official City solid waste collection map and enter your service address. Do not rely only on ZIP code or a neighbor’s cart pattern.
What time should carts be out in Ann Arbor?
Residential carts should be out before 7 a.m. on pickup day. Carts in the Downtown Development Area should be out before 4 a.m.
Is Ann Arbor recycling weekly?
Yes. Recycle Ann Arbor collects curbside recycling weekly from City of Ann Arbor residents under the City program.
Can I bag recyclables in Ann Arbor?
No. Recyclables should be placed loose in the cart. Plastic bags and plastic film should stay out of curbside recycling.
When does Ann Arbor compost pickup run in 2026?
Winter compost carts are collected once monthly during the first full weeks of January, February and March. Weekly compost carts, paper yard bags and bundled brush resume April 6, 2026 and continue through early December.
Does Ann Arbor pick up furniture or mattresses at the curb?
No. Large items such as furniture, mattresses and appliances are not collected if left at the curb as regular trash. Use reuse options, the Drop-Off Station, Recovery Yard or county cleanup/disposal routes.
How do I report missed pickup in Ann Arbor?
Use A2 Fix It, call the City customer service line or email customerservice@a2gov.org. Check late set-out, holiday delays, cart placement, snow and prohibited items before reporting.
Where can I take large items in Ann Arbor?
Use the Recycle Ann Arbor Drop-Off Station at 2950 East Ellsworth Road, the Recovery Yard for certain material, Washtenaw County cleanup events, or a reuse/donation option when the item is usable.
Where do paint, oil, chemicals and rechargeable batteries go?
Use Washtenaw County household hazardous waste options, the Home Toxics Center, the HHW Center by appointment, or other listed special recycling routes. Do not put them in trash, recycling or compost carts.
Are apartments covered by the same Ann Arbor trash rules?
Some multi-family properties use carts, while properties with 10 or more units may be required to use dumpsters. Ask the property manager and check the City multi-family guidance before placing items outside.
What holidays delay Ann Arbor pickup in 2026?
Impacted 2026 weeks include New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and the New Year’s Day 2027 week. Independence Day falls on Saturday in 2026 and is listed as no impact to service.
Is Trash-Pickup.org the City of Ann Arbor?
No. Trash-Pickup.org is an independent resident guide. Use City of Ann Arbor, Recycle Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County sources for live service decisions, fees, appointments and official notices.
Final Ann Arbor Resident Summary
For Ann Arbor trash pickup in 2026, confirm your address on the City collection map, place carts out before 7 a.m. or before 4 a.m. in the DDA, keep carts 3 feet apart, keep lids closed, and follow bike-lane and winter placement rules. Trash and recycling are weekly for standard City residential service, while compost has winter monthly collection and main-season weekly service.
Do not place furniture, mattresses, appliances, electronics, batteries, chemicals, tires, construction debris or excess trash at the curb as regular pickup. Use reuse, Drop-Off Station, Recovery Yard, compost facility, Home Toxics or A2 Fix It depending on the problem.
Franklin TN Trash Tools
Holiday calculator | Buck-A-Bag counter | Recycling checker
Mon–Fri, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Call (615) 794-1516 to confirm