Columbus, OH Waste Collection Schedule

Complete waste management schedule including trash pickup, recycling, bulk waste, and special collections for Columbus.

Population: 905,748
226 sq mi
Updated: January 18, 2025

Collection Zones & Pickup Days

Find your neighborhood to see your collection schedule

View Interactive Zone Map

Navy Zone - Central & East Columbus

Trash:Monday
Recycling:Monday
Yard Waste:Monday

Neighborhoods:

  • Downtown
  • Short North
  • Italian Village
  • Victorian Village
  • Arena District
  • Olde Towne East
  • King-Lincoln District
  • Near East Side
  • Driving Park
  • Eastmoor
  • Shepard
  • Berwyn East

Pink Zone - North Columbus

Trash:Tuesday
Recycling:Tuesday
Yard Waste:Tuesday

Neighborhoods:

  • Clintonville
  • Beechwold
  • North Columbus
  • Minerva Park
  • Northland
  • Woodland Park
  • Glen Echo
  • Woodward Park
  • Westgate
  • Karl Road
  • Northcrest
  • Sharon Heights

Ruby Zone - West Columbus

Trash:Wednesday
Recycling:Wednesday
Yard Waste:Wednesday

Neighborhoods:

  • Franklinton
  • Hilltop
  • West Side
  • Westgate
  • Valley View
  • Valleyview Heights
  • Lincoln Village
  • West Broad
  • Georgesville
  • Mount Carmel
  • Westland

Gold Zone - South Columbus

Trash:Thursday
Recycling:Thursday
Yard Waste:Thursday

Neighborhoods:

  • German Village
  • Brewery District
  • Merion Village
  • Hungarian Village
  • South Side
  • Reeb-Hosack
  • Schumacher Place
  • Deshler Park
  • Marion-Franklin
  • Southside
  • Far South
  • Obetz

Gray Zone - Northeast & Southeast Columbus

Trash:Friday
Recycling:Friday
Yard Waste:Friday

Neighborhoods:

  • Easton
  • New Albany
  • Gahanna (city service areas)
  • Whitehall (city service areas)
  • Reynoldsburg (city service areas)
  • Blacklick
  • Far East
  • Bexley (city service areas)
  • Northeast
  • Northgate
  • Woodstream
  • Forest Park East

Service Provider

municipal

City of Columbus - Department of Public Service, Division of Refuse Collection

Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Bulk Waste Pickup

Frequency
On-call
Registration
Required

Scheduling Method:

Both

(614) 645-3111

Accepted Items

  • Furniture (couches, chairs, tables, desks)
  • Mattresses and box springs
  • Carpet (rolled into 4x2 foot bundles and tied)
  • Non-refrigerant appliances (washers, dryers, dishwashers)
  • Large items that do not fit in trash container
  • Bags, boxes, luggage, and containers
  • Assembled furniture (leave glass/mirrors taped)

Not Accepted

  • Hazardous materials (flammable or explosive)
  • Refrigerated appliances (refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners)
  • Furnaces
  • Pianos
  • Spas and hot tubs
  • Pool tables
  • Old vehicles or auto parts
  • Tires
  • Construction materials

Free service for Columbus residents. Must schedule collection in advance online at 311.columbus.gov or by calling 311. Place items at curb or alley edge on scheduled collection day. Alternative: Free drop-off at Waste and Reuse Convenience Centers (2100 Alum Creek Drive and 1550 Georgesville Rd.), open Tuesday-Saturday 10 AM-6 PM.

Recycling Program

Type
single-stream
Frequency
Weekly (same day as trash collection)
Cart Color
Blue

Accepted Materials

  • Paper: Newspaper, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, computer paper, phone books
  • Cardboard: Cereal boxes, dry food boxes, flattened corrugated cardboard, paper towel rolls
  • Plastic bottles, jugs, tubs, and cups (lids accepted, remove straws)
  • Glass bottles and jars (all colors)
  • Metal: Aluminum beverage cans, steel and tin cans, aluminum foil, empty aerosol cans
  • Metal cups and cans
  • Cartons: Milk, juice, broth cartons (rinsed, lids removed)

Not Accepted

  • Plastic bags and film (return to retail stores)
  • Batteries (take to HHW facility)
  • Propane tanks (take to HHW facility)
  • Tanglers: hoses, wires, chains, clothing
  • Plastic or foam plates and containers
  • Styrofoam carry-out containers
  • Paper cups, paper plates, egg cartons
  • Napkins, paper towels, tissue paper
  • Ceramics, window glass, drinking glasses
  • Light bulbs
  • Coat hangers
  • Electronics
  • Any plastic not shaped like a bottle, jug, tub or cup

Columbus uses single-stream recycling - all recyclables go in the blue cart together, no sorting required. Lids and labels can stay on containers. Remove straws from cups. Containers must be clean. Place cart within 1 foot of curb with arrow facing outward. Keep 3 feet from other carts and obstructions. Remove cart within 24 hours after collection. Collection must be out by 6:00 AM on collection day.

Holiday Schedule

Columbus observes 11 holidays with NO collection: New Year's Day, MLK Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Indigenous Peoples Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. For residents in color-coded zones (Navy, Pink, Ruby, Gold, Gray), collection day advances ONE DAY after each observed holiday and remains shifted until the next holiday. Place containers out by 6:00 PM the day before your scheduled collection. Collection occurs between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Remove containers by 2:00 PM the day after collection.

Important Information

Columbus serves over 340,000 households with automated collection using trucks with mechanical arms. The city implemented a new color-coded zone system (Navy, Pink, Ruby, Gold, Gray) in September 2025, changing collection days for approximately half of households. To find your specific collection day and color zone, use the Collection Day Lookup tool at columbus.gov/trash, download the free PickUp CBUS smartphone app (iOS/Android), or call your color-specific hotline: Navy (614) 645-6289, Pink (614) 645-7465, Ruby (614) 645-7829, Gold (614) 645-4653, Gray (614) 645-4729. Wheeled containers are provided by the city and are city property. Trash must be bagged and tied before placing in container. Do not place trash outside the container. Buildings with multiple units may have different service arrangements. The Department of Public Service office is located at 2100 Alum Creek Drive, Columbus, OH 43207.