Trash pickup in Indianapolis, IN

Who collects trash in Indianapolis, how trash day works, and which holidays move pickup. Checked against official city and hauler pages on Oct 15, 2026.

Next holiday to check: Thanksgiving Day, Thu, Nov 26, 2026Not announcedSee every holiday

At a glance

Who collects
Contracted haulers by area
Haulers
2: Lakeshore Recycling Systems, Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) Solid Waste Division
Recycling
Every other week
Holiday schedule
2026 not found, 2027 not found
Last checked
Oct 15, 2026

Since January 1, 2026, Indianapolis residential trash has been collected weekly by two providers, split by solid waste district. Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS), under a 10-year city contract, serves seven districts (the former Republic Services and WM areas), and Indy DPW's own crews (AFSCME Local 725) serve the other four, including downtown. Pickup days didn't change in the switch; find yours by address on indy.gov. Curbside recycling isn't universal until 2028; through 2027 it's a paid subscription through LRS. In past years, when a solid waste holiday fell on a weekday, DPW ran a one-day 'slide' for the rest of the week; no official 2026 or 2027 holiday list is available, so check before each holiday.

Who picks up trash in Indianapolis

Contracted haulers by area.

Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS)

Private haulerTrashBulkRecycling
Area
Seven of the city's eleven solid waste districts, the areas formerly served by Republic Services and WM. A third-party source lists them as districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 and 10; the city's release says only "seven districts" and that districts 1 and 6 got new carts first.
Phone
317-245-4444
Website
indy.gov

Took over on Jan 1, 2026 under a 10-year contract (Board of Public Works). Also handles heavy trash and leaf collection in its districts. Curbside recycling is a paid LRS subscription in all districts through the end of 2027 (third-party sites list $9.00 a month for 2026); from 2028, curbside recycling is included for all residents. The phone number comes from third-party sites, which list it for recycling help. Carts are gray, city-owned and 96 gallons; lids must be fully closed.

Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) Solid Waste Division

City serviceTrashBulk
Area
The other four solid waste districts, including downtown. A third-party source lists them as districts 5, 7, 8 and 11; the city's release says only "the other four districts."
Neighborhoods
Downtown
Phone
317-327-4622
Website
indy.gov

City crews are represented by AFSCME Local 725. The phone number is the Mayor's Action Center, for service requests and missed pickups; RequestIndy (online or in the app) works too. DPW Public Information Office: 317-327-8895. Recycling in DPW districts is also the paid LRS subscription until 2028.

Not covered

Beech Grove, Lawrence, Southport and Speedway are excluded cities that run their own service. Apartments and large multi-family complexes generally use private haulers rather than city service, according to a third-party guide. Commercial properties aren't part of residential service.

How trash day works in Indianapolis

Look up your address on indy.gov for your trash day, heavy trash day and recycling info. Trash is weekly on a fixed weekday (Monday to Friday); heavy trash (up to 2 items) is on an assigned day about once a month. Pickup days stayed the same when LRS took over, though pickup times may vary.

Find a trash day on indy.gov

Recycling: every other week. Through 2027, curbside recycling is an opt-in paid subscription through LRS at a city-set rate; otherwise, use the free drop-off sites. Curbside recycling for all residents begins in 2028. Third-party sites list subscription pickup as every other week; find your recycling day with the city's recycling lookup on indy.gov.

Carts out: By 7:00 a.m. on collection day; crews have until 6:00 p.m. to finish. Both times come from third-party sites. Source

Place carts 2 to 3 ft from the curb and 5 ft from mailboxes, parked cars and other objects (per third-party sites). In 2025, seasonal bagged leaf collection ran Nov 10 to Dec 5 on the regular trash day; check indy.gov for 2026 dates.

Indianapolis trash pickup holiday schedule

Upcoming holidays in Indianapolis and what each does to pickup. Indianapolis hasn’t announced yet how these holidays change pickup.

No official 2026 or 2027 solid waste holiday list is available. DPW news releases from 2017 to 2023 (reported by local news) say that when a "city and solid waste holiday" falls on a weekday, trash, heavy trash and curbside recycling "operate on a slide schedule": each day's pickups move one day later for the rest of the week, Friday to Saturday, and holidays on weekends "do not interfere" with pickup. DPW has treated these as solid waste holidays: New Year's Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. LRS took over seven districts in 2026, so check with the city before each holiday.

2026

  1. Thanksgiving Day, Thu, Nov 26, 2026

    Not announced

    All districts (LRS and DPW)

    Not announced yet. In past years, DPW treated Thanksgiving as a solid waste holiday with a one-day slide: Thursday routes ran Friday and Friday routes ran Saturday. Check with DPW or RequestIndy the week before.

    Source: wrtv.com

  2. Christmas Day, Fri, Dec 25, 2026

    Not announced

    All districts (LRS and DPW)

    Not announced yet. In past years, DPW treated Christmas as a solid waste holiday with a one-day slide, and Friday routes ran Saturday. Christmas 2026 is a Friday. Check with DPW or RequestIndy the week before.

    Source: wrtv.com
Not announced
The city hasn’t said yet. The note has what’s known, such as last year’s pattern.
Cleaning bins in Indianapolis?

Bins get cleaned right after pickup, so when a holiday moves trash day, your route moves with it. In Clean Bin System you give each zone its hauler and add the hauler’s holidays once: that week’s cleanings move with the pickup, and each customer gets a text. See how it works

Questions about trash pickup in Indianapolis

Who picks up trash in Indianapolis?

Since January 1, 2026, Indianapolis residential trash has been collected weekly by two providers, split by solid waste district. Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS), under a 10-year city contract, serves seven districts (the former Republic Services and WM areas), and Indy DPW's own crews (AFSCME Local 725) serve the other four, including downtown. Pickup days didn't change in the switch; find yours by address on indy.gov. Curbside recycling isn't universal until 2028; through 2027 it's a paid subscription through LRS. In past years, when a solid waste holiday fell on a weekday, DPW ran a one-day 'slide' for the rest of the week; no official 2026 or 2027 holiday list is available, so check before each holiday.

How do I find my trash day in Indianapolis?

Look up your address on indy.gov for your trash day, heavy trash day and recycling info. Trash is weekly on a fixed weekday (Monday to Friday); heavy trash (up to 2 items) is on an assigned day about once a month. Pickup days stayed the same when LRS took over, though pickup times may vary.

Is recycling picked up every week in Indianapolis?

No, every other week. Through 2027, curbside recycling is an opt-in paid subscription through LRS at a city-set rate; otherwise, use the free drop-off sites. Curbside recycling for all residents begins in 2028. Third-party sites list subscription pickup as every other week; find your recycling day with the city's recycling lookup on indy.gov.

When do trash carts go out in Indianapolis?

By 7:00 a.m. on collection day; crews have until 6:00 p.m. to finish. Both times come from third-party sites.

Is trash picked up on Thanksgiving in Indianapolis?

Thanksgiving is Thu, Nov 26, 2026. All districts (LRS and DPW): Not announced yet. In past years, DPW treated Thanksgiving as a solid waste holiday with a one-day slide: Thursday routes ran Friday and Friday routes ran Saturday. Check with DPW or RequestIndy the week before.

Is trash picked up on Christmas in Indianapolis?

Christmas is Fri, Dec 25, 2026. All districts (LRS and DPW): Not announced yet. In past years, DPW treated Christmas as a solid waste holiday with a one-day slide, and Friday routes ran Saturday. Christmas 2026 is a Friday. Check with DPW or RequestIndy the week before.

Sources

Official city and hauler pages, checked Oct 15, 2026. News and other sites used for details the official pages don’t give are listed separately. Schedules change, especially around holidays: check the city’s page before you plan routes. Something out of date? Email taylor@bincleanmarketing.com.

Other sources (12)

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