Trash pickup in Louisville, KY

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

Next holiday change: Thanksgiving Day, Thu, Nov 26, 2026Slides a daySee every holiday

At a glance

Who collects
City crews and contractors
Haulers
2: Louisville Metro Public Works, Solid Waste Management Services, Private haulers
Recycling
Every other week
Holiday schedule
2026 posted, 2027 posted
Last checked
Oct 15, 2026

Inside the Urban Services District (USD, the old City of Louisville boundary), Louisville Metro Public Works' Solid Waste Management Services collects trash weekly, Monday to Friday, plus recycling every other week and yard waste on recycling day, using Metro-owned carts. Look up your day by address in MyLouisville or the Recycle Coach app. On the 8 Metro waste holidays there's no pickup, and that day's and the rest of the week's pickups slide one day later. In unincorporated Louisville Metro outside the USD, residents hire a private hauler of their choice, and small cities run their own contracts.

Who picks up trash in Louisville

City crews and contractors.

Louisville Metro Public Works, Solid Waste Management Services

City serviceTrashRecyclingYard wasteBulk
Area
Urban Services District only: the former City of Louisville boundary from before the 2003 merger. Check whether an address is in the service area with the MyLouisville address lookup.
Phone
311 or (502) 574-5000 (Metro311)

Trash is weekly, Monday to Friday. Recycling is every other week; the recycling page has week tables for 2026 and 2027, starting with the week of Aug 3, 2026. The yard waste page says yard waste is collected weekly on the same day as recycling, which doesn't match every-other-week recycling, so check your days in MyLouisville or Recycle Coach. Yard waste pauses in winter. Book Large Item Pickup through MyLouisville. Carts are free, belong to Metro and stay with the address.

Private haulers (unincorporated Louisville Metro)

Private haulerTrashRecyclingYard waste
Area
Unincorporated areas of Louisville Metro outside the Urban Services District, not including small incorporated cities. Residents must contract directly with a private waste company. Recycling and yard waste are optional add-ons offered by the hauler.

Metro doesn't name the haulers. Each hauler sets its own pickup days and holiday rules, so check with yours.

Not covered

Metro serves only USD residential buildings with 8 or fewer units, condos, and small businesses with no more than four 95-gallon containers a week. Larger apartment buildings arrange service through property managers. Unincorporated areas outside the USD must hire a private hauler, and home-rule small cities (such as St. Matthews and Jeffersontown) have their own contracts.

How trash day works in Louisville

By address. Look up your garbage, recycling and yard waste days in MyLouisville Address Lookup or the Recycle Coach app. Trash is once a week, Monday to Friday.

Find a trash day on louisvilleky.gov

Recycling: every other week. Metro: 'Recycling in the Urban Services District is collected every other week.' Recycling weeks in 2026 start Aug 3, Aug 17, Aug 31, Sep 14, Sep 28, Oct 12, Oct 26, Nov 9, Nov 23, Dec 7 and Dec 21. In 2027 they start Jan 4, Jan 18, Feb 1, Feb 15, Mar 1, Mar 15, Mar 29, Apr 12, Apr 26, May 10, May 24, Jun 7, Jun 21, Jul 5, Jul 19, Aug 2, Aug 16, Aug 30, Sep 13, Sep 27, Oct 11, Oct 25, Nov 8, Nov 22, Dec 6 and Dec 20. The table lists one set of weeks, with no A/B groups.

Carts out: Out no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day. Remove carts from the street or alley by 4 p.m. the day after collection. Source

Place carts 3 ft apart with the arrow toward the street and the lid closed, 200 lb maximum.

Louisville trash pickup holiday schedule

Upcoming holidays in Louisville and what each does to pickup. The 2026 holiday schedule is posted, and so is 2027’s.

Metro's holiday rule (the same every year): no collection on 8 listed holidays, and the rest of that week slides one day. The 2026-2027 recycling-week tables mark holiday weeks: Nov 23 and Dec 21, 2026, and Jan 18, Jul 5 and Nov 22, 2027. For holidays on a weekend, Metro says to 'check for alerts or use Recycle Coach'. The day after Thanksgiving is on Metro's employee holiday list but isn't a waste collection holiday.

2026

  1. Thanksgiving Day, Thu, Nov 26, 2026

    Slides a day

    Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District

    No collection on Thanksgiving. Metro's holiday rule: 'All holidays incur a one day delay and all collections for the remainder of the week are also delayed one day.' Thursday routes are collected Friday and Friday routes Saturday. The recycling table marks the week of Nov 23 as a holiday week. The Friday after Thanksgiving is a Metro employee holiday but isn't a waste collection holiday.

    Source: louisvilleky.gov

  2. Christmas Day, Fri, Dec 25, 2026

    Slides a day

    Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District

    No collection on Christmas. Metro's holiday rule: 'All holidays incur a one day delay and all collections for the remainder of the week are also delayed one day.' Christmas is a Friday, so Friday routes run Saturday. The recycling table marks the week of Dec 21 as a holiday week.

    Source: louisvilleky.gov

2027

  1. New Year's Day, Fri, Jan 1, 2027

    Slides a day

    Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District

    No collection on New Year's Day. Metro's holiday rule: 'All holidays incur a one day delay and all collections for the remainder of the week are also delayed one day.' Jan 1 is a Friday, so Friday routes run Saturday. Metro hasn't posted a separate notice for this holiday.

    Source: louisvilleky.gov

  2. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Mon, Jan 18, 2027

    Slides a day

    Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District

    No collection on MLK Day. Metro's holiday rule: 'All holidays incur a one day delay and all collections for the remainder of the week are also delayed one day.' It's a Monday, so the whole week slides one day. The recycling table marks the week of Jan 18 as a holiday week.

    Source: louisvilleky.gov

  3. Memorial Day, Mon, May 31, 2027

    Slides a day

    Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District

    No collection on Memorial Day. Metro's holiday rule: 'All holidays incur a one day delay and all collections for the remainder of the week are also delayed one day.' It's a Monday, so the whole week slides one day.

    Source: louisvilleky.gov

  4. Juneteenth Freedom Day, Sat, Jun 19, 2027

    Not announced

    Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District

    Not announced yet. Juneteenth falls on a Saturday in 2027, and Metro hasn't said whether a weekday will be observed (for example Friday, June 18) or whether pickups shift. For weekend holidays, Metro says to 'check for alerts or use Recycle Coach'.

    Source: louisvilleky.gov

  5. Independence Day, Sun, Jul 4, 2027

    Not announced

    Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District

    Not announced yet. July 4 falls on a Sunday in 2027. The recycling table labels the week of Jul 5 a 'holiday week', but Metro hasn't said whether Monday, Jul 5 is observed or how pickups shift. For weekend holidays, Metro says to 'check for alerts or use Recycle Coach'.

    Source: louisvilleky.gov

  6. Labor Day, Mon, Sep 6, 2027

    Slides a day

    Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District

    No collection on Labor Day. Metro's holiday rule: 'All holidays incur a one day delay and all collections for the remainder of the week are also delayed one day.' It's a Monday, so the whole week slides one day. The week of Sept 6 isn't a recycling week in the table.

    Source: louisvilleky.gov

  7. Thanksgiving Day, Thu, Nov 25, 2027

    Slides a day

    Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District

    No collection on Thanksgiving. Metro's holiday rule: 'All holidays incur a one day delay and all collections for the remainder of the week are also delayed one day.' Thursday routes are collected Friday and Friday routes Saturday. The recycling table marks the week of Nov 22 as a holiday week.

    Source: louisvilleky.gov

  8. Christmas Day, Sat, Dec 25, 2027

    Not announced

    Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District

    Not announced yet. Christmas falls on a Saturday in 2027, and the recycling table doesn't mark the week of Dec 20 as a holiday week. For weekend holidays, Metro says to 'check for alerts or use Recycle Coach'.

    Source: louisvilleky.gov
Slides a day
That day’s pickups and the rest of the week move one day later (Friday’s move to Saturday).
Not announced
The city hasn’t said yet. The note has what’s known, such as last year’s pattern.
Cleaning bins in Louisville?

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 Louisville

Who picks up trash in Louisville?

Inside the Urban Services District (USD, the old City of Louisville boundary), Louisville Metro Public Works' Solid Waste Management Services collects trash weekly, Monday to Friday, plus recycling every other week and yard waste on recycling day, using Metro-owned carts. Look up your day by address in MyLouisville or the Recycle Coach app. On the 8 Metro waste holidays there's no pickup, and that day's and the rest of the week's pickups slide one day later. In unincorporated Louisville Metro outside the USD, residents hire a private hauler of their choice, and small cities run their own contracts.

How do I find my trash day in Louisville?

By address. Look up your garbage, recycling and yard waste days in MyLouisville Address Lookup or the Recycle Coach app. Trash is once a week, Monday to Friday.

Is recycling picked up every week in Louisville?

No, every other week. Metro: 'Recycling in the Urban Services District is collected every other week.' Recycling weeks in 2026 start Aug 3, Aug 17, Aug 31, Sep 14, Sep 28, Oct 12, Oct 26, Nov 9, Nov 23, Dec 7 and Dec 21. In 2027 they start Jan 4, Jan 18, Feb 1, Feb 15, Mar 1, Mar 15, Mar 29, Apr 12, Apr 26, May 10, May 24, Jun 7, Jun 21, Jul 5, Jul 19, Aug 2, Aug 16, Aug 30, Sep 13, Sep 27, Oct 11, Oct 25, Nov 8, Nov 22, Dec 6 and Dec 20. The table lists one set of weeks, with no A/B groups.

When do trash carts go out in Louisville?

Out no earlier than 4 p.m. the day before and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day. Remove carts from the street or alley by 4 p.m. the day after collection.

Is trash picked up on Thanksgiving in Louisville?

Thanksgiving is Thu, Nov 26, 2026. Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District: pickup slides a day, so that day’s routes and the rest of the week move one day later. No collection on Thanksgiving. Metro's holiday rule: 'All holidays incur a one day delay and all collections for the remainder of the week are also delayed one day.' Thursday routes are collected Friday and Friday routes Saturday. The recycling table marks the week of Nov 23 as a holiday week. The Friday after Thanksgiving is a Metro employee holiday but isn't a waste collection holiday.

Is trash picked up on Christmas in Louisville?

Christmas is Fri, Dec 25, 2026. Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District: pickup slides a day, so that day’s routes and the rest of the week move one day later. No collection on Christmas. Metro's holiday rule: 'All holidays incur a one day delay and all collections for the remainder of the week are also delayed one day.' Christmas is a Friday, so Friday routes run Saturday. The recycling table marks the week of Dec 21 as a holiday week.

Is trash picked up on New Year’s Day in Louisville?

New Year’s Day is Fri, Jan 1, 2027. Trash, recycling and yard waste, Urban Services District: pickup slides a day, so that day’s routes and the rest of the week move one day later. No collection on New Year's Day. Metro's holiday rule: 'All holidays incur a one day delay and all collections for the remainder of the week are also delayed one day.' Jan 1 is a Friday, so Friday routes run Saturday. Metro hasn't posted a separate notice for this holiday.

Sources

Official city and hauler pages, checked Oct 15, 2026. Schedules change, especially around holidays: check the city’s page before you plan routes. Something out of date? Email taylor@bincleanmarketing.com.

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