Trash pickup in Washington, DC

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

Next holiday change: Veterans Day, Wed, Nov 11, 2026Slides a daySee every holiday

At a glance

Who collects
City crews
Hauler
DC Department of Public Works (DPW)
Recycling
Not published
Holiday schedule
2026 posted, 2027 not posted yet
Last checked
Oct 15, 2026

The DC Department of Public Works (DPW) collects trash, recycling and bulk items from single-family homes and residential buildings with three or fewer units across the District. Most homes get trash pickup once a week (Wards 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and parts of 1 and 2); homes on narrow streets and alleys (mostly Wards 2 and 6, plus parts of Ward 1) get it twice a week, on Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday. Find a home's day with DPW's Collection Day app. When a holiday falls on a weekday, that day's pickups and the rest of the week's slide one day later, through Saturday.

Who picks up trash in Washington

City crews.

DC Department of Public Works (DPW)

City serviceTrashRecyclingYard wasteOrganicsBulk
Area
The whole District, for eligible homes only: single-family homes and buildings with 3 or fewer units. Trash pickup is once a week in Wards 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and parts of Wards 1 and 2, and twice a week (Monday and Thursday, or Tuesday and Friday) mostly in Wards 2 and 6, plus parts of Ward 1 (narrow streets and alleys).
Phone
311 or (202) 737-4404 (DPW main line); TTY (202) 673-6833
Website
dpw.dc.gov

Yard waste is collected year-round by 311 appointment only (up to 20 paper bags). Bulk items are also by 311 appointment, up to 7 items. The curbside Food Waste Collection Program is limited (about 12,000 households in fiscal year 2026, with a waitlist and priority for low-income areas of Wards 5, 7 and 8), and its pickup day may not match your trash and recycling day. Holiday tree and greenery curbside collection ran Jan 2 to Feb 28, 2026.

Not covered

Buildings with four or more units, condos, co-ops, mixed-use residential and commercial buildings, and commercial properties must hire a licensed private hauler.

How trash day works in Washington

By address. Look it up in DPW's Trash and Recycling Collection Day app. Most of the city has once-a-week routes; narrow-street and alley areas (mostly Wards 2 and 6, plus parts of Ward 1) have twice-a-week routes, on Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday.

Find a trash day on collectionday.dcgis.dc.gov

Recycling: DPW collects recycling separately from trash, and the app shows your 'trash/recycling day(s)'. DPW's pages don't say how often recycling is collected, so check your address in the app.

Carts out: Out no earlier than 6:30 p.m. the night before and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day. Containers must be removed from public space by 8 p.m. on collection day. Source

The food waste program uses separate routes and days.

Washington trash pickup holiday schedule

Upcoming holidays in Washington and what each does to pickup. The 2026 holiday schedule is posted; 2027’s isn’t out yet.

DPW's 2026 Holiday Slide Guide (dated Dec 29, 2025) lists collection dates after each holiday. DPW's holiday rule (the same every year): collections slide to the next day for the rest of the week, through Saturday. DPW hasn't posted a 2027 guide yet.

2026

  1. Veterans Day, Wed, Nov 11, 2026

    Slides a day

    Trash, recycling and food waste, all DPW routes

    The holiday is a Wednesday, so Wednesday collections happen Thursday, Nov 12, and the rest of the week's pickups slide one day, through Saturday. DPW's 2026 Slide Guide: 'When a holiday occurs, trash/recycling your collection day "slide" to the next day for the rest of the week.'

    Source: dpw.dc.gov

  2. Thanksgiving Day, Thu, Nov 26, 2026

    Slides a day

    Trash, recycling and food waste, all DPW routes

    The holiday is a Thursday. DPW's 2026 Slide Guide moves Thursday routes to Friday, Nov 27, and Friday routes to Saturday.

    Source: dpw.dc.gov

  3. Christmas Day, Fri, Dec 25, 2026

    Slides a day

    Trash, recycling and food waste, all DPW routes

    The holiday is a Friday, so DPW's 2026 Slide Guide moves Friday collections to Saturday, Dec 26. In twice-a-week Tuesday and Friday areas, the Friday pickup moves to Saturday.

    Source: dpw.dc.gov
Slides a day
That day’s pickups and the rest of the week move one day later (Friday’s move to Saturday).
Cleaning bins in Washington?

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

Washington neighborhoods

134 names from DC Office of Planning's 39 Neighborhood Clusters.

  • Kalorama Heights
  • Adams Morgan
  • Lanier Heights
  • Columbia Heights
  • Mt. Pleasant
  • Pleasant Plains
  • Park View
  • Howard University
  • Le Droit Park
  • Cardozo/Shaw
  • Georgetown
  • Burleith/Hillandale
  • West End
  • Foggy Bottom
  • Gwu
  • Dupont Circle
  • Connecticut Avenue/K Street
  • Shaw
  • Logan Circle
  • Downtown
  • Chinatown
  • Penn Quarters
  • Mount Vernon Square
  • North Capitol Street
  • Southwest Employment Area
  • Southwest/Waterfront
  • Fort McNair
  • Buzzard Point
  • Hawthorne
  • Barnaby Woods
  • Chevy Chase
  • Friendship Heights
  • American University Park
  • Tenleytown
  • North Cleveland Park
  • Forest Hills
  • Van Ness
  • Spring Valley
  • Palisades
  • Wesley Heights
  • Foxhall Crescent
  • Foxhall Village
  • Georgetown Reservoir
  • Cathedral Heights
  • McLean Gardens
  • Glover Park
  • Cleveland Park
  • Woodley Park
  • Massachusetts Avenue Heights
  • Woodland-Normanstone Terrace
  • Colonial Village
  • Shepherd Park
  • North Portal Estates
  • Takoma
  • Brightwood
  • Manor Park
  • Brightwood Park
  • Crestwood
  • Petworth
  • Lamont Riggs
  • Queens Chapel
  • Fort Totten
  • Pleasant Hill
  • North Michigan Park
  • Michigan Park
  • University Heights
  • Edgewood
  • Bloomingdale
  • Truxton Circle
  • Eckington
  • Brookland
  • Brentwood
  • Langdon
  • Ivy City
  • Arboretum
  • Trinidad
  • Carver Langston
  • Woodridge
  • Fort Lincoln
  • Gateway
  • Union Station
  • Stanton Park
  • Kingman Park
  • Capitol Hill
  • Lincoln Park
  • Near Southeast
  • Navy Yard
  • Historic Anacostia
  • Eastland Gardens
  • Kenilworth
  • Mayfair
  • Hillbrook
  • Mahaning Heights
  • Deanwood
  • Burrville
  • Grant Park
  • Lincoln Heights
  • Fairmont Heights
  • River Terrace
  • Benning
  • Greenway
  • Dupont Park
  • Capitol View
  • Marshall Heights
  • Benning Heights
  • Twining
  • Fairlawn
  • Randle Highlands
  • Penn Branch
  • Fort Davis Park
  • Fort Dupont
  • Fairfax Village
  • Naylor Gardens
  • Hillcrest
  • Summit Park
  • Woodland/Fort Stanton
  • Garfield Heights
  • Knox Hill
  • Sheridan
  • Barry Farm
  • Buena Vista
  • Douglas
  • Shipley Terrace
  • Congress Heights
  • Bellevue
  • Washington Highlands
  • Walter Reed
  • Rock Creek Park
  • Observatory Circle
  • Saint Elizabeths
  • Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling
  • National Mall
  • Potomac River
  • Anacostia River

Questions about trash pickup in Washington

Who picks up trash in Washington?

The DC Department of Public Works (DPW) collects trash, recycling and bulk items from single-family homes and residential buildings with three or fewer units across the District. Most homes get trash pickup once a week (Wards 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and parts of 1 and 2); homes on narrow streets and alleys (mostly Wards 2 and 6, plus parts of Ward 1) get it twice a week, on Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday. Find a home's day with DPW's Collection Day app. When a holiday falls on a weekday, that day's pickups and the rest of the week's slide one day later, through Saturday.

How do I find my trash day in Washington?

By address. Look it up in DPW's Trash and Recycling Collection Day app. Most of the city has once-a-week routes; narrow-street and alley areas (mostly Wards 2 and 6, plus parts of Ward 1) have twice-a-week routes, on Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday.

When do trash carts go out in Washington?

Out no earlier than 6:30 p.m. the night before and no later than 6 a.m. on collection day. Containers must be removed from public space by 8 p.m. on collection day.

Is trash picked up on Thanksgiving in Washington?

No. On Thanksgiving (Thu, Nov 26, 2026), pickup slides a day, so that day’s routes and the rest of the week move one day later. The holiday is a Thursday. DPW's 2026 Slide Guide moves Thursday routes to Friday, Nov 27, and Friday routes to Saturday.

Is trash picked up on Christmas in Washington?

No. On Christmas (Fri, Dec 25, 2026), pickup slides a day, so that day’s routes and the rest of the week move one day later. The holiday is a Friday, so DPW's 2026 Slide Guide moves Friday collections to Saturday, Dec 26. In twice-a-week Tuesday and Friday areas, the Friday pickup moves to Saturday.

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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