City guide · Alabama

Birmingham Trash Pickup Schedule

This Birmingham trash pickup schedule covers a whole waste program that was streamlined in late 2024, and the version running now is meaningfully different from what older guides describe: one garbage day per neighborhood, opt-in biweekly recycling, and bulk trash that moved from a rolling pickup to a set every-other-week schedule. Here's exactly how the Birmingham garbage collection schedule works for garbage, recycling, and bulk trash, what a cart costs, and how the holiday rule actually plays out for 2026.

How often is trash picked up in Birmingham?

The Birmingham curbside collection schedule gives every neighborhood one dedicated day each week for household garbage. Recycling and bulk trash/brush each run every other week rather than weekly.

Your recycling week is identified as Schedule 1 or Schedule 2 - confirm which applies to your address before assuming it's the same week as a neighbor's.

Recycling is opt-in

Unlike garbage, recycling in Birmingham isn't automatic. You need to apply for a free blue recycling cart through the city's online form or by emailing recycle@birminghamal.gov. If you haven't received a cart yet, the city will still collect recycling left out in a plastic bin, paper bags, or a cardboard box - just not in plastic bags, which contaminate the load.

Find your exact pickup day

Every address on the Birmingham trash collection calendar has its own garbage day and recycling schedule (1 or 2), depending on your specific neighborhood - there isn't one schedule for the whole city. The Garbage, Recycle & Bulk Trash Schedules page is the accurate source:

Look up your address on birminghamal.gov →

For questions, call 311 or (205) 254-6314 (Monday-Friday, 8 AM-5 PM), or text BHAMREADY to 888-777 for service alerts.

Bin placement rules

• Bag garbage neatly before it goes in the cart - loose items are not picked up
• Keep cart lids closed
• Place recyclables loose in a bin, bag, or box if you don't yet have a blue cart - never in a plastic bag
• Single-family homes are limited to two garbage carts

Birmingham Trash Holiday Schedule

Birmingham's rule: when a holiday falls Monday through Thursday, garbage and recycling collection for every route moves back one day. Here's exactly how that plays out for the two biggest 2026 disruptions.

For other federal holidays not listed here, confirm the current year's exact makeup days on birminghamal.gov, since the "moves back one day" rule can compound when two closures land close together.

What goes in each bin

How much does a garbage cart cost in Birmingham?

Standard garbage service and your first cart come at no charge to single-family residences. A second cart is a one-time purchase, and that's the cap - the city won't provide more than two carts per single-family home.

Bulk trash & brush

As of the city's late-2024 schedule change, bulk trash and brush pickup runs every other week rather than the rolling weekly pickup some older guides still describe. Acceptable items include furniture, mattresses, and other large household items placed at the curb; hazardous material and loose trash are not accepted. Check the current bulk calendar on birminghamal.gov for your specific pickup week, and text BHAMREADY to 888-777 for day-of updates.

Apartments & multifamily buildings

Multi-family properties with four or fewer units may apply for garbage carts at a per-cart fee, similar to single-family service. Properties needing more than four carts are no longer serviced by the City of Birmingham directly and need to arrange private commercial waste collection instead.

Reporting illegal dumping

Spot an illegal dump site? Email illegaldumping@birminghamal.gov with the location, the date, your phone number, and photos or video if you can safely get them - a vehicle tag number helps too. You can also call (205) 581-3111 and report the same details verbally.

Frequently asked questions

More Alabama guides

City contact & resources

Bookmark this Birmingham waste collection schedule and check back whenever a holiday shifts the calendar. Need more than curbside pickup? Compare local bulk & junk removal quotes. Browse all Alabama cities or the full state directory.