City guide · Kansas

Olathe Trash Pickup Schedule

The Olathe trash pickup schedule is the simplest in Johnson County, and that is largely because the city runs collection itself. Trash goes weekly, recycling every other week on the same day, and the whole thing lands on your city utility bill.

The standout detail is the holiday list. Only three holidays all year interrupt collection in Olathe, which makes it one of the shortest holiday calendars on this site.

How often is trash picked up in Olathe?

Trash is collected weekly. Recycling runs every other week and shares your trash day, so there is only one day of the week to remember.

Recycling access is universal here rather than an opt-in extra. Every residential solid waste customer has curbside recycling available as part of standard service.

City service, not a hauler

Olathe sits in the middle of a county where private subscription hauling is the norm, which makes its municipal service genuinely unusual. Neighboring Overland Park has 18 permitted private haulers and no city collection at all.

In Olathe the city's own Solid Waste Division does the work, bills it through your utility account, and sets a single published rate that applies to every household.

That has a practical upside beyond price. There is one phone number for every trash question, one holiday calendar for the whole city, and no contract to negotiate when you move in.

Find your exact pickup day

Collection days are assigned by address and available through the city, alongside your recycling week.

Look up your address on olatheks.gov →

Olathe also points residents to a free Trash Day app that shows the schedule for your address and sends reminders. For an every-other-week recycling cycle, a reminder is worth more than a calendar note.

Cart placement rules

• Set carts out the evening before or early on collection morning
• Place at the curb, clear of parked cars and mailboxes
• Leave clearance between carts for the automated arm
• Keep lids closed against Kansas wind
• Bring carts back in once emptied

Olathe Trash Holiday Schedule

Olathe observes a notably short list. Collection runs as normal on most federal holidays, and only New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day interrupt service.

On each of those three, service is suspended and resumes the following day, with collection delayed one day for the rest of that week. If one of the three falls on a weekend, service is not disrupted at all.

Because both Thanksgiving and Christmas 2026 land late in the week, the knock-on effect is small this year. A Thursday or Friday route shifts to Friday or Saturday rather than disrupting the following Monday.

What goes in each cart

How much does garbage service cost in Olathe?

Olathe publishes a single residential solid waste rate that covers trash and recycling together. For 2026 that rate is $22.74 a month.

That is an increase of $1.08 from the 2025 rate of $21.66, a rise of 5.0 percent. The city attributed it to higher fuel, equipment and maintenance costs, and the fee schedule was approved by council on Sept. 16 alongside the 2026 budget.

For context within the metro, Kansas City, Kansas charges $20.15 a month in 2026, while Overland Park residents buying privately were found to be paying between $30.15 and $44.

Bulky waste pickup

Olathe residential and commercial customers can schedule a curbside collection of large or bulky items, and the pickup happens on your scheduled trash collection day rather than on a separate visit.

There are two ways to book it. Sign in to your Online Utility Billing Account and choose Manage Services, or call customer service on 913-971-9311.

Booking through the utility account is the faster route and gives you a record of the request, which is useful if a pickup is missed.

Apartments & multifamily buildings

The weekly cart service and the $22.74 monthly rate apply to residential solid waste customers billed through a city utility account. Apartment complexes are usually served by shared containers arranged by the property.

Renters in apartments generally have no city utility account for trash and nothing to set up. In a townhome or duplex, check whether the city bills the address directly before assuming either way.

Frequently asked questions

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