Birmingham picks up garbage once a week, Monday to Thursday by neighborhood, and recycling every other week. Missed pickup: call 311 or 205-254-2489.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Updated each year. Facts on this page come from the City of Birmingham Department of Public Works Garbage, Recycle and Bulk Trash Schedules page and its linked pages.

The City of Birmingham’s own crews pick up household garbage, recycling and bulk trash. The Waste Services Division of the Department of Public Works serves about 70,000 households, according to its division page. Each neighborhood has one garbage day a week, Monday through Thursday, and recycling goes out every other week on that same day.

Who to call

  • Missed garbage, recycling or bulk pickup, litter, illegal dumping: 311, or 205-254-2489 from any phone, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays (311 Customer Service Center). The city also lists 205-254-6314 for missed bulk trash and illegal dumping.
  • Online: the MyBHAM311 app or the city’s SeeClickFix request page
  • Recycling cart questions: recycle@birminghamal.gov
  • City alerts by text: text BHAMREADY to 888-777

Your garbage day

These are the neighborhoods the city lists under each day, with the recycling schedule (1 or 2) the city assigns to each. The city’s page is the authority if a list changes.

Day Recycling schedule 1 Recycling schedule 2
Monday Belview Heights, Crestline, East Thomas, Garden Highlands, Highland Park, Industrial Center, Jones Valley, Oxmoor, Redmont Park, Riley, West End Manor Acipco-Finley, Brown Springs, East Lake, Enon Ridge, Fairmont, Fairview, Gate City, Hooper City, North Eastlake, Oak Ridge Park, South Eastlake, South Roebuck, Thomas
Tuesday Central Pratt, Eastwood, Germania Park, Green Acres, Mason City, North Pratt, North Titusville, Overton, Powderly, Sandusky, South Pratt, South Titusville, Tuxedo, Woodland Park Airport Highlands, Bridlewood, Brownsville Heights, Brummitt Heights, College Hills, Collegeville, East Birmingham, Harriman Park, Killough Springs, Maple Grove, North Birmingham, Norwood, Penfield Park, Pine Knoll Vista, South Woodlawn, Wahouma, Zion City
Wednesday Arlington-West End, Central Park, Dolomite, East Brownsville, Forest Park, Glen Iris, Oak Ridge, Outlying Service Area, Roosevelt, Sherman Heights, West Brownsville, Wylam Bush Hills, Crestwood North, Graymont, Huffman, North Avondale, Rising-West Princeton, Smithfield, Smithfield Estates, Spring Lake
Thursday Crestwood South, East Avondale, Ensley, Ensley Highlands, Five Points South, Grasselli Heights, Hillman, Hillman Park, Oakwood Place, Southside, Tarpley City, West Goldwire Apple Valley, Central City, Druid Hills, Echo Highlands, Evergreen, Fountain Heights, Inglenook, Kingston, Liberty Highlands, Roebuck, Sun Valley, Woodlawn

Not sure which neighborhood you are in? The city council’s find your district page, or a call to 311, will tell you.

Recycling weeks for the rest of 2026

Recycling is collected every other week on your garbage day. The city’s schedule lists these weeks:

  • Schedule 1: weeks of Oct. 26, Nov. 9, Nov. 23, Dec. 7 and Dec. 21
  • Schedule 2: weeks of Oct. 19, Nov. 2, Nov. 16, Nov. 30, Dec. 14 and Dec. 28

Carts and how to set them out

  • Garbage goes bagged, inside the city’s 96-gallon cart. Bags left on the ground, on top of the cart or in an alley are not picked up, according to the city’s uniform garbage cart page.
  • Put the cart at the curb in front of your home, not in the alley. Automated trucks lift it.
  • A second garbage cart costs $120, with a limit of two per single-family home. Apply on the city’s form and pay by cashier’s check or money order to the Department of Public Works, Waste Cart Program, 501 6th Ave. S., Birmingham, AL 35205.
  • A lost, stolen or broken cart is reported to 311.

What goes in the recycling cart

The recycling cart is free, holds 64 gallons and is one per household. Apply on the city’s Recycle Birmingham page. Businesses and buildings of four or fewer units are not eligible for the free cart.

Yes: newspapers, magazines, office paper and junk mail; shredded paper in a stapled paper bag; flattened cardboard; #1 and #2 plastic bottles, jugs and jars; detergent containers; rinsed aluminum, steel and tin cans.

No: glass, milk and juice cartons, pizza boxes, plastic bags, chip bags, plastics #3 to #7, foam, food waste, yard waste, electronics, cords, hoses, clothing and household garbage.

Rinse and dry items first, and never bag recycling in plastic.

Bulk trash and brush

Bulk trash and brush are picked up by neighborhood on a rotating calendar that the city publishes each month, along with a daily bulk trash update that shows where crews are and whether a district is behind schedule. Put bulk trash out by 6 a.m. on collection day.

The rest of the October calendar, as published:

  • Oct. 19: Central City, Druid Hills, Ensley Highlands, Fairmont, Glen Iris, Killough Springs, North Eastlake, North Titusville, Norwood
  • Oct. 20: Bush Hills, Central Pratt, College Hills, Graymont, North Pratt, Sandusky, South Pratt, Southside, South Titusville, Spring Lake, Tuxedo
  • Oct. 21: Apple Valley, Bridlewood, Crestwood North, Echo Highlands, Forest Park, North Avondale, Sun Valley, Woodlawn, Wylam
  • Oct. 22: Crestwood South, Germania Park, Green Acres, Hooper City, Liberty Highlands, Oxmoor Valley, Redmont Park, Roebuck, Smithfield Estates, Thomas
  • Oct. 23: Central Park, East Avondale, Five Points South, Highland Park, Inglenook, South Roebuck
  • Oct. 26: Belview Heights, Crestline, Eastwood, East Birmingham, Huffman, Kingston, Overton, South Woodlawn
  • Oct. 27: Airport Highlands, Arlington-West End, Brownsville Heights, Brummitt Heights, Ensley, Fairview, Maple Grove, Penfield Park, Pine-Knoll Vista, Rising-West Princeton, Smithfield, Zion City
  • Oct. 28: Collegeville, East Brownsville, Garden Highlands, Harriman Park, Industrial Center, North Birmingham, Oakwood Place, Powderly, Roosevelt City, Tarpley City, South Eastlake, West Brownsville
  • Oct. 29: Acipco-Finley, East Lake, East Thomas, Enon Ridge, Grasselli Heights, Hillman, Hillman Park, Jones Valley, Mason City, Riley-Travellick, West Goldwire, Woodland Park

For extra waste that will not fit in your cart, residents can use the roll-off containers at the four waste district yards the city lists: Eastern, 307 96th St. N.; Ensley/Western, 1044 Avenue W; Northern, 2413 27th St. N.; and Southside, 501 6th Ave. S.

Household hazardous waste

The city’s most recent household hazardous waste collection day was Saturday, Oct. 17, 8 to 11:30 a.m., at Camp Bessemer, 3295 King St. in Bessemer, and Camp Ketona, 121 County Shop Road in Birmingham, according to the city’s event listing. The next date had not been posted on Oct. 17. Questions go to KBB@birminghamal.gov.

Holiday schedule

The city says garbage and recycling collection moves one day back for all routes when a city holiday falls between Monday and Thursday. The holidays left in 2026:

  • Veterans Day: Wednesday, Nov. 11
  • Thanksgiving: Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27
  • Christmas: Thursday, Dec. 24, and Friday, Dec. 25

The 311 center is closed on city holidays. The city has announced the exact make-up days in news releases before past holidays. Last year, when Dec. 24 and 25 fell on a Wednesday and Thursday, it moved Wednesday pickup to Friday and Thursday pickup to Saturday, according to its December 2025 notice.

What this means for you

  • Find your neighborhood in the table, and note whether you are recycling schedule 1 or 2.
  • Bag everything and keep it inside the cart at the curb.
  • Report a missed pickup to 311 the same week.

Related: who to call at City Hall, moving to Birmingham and parks and trails in Birmingham.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Birmingham?

Each neighborhood has one garbage day a week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. The city’s schedule page lists every neighborhood under its day, and the table on this page copies it.

How often is recycling picked up in Birmingham?

Every other week, on the same day as your garbage. Neighborhoods on schedule 1 put recycling out the weeks of Oct. 26, Nov. 9 and Nov. 23; schedule 2 the weeks of Oct. 19, Nov. 2 and Nov. 16.

Is Birmingham trash pickup delayed for holidays?

Yes. The city says garbage and recycling collection moves one day back for all routes when a city holiday falls between Monday and Thursday. The next ones are Veterans Day, Nov. 11, and Thanksgiving, Nov. 26.

How do I report a missed trash pickup in Birmingham?

Call 311 (205-254-2489 from any phone), use the MyBHAM311 app or file a request online. The 311 center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and closed on city holidays.

Does Birmingham take glass in the recycling cart?

No. The city’s list of items not allowed includes glass, pizza boxes, plastic bags and plastics #3 to #7. Paper, flattened cardboard, #1 and #2 plastics and rinsed cans are accepted.