Your Guide to the Trash Cart Rollout that Begins in February

Published on January 22, 2024

By Office of Communication

Trash carts are coming to Arlington in February, and here are the top 10 things you need to know about the transition. For more information on the trash cart transition, visit ArlingtonTX.gov/TrashPickup:

1. Your collection day: Your new single collection day for all trash, recycling, yard waste and bulky items will be your current recycling day. On your collection day, you will see three trucks come through your neighborhood: an automated truck to collect trash, an automated truck to collect recycling, and a rear-load truck with two helpers on the back to manually collect yard waste and bulky items.
   
   
2. Rollout schedule: Trash carts will be delivered to all curbside collection customers, according to the delivery schedule here(PDF, 2MB). To be as efficient as possible in delivering more than 100,000 trash carts in 3 weeks, Republic Services will initially deliver one 95-gallon trash cart to all customers.
   
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3. Holiday schedule: There are five holidays that will affect your service schedule each year: New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. If your regularly scheduled collection day falls on or after a holiday, collection service will delayed by one day that week. See the full 2024 holiday collection schedule here(PDF, 414KB).
   
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4. Requesting a smaller cart: While all customers will initially receive a 95-gallon cart that holds approximately 10 13-gallong kitchen-sized trash bags, you can request a smaller 65-gallon cart that holds approximately six 13-gallon kitchen-sized trash bags through the Ask Arlington App. The smaller carts will be delivered to those who request them beginning in June 2024. Residents should be aware that trash bags left outside of the cart may not be collected. There is no difference in your monthly bill, regardless of your trash cart size.
   
   
5. Requesting an additional cart: Customers who need additional trash collection can request up to two additional trash carts for $6.89 (including taxes and fees) per month per additional cart. You can request an additional cart through the Ask Arlington App.
   
   
6. Doorside accommodation: Residents who are mobility challenged or visually impaired may receive doorside accommodation for their trash and recycling carts. To qualify for doorside accommodation, there must be no other physically capable resident in the home, and document such as a doctor’s note or handicap vehicle parking placard must be provided. You can request doorside accommodation through the Ask Arlington App.
   
   
7. Amount collected: Each week, residents may put out for collection their trash cart(s), their recycling cart, up to two cubic yards of bundled brush/yard waste/ bagged leaves (approximately 12 30-gallon bags), and up to two cubic yard of large household/bulky items (about the size of a washer and dryer).
   
   
8. Placing carts at the curb: All trash, recycling, brush and bulky items can be placed at the curb beginning at 7 p.m. the day before collection and must be out by 7 a.m. the day of collection. All trash bags must be inside of the trash cart with the lid fully closed, and all recycling must be inside of the recycling cart with the lid fully closed. Trash bags and recycling placed outside the cart may not be collected. Carts should be placed with the wheels against the curb or edge of the alleyway, and there should be at least 3 feet of space between a cart and any other item, with 15 feet of overhead clearance.
   
   
9. Cart storage: When your trash and recycling carts are not placed at the curb for scheduled collection, they must be stored out of public view. For example, the carts may be stored in the garage, behind a fence or in the backyard. If you have a special circumstance or do not have a place to store your cart, please contact our Code Compliance Department at code@arlingtontx.gov.
   
   
10. Where to go with questions: If you have additional questions or need to discuss special circumstances, more information about the trash cart transition can be found at ArlingtonTX.gov/TrashPickup. You may also call the Arlington Action Center at 817-459-6777 or email trashpickup@arlingtontx.gov.

About the Trash Cart Transition

Beginning in February 2024, The City of Arlington and its contracted trash hauler, Republic Services, will be switching to automated trash cart service from manual bagged collection. Residents’ new collection day will be their current recycling day. There will be no changes to recycling, brush and bulky collection.

The waste industry has been transitioning away from manual collection for many years, and trash haulers that can service cities as large as Arlington no longer offer this service. Additionally, because the job is very physical and exposes workers to extreme heat and cold, contractors are unable to attract and retain enough workers.

Trash carts will preserve and protect the aesthetics of the city by keeping the trash contained in a leak-proof cart and decreasing the animal and windblown litter throughout the neighborhoods. Carts will also enhance the level of customer service by providing a more consistent, reliable, and dependable service schedule for residents.

Learn more about the transition at ArlingtonTX.gov/TrashPickup.