The Official Website of the City of Indianapolis and Marion County

Trash

In Marion County, there are two types of trash collection: automated pick-up (when the truck picks up your can with a mechanical arm) or hand collection (when a crew member manually picks up your can to empty it into the truck).

Trash is collected five days a week between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. On your collection day, be sure to place your trash at the curb or in the alley before 7 a.m. to ensure proper pickup.

If you have questions or concerns about your weekly trash or heavy trash collection, please contact the Mayor's Action Center online or call (317) 327-4622.

Acceptable and Unacceptable Trash

Effective January 1, 2011, Indiana households, public schools and small businesses will no longer be able to mix unwanted computer monitors, computers, televisions, printers, computer peripherals (i.e., keyboards, mice, etc.), DVD players, video cassette recorders or fax machines with municipal waste that is intended for disposal at a landfill or intended for disposal by burning or incineration.

Click here to learn of options for the proper disposal of electronic waste.

Accepted for collection:

• Bagged household garbage - including food waste and cloth.
• Shrubbery Cuttings - tie small limbs and twigs in bundles no larger than 3 feet by 3 feet. For those with automated pickup, the bundle should be placed in the cart. For those with hand collection, the bundle counts as one bag of trash.
•  Boxes - empty boxes, flatten and tie into bundles. For those with automated pickup, bundles should be placed in the cart. For those with hand collection, the bundle counts as one bag of trash.
• Vehicle tires without rims - for those with automated pickup, the tire should be placed in the cart. For those with hand collection, the tire counts as one bag of trash. Tires with rims count as one item of heavy trash.

Unacceptable for collection:

• Loose trash - place ALL trash into bags.
• Used motor oil and paint - take these items to your local ToxDrop site.
• Debris from construction or demolition, including discarded building materials such as: drywall, roofing, brick, stone, roofing material and wood. Some materials may be recyclable or reusable. Otherwise, make arrangements to have the material taken to the landfill.
• Trees - large tree limbs or tree stumps. 
• Brush and vegetation created by building contractors, commercial tree or lawn services. 
• Sod, fill dirt and trash from a contractor’s clearing work, including other materials that require special handling. 
• Explosives - Call IMPD and ask for the bomb squad at 327-6502, and make arrangements for them to be picked up or brought in.
• Tanks used for storing propane and other gases. 
• Electronic items such as computers, computer-related parts and cell phones may be dropped off at the city’s regular ToxDrop locations. Other electronic items such as televisions and stereos should be taken to one of our special eScrap events. 
• Ashes and sand - make arrangements to have the material taken to the landfill.
• Medical, pathological and biological waste - for information regarding the disposal of these wastes, ToxDrop.
• Automotive parts - such as engines, gas tanks, rear bumpers, springs, fenders and seats. Make arrangements with a private junk yard.
• Farm equipment, marine vessels or any of their major parts - make arrangements with a private junk yard.
• Septic, human and animal waste.  (NOTE: minimal amounts, like diapers and kitty litter, are okay, provided they are securely bagged).

If legally unacceptable items are left for pickup, a DPW informational tag (in both English and Spanish) will notify you how you can meet the pickup requirements.