TownValetDC's Department of Public Works (DPW) collects trash and single-stream recycling from single-family homes and buildings with three or fewer units. Most homes have a 96-gallon trash cart (Supercan) collected once a week; homes on narrow streets and alleys get twice-weekly pickup with smaller 32-gallon carts. Buildings with four or more units, mixed-use buildings and businesses hire their own hauler.
Trash zones map
96 trash zones in the city’s data, coloured by collection day. Tap a zone to see its schedule.
Holidays: When a holiday falls on a weekday, collection on the holiday and every later day that week slides one day later (Friday’s moves to Saturday).
Collection schedules at a glance
| Every Friday | 13 zones |
| Every Monday | 4 zones |
| Every Monday & Thursday | 7 zones |
| Every Thursday | 20 zones |
| Every Tuesday | 18 zones |
| Every Tuesday & Friday | 12 zones |
| Every Wednesday | 22 zones |
| Every Friday | 20 zones |
| Every Monday | 23 zones |
| Every Thursday | 24 zones |
| Every Tuesday | 22 zones |
| Every Wednesday | 23 zones |
Coming up: holidays
| Holiday | Date | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans Day | Wednesday November 11, 2026 | Wednesday–Friday pickups each move one day later (Friday’s to Saturday). |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday November 26, 2026 | Thursday–Friday pickups each move one day later (Friday’s to Saturday). |
| Christmas Day | Friday December 25, 2026 | Friday pickups move to Saturday. |
| New Year’s Day | Friday January 1, 2027 | Friday pickups move to Saturday. |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday January 18, 2027 | Monday–Friday pickups each move one day later (Friday’s to Saturday). |
The city says: “When a holiday falls on a trash and recycling collection day, collections will "slide" to the next day for the rest of the week after the holiday through Saturday.” (source). All holidays for the next 12 months.
What goes where
Trash (Supercan)
- Plastic bags, wrap and film
- Chip bags and candy wrappers
- Condiment packets
- Plastic utensils and straws
- Juice pouches
- Foam containers and packing peanuts
- Diapers and wet wipes
- Tissues, napkins and paper towels
Not: Electronics; Batteries; CFL bulbs; Paint; Household hazardous waste; Prescription medicines.
Worn-out clothing can go in the trash as a last resort; donate it if it's in good shape.
Recycling (single stream)
- Flattened cardboard
- Newspapers, magazines and books
- Junk mail and office paper
- Milk, juice and soup cartons
- Plastic bottles, cups and containers with lids
- Steel and aluminum cans
- Glass bottles and jars
- Bulky rigid plastic items
Not: Plastic bags and film of any kind; Foam; Straws and utensils; Paint cans; Ceramics; Tissues; Clothing; Cables, cords and electronics.
Put items in loose, clean and empty; don't bag recyclables.
Summarised in our own words from the city’s pages, checked Monday October 26, 2026. The city’s list is the one that counts.
Setting out, and big items
- When to put it outPut trash and recycling out no earlier than 6:30 pm the night before collection and no later than 6:00 am on collection day. Bring the containers back out of public space by 8 pm on collection day, or you risk a sanitation (SWEEP) ticket. Source
- Furniture and other large itemsDPW picks up large, bulky items by appointment for homes it already collects from (three or fewer units). Book through 311 or 311.dc.gov; up to seven items per appointment. Set items where your trash goes between 6:30 pm the night before and 6:00 am on the day of the appointment. Toilets must be wrapped in plastic. Bricks, concrete, dirt and other renovation debris aren't taken. Source
Parking rules and permits
Parking
- Street sweepingSome streets are posted "no parking for cleaning" from March 3 to October 31, and major roads are swept overnight all year, weather permitting. Read the signs on your block. Cars parked on a route during scheduled sweeping can keep that stretch of curb from being cleaned. Source
- Residential permit parking zonesOn blocks zoned for residential permit parking, signs limit cars without a permit to 2 hours. Only a car with that zone's RPP may stay longer, even on your own block. Display only one RPP zone sticker at a time; an extra sticker can get you a ticket. Source
Permits
- Residential parking permit (RPP)DC DMV adds the RPP to your registration sticker when you register or renew a DC-registered car at an address on an RPP-zoned block, online or at a service center. Annual fees are $55 for the first vehicle, $80 for the second, $115 for the third and $175 for each one after that; one resident aged 65 or older per household pays $35 for the first vehicle. Commercial vehicles and vehicles over 22 feet aren't eligible. Source
- Neighborhood block partyAn adult resident (21 or older) of the block applies through DDOT's Transportation Online Permitting System at least 30 business days ahead. You'll need ID, a petition signed by at least 51 percent of households on the block, and a traffic control plan. The closure is limited to one block, must end by 10 pm and must keep a 20-foot emergency lane open; no vendors, sales, moon bounces or tents. Source
Sources and freshness
| Dataset | Publisher | Licence | Data updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trash Pickup Days | DC GIS / Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Open Data DC | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) | — |
| Recycling Pickup Days | DC GIS / Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Open Data DC | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) | — |
| Address Points (Master Address Repository) | DC GIS / Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Open Data DC | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) | 2026-11-02 |
Refreshed Monday November 2, 2026. 134,421 addresses matched to a zone. How this works.