Program Rules and Cart Maintenance

City residents will receive one refuse cart and one recycling cart. Customers may select their refuse cart size based on their individual disposal habits.

Carts are the property of the City of Tulsa. Each cart is assigned to a customer address and must remain at that location. If a customer moves to another residence within the City of Tulsa, they may call 311 during regular business hours or email [email protected] to establish collection service at their new address.

Program Rules:

• Substantially bag all trash before placing it in your cart.
• Carts shall not exceed the following weights when loaded:
  • 32-gallon cart - 80 pounds
  • 64-gallon cart - 160 pounds
  • 96-gallon carts - 240 pounds
• Yard waste that is placed in your cart must be bagged.
• Tie any brush in 4-feet-by-2-feet bundles weighing no more than 40lbs. and place at the curb.
• Set out your trash before 5 a.m. on your collection day. 
• Only City-issued carts will be serviced.
• Soiled diapers, cat litter, fish cleanings, wet garbage and excreta (human or animal) must be in sealed bags.
• All hypodermic needles and other sharp medical waste must be placed in a rigid, sealed container (such as a pop bottle or laundry detergent bottle) before discarding into your trash container. 
• Bag loose materials such as sawdust and cold ash.
• Completely close trash cart lid before pickup.
• Place cart with lid opening toward the street (handle facing away from street).
• If you have curbside service, you must place your carts within four feet of the curb.
• Please leave 3 feet of space between your trash and recycling carts, and any obstructions (e.g., light pole, landscaping, basketball goal, trees, vehicles, mailboxes).
• Secure pets on collection day if they present a threat to the refuse collector.
• Leave gates unlocked and access unobstructed for backyard collection.
• Remove your trash cart from the curb no later than midnight on your collection day.
• No Construction Debris

Items Not Accepted:

• Auto Parts – Large and heavy items like blocks, brakes, struts, bumpers, etc. are NOT allowed in either the blue or gray cart. Auto parts like a broken blinker light, used spark plugs, windshield washer blades, air filters., etc. can be safely thrown away in your gray cart.
• Hazardous chemicals, car batteries, paints, radioactive waste, oil, or construction debris.
• Items on top of your trash cart.

Trash Cart Care And Maintenance

• Cleanliness of cart is your responsibility.
• Carts cannot be modified in any way.
• Cart repair is provided by the City of Tulsa.
• Normal wear and tear are covered under a 10-year warranty.
• If your cart is damaged or stolen, please call 311 during regular business hours. A new or repaired cart will be issued.