Trash and recycling pickup in Montgomery: schedule, holidays and bulk pickup

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Montgomery’s Sanitation, Sanitation FAQ, Saturday drop-off points, landfill and recycling pages and its 2026 holiday schedule (PDF).

The City of Montgomery’s Sanitation Department serves about 70,000 customers a week. It picks up garbage in the green can twice a week (cardboard boxes included), curbside yard trash once a week, and runs free bulk trash drop-off on the first and third Saturdays of each month. Garbage routes run in pairs: Monday and Thursday, or Tuesday and Friday. To confirm your days, call Sanitation at 334-625-2751 or 311 at 334-625-4636.

Who to call

• Sanitation Department: 334-625-2751 or 334-625-2752
• 311 (One Call to City Hall): 334-625-4636, 311@montgomeryal.gov, or report an issue online
• Dead animal removal (up to 50 pounds): 334-625-2515
• North Montgomery Landfill: 334-625-4660, 115 Division St.
• City recycling line: 334-625-2925

Garbage: twice a week

• The roll-out container must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on pickup day and removed by 7 p.m. the same day.
• Cardboard boxes go in with your garbage.
• The city does not collect building materials: scrap lumber, plaster, roofing, concrete and other demolition, construction or remodeling debris are the responsibility of the owner, contractor or tenant.

Yard trash: once a week

• Grass and pine straw must always be in 30-gallon containers or bags tied at the top, placed behind the curb.
• Leaves must also be bagged or containerized, except Jan. 1 to April 15, when they may go in piles behind the curb, separate from other trash. The city still asks residents to bag them.
• Limbs and hedges cut to less than 4 feet long and 8 inches in diameter can go behind the curb.
• Anything else at the curb needs a scheduled bulk pickup. Only households with current city sanitation service get curbside pickup.

Holiday schedule

On a holiday week, Montgomery works garbage routes early, one pickup only, and fits yard trash in “as time permits.” The rest of 2026, from the city’s holiday schedule:

New Year’s Day 2027 had not been added to the city’s schedule when we checked. Earlier in 2026 the city ran the same one-pickup pattern for New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, the Fourth of July (observed Friday, July 3) and Labor Day.

Bulk trash: call, or drop it off on Saturday

Curbside bulk pickup. Call 311 (334-625-4636) or Sanitation (334-625-2751) to arrange it. The city charges a minimum of $25 up to $150 a truckload; stoves, refrigerators, freezers, sofas, water heaters and other appliances are $25 each.

Free Saturday drop-off. On the first and third Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., city residents can bring bulk trash to:

• Cramton Bowl, north parking lot
• Goodwyn Junior High School, 209 Perry Hill Road
• Halcyon Elementary School, 1501 Parkview Drive
• Harrison Elementary School, 164 E. South Blvd.
• Hayneville Road Elementary School, 3315 Hayneville Road
• Montgomery Mall location, 2899 E. South Blvd.
• Morningview School, 2849 Pelzer Ave.
• Sheridan Heights Community Center, 3501 Faro Lane
• Southlawn Middle School, 5533 Mobile Highway
• Vaughn Road School, 4407 Vaughn Road
• Wares Ferry Road Elementary School, 6425 Wares Ferry Road

Smiley Circle (3500 block of West Boulevard at Bruce Street) is open 7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the second, fourth and fifth Saturdays.

The rules: no hazardous waste; no more than 1 cubic yard of bricks, cement, dirt or roofing; up to four tires per person; and trucks over three-quarter ton, dual-axle trailers and stake-side bodies must go to the landfill instead. Refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and anything else that has held Freon go only to the Cramton Bowl north lot.

The landfill

The North Montgomery Landfill, 115 Division St. (334-625-4660), takes waste from businesses and residents but no toxic, hazardous or infectious waste. Vehicles are weighed in and out and pay when empty; fees are on the city’s disposal fee chart (PDF). Hours: 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays (last load 3:15 p.m.), 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays (last load 2:30 p.m.), and 9 a.m. to noon on other Saturdays (last load 11:30 a.m.). Closed Sunday.

Recycling

The city’s recycling page lists drop-off options instead of a curbside cart:

• Mount Scrap Material Co., 824 N. Decatur St., 334-262-0279
• SA Recycling, 430 Air Base Blvd., 334-272-0767
• Tires, batteries and motor oil: Firestone service centers take them free from residents, up to four tires a month. The city no longer takes used motor oil.
• Christmas trees: take them to the Saturday drop-off points; the Montgomery Clean City Commission has them mulched or sunk in local lakes as fish habitat.
• Cooking grease: the water board’s grease recycling line is 334-206-1600.
• Shredded paper: the Montgomery Humane Shelter takes long shreds at its front doors.

What this means for you

• Thanksgiving week, you get one garbage pickup: Monday, Nov. 23, or Tuesday, Nov. 24.
• Christmas week, the same: Monday, Dec. 21, or Tuesday, Dec. 22.
• Big items? The free first-and-third-Saturday drop-off beats a $25 to $150 truckload charge.

More guides: property taxes, moving to Montgomery and who to call at City Hall.

Frequently asked questions

How often is trash picked up in Montgomery?

The city’s Sanitation Department collects garbage in the green can twice a week, on Monday and Thursday routes or Tuesday and Friday routes, and curbside yard trash once a week.

What time does my trash need to be out in Montgomery?

The roll-out container must be at the curb by 7 a.m. on pickup day and brought back by 7 p.m. the same day.

Is trash pickup different on Thanksgiving week in Montgomery?

Yes. For Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26, Monday and Thursday routes are worked Monday, Nov. 23, only, and Tuesday and Friday routes Tuesday, Nov. 24, only.

How do I get bulk trash picked up in Montgomery?

Call 311 at 334-625-4636 or Sanitation at 334-625-2751 to schedule it. The city charges $25 to $150 a truckload, and $25 per appliance or sofa. You can also drop bulk trash free at city sites on the first and third Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Does Montgomery have recycling?

The city’s recycling page lists drop-off options: Mount Scrap Material Co. and SA Recycling, tire, battery and oil take-back at Firestone service centers, and Christmas trees at the Saturday drop-off points. The city recycling line is 334-625-2925.