Trash pickup in Murfreesboro: schedule, holidays and bulk pickup

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Murfreesboro’s Solid Waste, collection procedures, holiday schedule, yard waste and recycling pages, and from Rutherford County Solid Waste’s recycling centers, transfer station and landfill pages.

The city picks up household garbage once a week, Monday through Thursday. Every single-family home gets a free 96-gallon cart from the Murfreesboro Solid Waste Department (615-893-3681, 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays). Bag your garbage, set the cart at the curb by 6 a.m. on your day and take it back in the same day. The crew empties only what is inside the cart.

Who to call

• Murfreesboro Solid Waste Department: 615-893-3681, 4765 Florence Road (pickup day, broken carts, extra carts, bulky items)
• Holiday text alerts: text BoroGarbage to 38276
• Rutherford County Solid Waste: 615-898-7739, 6025 Landfill Road, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays
• Middle Point Landfill odor complaints: murfreesborotn.report

What it costs

Since July 1, 2026, the city bills a residential service fee of $15.50 per cart, per month, on your water resources bill. An extra cart costs $74.75 including tax. Buy one by phone, by check or money order mailed to P.O. Box 1739, Murfreesboro, TN 37133, or in person at 4765 Florence Road between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays. Only the person named on the water bill can order a cart, and carts arrive the next business day. A new home without a cart: call Solid Waste and one is delivered. Apartment complexes usually set their own trash rules.

Holiday schedule for the rest of 2026

The city posts every change on its holiday page and in a 2026 PDF.

Couches, mattresses and other bulky items

The city does not take anything left beside the cart. Call 615-893-3681 to book a bulky pickup. It costs $10 an item for the first three and $30 for each item after three, so four items cost $60. The charge goes on the water bill. A mattress and matching box spring count as one item, as do a matching headboard, footboard and rails, or a sectional sofa.

Rutherford County’s transfer station stopped taking mattresses and box springs on Aug. 1, 2026. The county now recycles them at the Brush and Tire Scale at its landfill, 6025 Landfill Road, for $25 each, paid by card.

Brush, limbs and grass

• Brush and limbs: free curbside pickup. City crews aim to circle the city every 14 days. Put everything in one pile, parallel to the street, no longer than 6 feet or thicker than 8 inches. Keep it clear of mailboxes, meters, ditches and low power lines, and mix in no lumber or trash.
• Grass clippings: put them in biodegradable paper yard waste bags. Loose clippings at the curb cost $10 a pickup.
• Drop-off: the city mulching facility at 4765 Florence Road takes brush, limbs and leaves from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, and its mulch is free to take home.

Recycling

There is no city curbside recycling. The city’s convenience center at 648 W. Main St. is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and takes cardboard, newspapers, No. 1 and No. 2 plastics, steel and aluminum cans and white paper. Commercial tags are not allowed. The city says some private companies sell curbside recycling in Murfreesboro.

Rutherford County runs 14 recycling and convenience centers, single stream, for county residents only; bring proof of residency. Find the nearest one on the county’s center map.

County rules: one pickup-truck load a day, up to three bulky items a visit and none on Sundays, trailers no longer than 10 feet, no box trucks, no yard waste, no gas tanks and no construction debris. The centers close for New Year’s Day, Presidents Day, Easter Sunday, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Electronics, paint and hazardous waste

The county’s Haley Road site is closed for remodeling, so the Leanna Convenience Center, 4303 Sulphur Springs Road, now takes electronics, oil-based paint and fluorescent bulbs as well as regular recycling. The 2026 household hazardous waste day was Oct. 10 at the city mulching facility; the city says to store chemicals, pesticides and cleaners for next year’s collection.

Bigger loads

• Rutherford County Transfer Station, 6025 Landfill Road: the county asks residents to come between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays (Saturdays 6 a.m. to noon). Bring a hard hat and high-visibility clothing. Cash customers pay $50 for a load under 1,000 pounds since July 1, 2026.
• Rutherford County Landfill: brush and tires only, 7 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on weekdays. Brush is $30 a ton; tires are $2 each.

What this means for you

• Check your bill: the $15.50 monthly cart fee shows on the water resources bill.
• Thanksgiving week, Thursday customers roll out on Friday, Nov. 27.
• Bag grass clippings in paper to avoid the $10 loose-grass charge.

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

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Murfreesboro?

The city collects household garbage once a week, Monday through Thursday, depending on your street. Call the Solid Waste Department at 615-893-3681 to confirm your day, and have the cart at the curb by 6 a.m.

Is trash pickup delayed for Thanksgiving in Murfreesboro?

Yes. Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026, so Thursday service slides to Friday. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day 2027 fall on Fridays and do not change the schedule.

How do I get rid of a couch or mattress in Murfreesboro?

Call the Solid Waste Department at 615-893-3681 to book a bulky item pickup. It costs $10 an item for the first three and $30 for each item after that, added to the water bill.

Does Murfreesboro have curbside recycling?

No. The city takes recycling at its convenience center at 648 W. Main St., open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and Rutherford County runs 14 recycling centers. Some private companies sell curbside recycling.

Where can I take brush and limbs in Murfreesboro?

City crews pick up brush and limbs at the curb for free. You can also drop them at the city mulching facility, 4765 Florence Road, from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays.