Lincoln, NE Waste Collection Schedule

Complete waste management schedule including trash pickup, recycling, bulk waste, and special collections for Lincoln.

Population: 291,082
96.2 sq mi
Updated: January 19, 2025

Collection Zones & Pickup Days

Find your neighborhood to see your collection schedule

View Interactive Zone Map

Downtown / Near South / Capitol District

Trash:Monday
Recycling:Monday
Yard Waste:Monday

Neighborhoods:

  • Downtown
  • Near South
  • Capitol District
  • Everett
  • Capitol Beach
  • Woods Park
  • Hartley
  • Malone

University / East Campus / Clinton

Trash:Tuesday
Recycling:Tuesday
Yard Waste:Tuesday

Neighborhoods:

  • University Place
  • East Campus
  • Clinton
  • Havelock
  • Arnold Heights (Air Park)
  • Belmont
  • Irvingdale
  • Hartley

South Lincoln / Williamsburg / Indian Village

Trash:Wednesday
Recycling:Wednesday
Yard Waste:Wednesday

Neighborhoods:

  • Williamsburg
  • Indian Village
  • Southern Hills
  • Southpointe
  • Cripple Creek
  • The Ridge
  • Eastridge
  • Piedmont
  • Holmes Park
  • South Salt Creek

West Lincoln / Bethany / Country Club

Trash:Thursday
Recycling:Thursday
Yard Waste:Thursday

Neighborhoods:

  • Country Club
  • Bethany
  • West Lincoln
  • West A
  • Briargate
  • College View
  • Stratford
  • Yankee Hill

North Lincoln / Highlands / Airpark

Trash:Friday
Recycling:Friday
Yard Waste:Friday

Neighborhoods:

  • The Highlands
  • Arnold Heights
  • North Bottoms
  • Salt Valley View
  • Fallbrook
  • Northridge
  • North Creek Villas
  • Telegraph District

Northwest Lincoln / Arbor Heights / Highlands

Trash:Monday
Recycling:Monday
Yard Waste:Monday

Neighborhoods:

  • Arbor Heights
  • Highlands North
  • Wilderness Woods
  • Deer Creek
  • Oak Creek
  • Northwoods
  • University Heights
  • Innovation Campus area

Service Provider

private

Multiple Licensed Private Haulers

Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (City contact)

Bulk Waste Pickup

Frequency
Varies by hauler - typically on-call or monthly
Registration
Required

Accepted Items

  • Furniture (sofas, chairs, tables, dressers)
  • Mattresses and box springs
  • Appliances (refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves)
  • Water heaters
  • Carpeting (bundled)
  • Large toys and playground equipment
  • Exercise equipment
  • BBQ grills (propane removed)
  • Lawn mowers (fluids drained)
  • Other large household items

Not Accepted

  • Hazardous materials (take to HazToGo)
  • Construction debris (self-haul to transfer station)
  • Concrete, bricks, dirt, rocks
  • Tires (banned from landfill)
  • Batteries (take to HazToGo)
  • Electronics (special e-waste collection)
  • Business/commercial waste
  • Roofing materials
  • Asbestos materials

Bulk pickup policies vary significantly by private hauler. Some providers include one free bulk item per month (e.g., Husker Refuse), while others charge per item or require advance notice with fees. Contact your specific hauler for their bulk item policies. For large loads, consider self-hauling to North 48th Street Transfer Station (5101 N 48th St) which accepts solid waste, appliances, and furniture for disposal fees.

Recycling Program

Type
single-stream
Frequency
Weekly (same day as trash collection)
Cart Color
Varies by hauler (often blue or green lid)

Accepted Materials

  • Paper & newspaper (all types)
  • Cardboard (flattened boxes)
  • Paperboard (cereal boxes, shoe boxes)
  • Magazines and catalogs
  • Office paper and junk mail
  • Plastics #1 PETE (water bottles, soda bottles, clear containers)
  • Plastics #2 HDPE (milk jugs, detergent bottles, shampoo bottles)
  • Plastics #3 PVC (some rigid containers)
  • Plastics #4 LDPE (some squeezable bottles)
  • Plastics #5 PP (yogurt containers, medicine bottles, some food containers)
  • Aluminum cans and foil
  • Tin and steel cans
  • Metal food and beverage cans
  • Glass bottles and jars (DROP-OFF ONLY at city recycling sites - NOT curbside)
  • Milk cartons and juice cartons
  • Aseptic containers (Tetra Pak juice boxes)

Not Accepted

  • Glass bottles and jars (MUST take to city drop-off sites - NOT in curbside)
  • Plastic bags and film (return to grocery stores)
  • Styrofoam and foam packaging
  • Plastic #6 (polystyrene)
  • Plastic #7 (mixed plastics)
  • Greasy pizza boxes
  • Food-contaminated paper or cardboard
  • Waxed cardboard
  • Shredded paper
  • Tissues, napkins, paper towels
  • Diapers and feminine products
  • Clothing and textiles
  • Electronics (use e-waste recycling)
  • Batteries (take to HazToGo)
  • Light bulbs (CFLs to HazToGo)
  • Hazardous materials
  • Ceramics, dishes, pottery
  • Window glass and mirrors
  • Wire hangers
  • Medical waste

Recycling is SINGLE-STREAM - all accepted materials go in recycling cart mixed together, no sorting required. Recycling is typically collected WEEKLY on the same day as trash (more frequent than many cities). IMPORTANT: GLASS IS NOT ACCEPTED IN CURBSIDE RECYCLING. Take glass bottles and jars to city-operated recycling drop-off sites (locations at Seacrest Field, North 48th St, and others). Empty and rinse all containers - must be clean and dry. Flatten cardboard boxes. Do NOT bag recyclables. Plastics #1-5 are accepted by most haulers (some accept #1-7 - check with your specific hauler). Recycling practices may vary slightly by hauler - contact your provider for their specific guidelines.

Holiday Schedule

Holiday collection schedules vary by private hauler. Most haulers observe Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day with NO collection on the holiday itself. Common practice: if holiday falls on your collection day, service is typically delayed by one day. Some haulers continue service on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Check with your specific hauler for their holiday schedule. D&D Refuse observes Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's with one-day delays for affected routes. Husker Refuse follows similar pattern. Always verify with your hauler before holidays.

Important Information

Lincoln, Nebraska operates a UNIQUE waste management system different from most U.S. cities. The city does NOT provide municipal trash collection - instead, residents are REQUIRED to contract with one of 17+ licensed private haulers for waste service. WASTE COLLECTION SYSTEM: 1. PRIVATE HAULERS REQUIRED - All Lincoln residents must arrange their own trash service with a licensed hauler 2. NO CITY ZONES - Unlike most cities, there are no designated collection zones or city-assigned collection days 3. CHOOSE YOUR HAULER - Residents select from licensed haulers like D&D Refuse, Husker Refuse, Houser Refuse, Uribe Refuse, L&W Garbage, and others 4. WEEKLY SERVICE - Most haulers provide weekly trash, recycling, and (seasonal) yard waste collection 5. BILLING - Residents pay haulers directly (typically monthly) - no city billing MAJOR LICENSED HAULERS: - D&D Refuse & Recycling: (402) 423-3708 | lincolngarbage.com - Husker Refuse Services: huskerrefuse.com (includes 1 free bulk item/month) - Houser Refuse: houserrefuse.com - Uribe Refuse Services: uriberefuse.com - L&W Garbage & Recycling: lwgarbage.com - Capital City Refuse - Harms Refuse Service - Industrial Services Inc. - Niederhaus Refuse - American Refuse LLC - WM (Waste Management) Complete hauler list: lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/LTU/.../Collectors TYPICAL SERVICE: - 96-gallon wheeled cart for trash (holds 6-7 standard bags, 280 lb capacity) - 96-gallon cart for recycling (single-stream, weekly collection) - Yard waste in paper bags (April 1 - November 30, state law requirement) - Place containers curbside by 6:00 AM on collection day - Collection typically occurs between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM YARD WASTE LAW: Nebraska state law BANS yard waste from landfills April 1 - November 30. All haulers must collect yard waste separately and send to composting facilities during this period. Yard waste goes to Bluff Road Landfill composting facility. CITY-OPERATED FACILITIES: 1. BLUFF ROAD LANDFILL (6001 Bluff Road, 402-441-8102) - Landfill and yard waste composting facility - For Lancaster County refuse haulers - Tipping fees: $52.09/ton construction waste, $25.15/ton yard waste - Trailer cargo space > 60 sq ft required - Payment: Cash, check, established accounts 2. NORTH 48TH STREET TRANSFER STATION (5101 N 48th St, 402-441-7968) - Waste transfer station and C&D landfill - Open to Lancaster County residents - Hours: Mon-Fri 6:45 AM - 4:15 PM, Sat 6:45 AM - 3:00 PM, Sun 6:45 AM - 12:00 PM - Closed federal holidays - Trailer cargo space < 60 sq ft - Accepts: solid waste, appliances, furniture, construction debris - Payment: Credit card, cash, check (no Google Pay/Apple Pay) - MUST cover and secure loads to avoid extra charges 3. HAZTOGO (5101 N 48th St, 402-441-7968) - Household hazardous waste collection - FREE for Lincoln and Lancaster County residents - Hours: Wed 9 AM - 6 PM (extended through August), 3rd Sat 9 AM - 1 PM - Drive-through convenience - Accepts: paint, chemicals, batteries, oil, pesticides, CFLs, propane, vape products - Mobile collection events: typically May and September - Future HazToGo ReStore: funded by $1.3M state grant for free reuse items RECYCLING DROP-OFF SITES: Lincoln consolidated from 19 neighborhood sites to 4-5 larger consolidated sites (saves $2M/year): Active Sites: 1. Seacrest Field - 70th & A Streets 2. North 48th Street Transfer Station - 5101 N 48th St 3. Lewis Ball Field (location TBD) 4. East High School (location TBD) 5. 27th & Tamarin Road (southwest - pending approval) These sites accept: paper, cardboard, plastics #1-5, cans, and GLASS (glass NOT accepted curbside). Available 24/7 for drop-off (household use only - businesses must contract for service). GLASS RECYCLING: IMPORTANT: Glass bottles and jars are NOT accepted in curbside recycling in Lincoln. Take glass to city-operated recycling drop-off sites listed above. MUNICIPAL CODE REQUIREMENTS: - Property owners/occupants must properly dispose of solid waste - Waste haulers must be licensed by the city - Licensed haulers must offer recycling services - Scavenging at landfills prohibited CITY CONTACT: - Solid Waste Management Superintendent: (402) 441-7867 - Waste Diversion Coordinator: (402) 441-7043 - General inquiries: lincoln.ne.gov/ltu - Find a hauler: lincoln.ne.gov/City/Departments/LTU/.../Collectors SUSTAINABILITY: - SustainLNK: Community sustainability organization - sustainlnk.org - EarthFuel Compost: Made from Lincoln yard waste, available for public purchase - Recycling resources: Comprehensive guides at sustainlnk.org - Landfill gas to RNG: City seeking proposals for renewable natural gas project at Bluff Road