Garbage Collection

Collection Schedule

To locate your garbage and bulky trash collection schedule, simply visit our easy-to-use My Government Services portal, enter your address, and click the magnifying glass/search button.

Garbage collection service begins at 5 a.m. on an area’s scheduled days for residents across East Baton Rouge Parish, excluding the cities of Baker and Zachary, whose residents are serviced by garbage contractors through those respective cities. 

Guidelines

To ensure your garbage is collected, carts should be set at the curb the night before. The cart lid must be closed; carts with lids propped open will not be serviced. Old “personal” type garbage cans are no longer serviced by the garbage collection contractor. 

Household garbage must be placed in a City-Parish owned cart, which has the City-Parish seal and serial number. Actual pick-up times may vary depending on routes, weather, traffic, etc. The contract service runs until 8 p.m., so residents should be aware that actual pick-up time could be as late as 8 p.m. Residents will be notified of any change in frequency or day of pick-up.

Cart contents will only be collected for garbage. Bulky trash, such as old furniture, bagged yard waste, woody waste, mattresses, lumber, etc., should be placed in the unbundled trash pile for once-weekly collection. Old, empty garbage cans may be set out at the curb for disposal. Mark the can clearly with a large “X” and place it out with your trash for weekly collection.

Residential Curbside Services 

Garbage carts must be in place by 5 a.m. on the scheduled service day. It is not considered a missed pickup if the cart is not in place by 5 a.m. View the curbside set out guide (PDF). Other curbside service guidelines include:

  • Garbage Cart is collected twice weekly. Bagged household garbage including food waste and trash will be collected.
  • Bulky Trash, Yard and Wood Waste, Leaves and Grass will be collected once weekly. Only resident-generated waste will be picked up. Place these types of waste next to each other but not mixed together.
  • Bulky Trash: Items too bulky or heavy to fit in the garbage cart such as furniture, large household items, remodeling debris, mattresses, water heaters, carpet, fencing, lumber. Do not bag.
  • Yard and Woody Waste: Brush piles, tree limbs and shrub prunings. Do not bag, place loose at the curb.
  • Bagged Leaves and Grass: Do not mix with bulky trash or yard and woody waste. Yard waste, leaves and grass left in old garbage cans will not be collected. Do not place in carts.
  • What will not be collected: No Household Hazardous Waste is allowed in carts or at the curb. Items will be collected at our bi-annual Household Hazardous Material Collection days, or you can check “what do I do with” for more information.

Garbage, Trash, and Recycling Collection Services

The City-Parish entered a new contract for garbage, trash, and recycling collection on March 1, 2023 — the contract includes several service policy changes. The changes outlined below apply to all residential properties in East Baton Rouge Parish, excluding properties in the cities of Baker and Zachary.

Policy changes will be effective September 1, 2023. 

Garbage Cart Updates

The monthly solid waste collection fee covers twice-a-week garbage collection for one garbage cart per household, along with once-a-week collections for recycling and out-of-cart trash.

Extra carts are available for an additional $7 per cart, per month; the additional fee will be billed directly through the resident’s monthly solid waste, sewer, and water fee bill. Additional carts have a 96-gallon capacity, which is the same capacity as your primary cart. Residents who previously paid $60 to acquire an extra cart will still be charged an additional $7 per month.

If you currently have extra carts and no longer need them, you can request to have them picked up at any time. Once the additional cart is returned, your service fee will be reduced to reflect the number of carts in service. Please note there will not be a refund for any previous services rendered. However, you will not be charged the additional cart fee if you request to return your extra cart(s) by July 31, 2023. If you have paid $60 for an additional cart on or after September 1, 2022, you will receive a refund if the cart is returned.

Residents with extra carts should visit brla.gov/extracart to complete a short questionnaire about their intentions to keep or remove the cart.

Multi-Family Units

The City-Parish and Republic Services will continue managing and performing solid waste collection services for multi-family units through the new contract. However, any residential property units larger than a tri-plex will no longer use garbage carts for their solid waste collection. Instead, any such existing carts will be switched out for a dumpster starting June 1, 2023.

Dumpster Registration Process

Multi-family property owners should complete the following steps before September 1, 2023:

  • Contact 311 via phone, online at 311.brla.gov, or on the Red Stick 311 smartphone app to register for dumpster service.
  • Select a company to rent or purchase a dumpster from.
  • Follow the guidelines to select an appropriately sized dumpster based on the number of residents in the unit.
  • Acquire the dumpster and place it into service prior to September 1, 2023.

Out-of-Cart Collections

The City-Parish is implementing new policies designed to spur more efficient collection of out-of-cart waste. Residents should adhere to the policies outlined below to support proper, timely collection.

Once per week out-of-cart service will be provided for items that do not easily fit in a garbage cart, such as:

  • bulk waste, including furniture, mattresses and box springs, carpet from a single room, bicycles, and toilets
  • bulk recyclables, including tires, white goods, and lawn mowers and trimmers
  • bagged yard waste
  • brush, branches, and tree trimmings

 Out-of-cart collection services will have the following guidelines:

  • a maximum of 10 out-of-cart items per collection day
  • a maximum of 3 of those items can be bulk waste or bulk recyclables
  • brush, branches, and tree trimmings should be in bundles
  • brush, branches, and tree trimmings should not exceed the following size limitations:
    • maximum of 5 feet in length
    • maximum of 6 inches in diameter
  • bags, brush, branches, and tree trimmings should not exceed 40 pounds per item

A glossary of accepted materials, and their definitions, can be found here.

Landscapers, arborists, and other tree maintenance or removal companies are responsible for the removal of any such debris related to their work. The City-Parish encourages all residents to use licensed companies to maintain or remove any trees on their property and ensure their contract includes hauling services once the work is complete. Residents who perform their own tree maintenance or removal are responsible for contracting with a service to remove this debris from their property.

Complaints & Service Issues

Residents should call 3-1-1 for all garbage, trash and recycling related complaints and service issues.