1. The city's own collection zones
Most large cities publish the map of their collection routes — which area is picked up on which day — as open data. We download those official maps directly from each city's GIS or open data portal. When you type your address, we find its location with the U.S. Census Bureau's geocoder and look up which official zone it falls in. In Dallas we read the route code the City assigns to each property.
2. The rules the map doesn't include
Maps say "Thursday". They don't say which Thursdays: recycling A and B weeks, color zones that rotate, monthly bulk weeks, or what happens on Thanksgiving. We read those rules from each city's calendars, holiday tables and notices, and apply them to produce real dates. Every holiday change carries a status:
- Official — The City published this make-up day.
- City rule — Applies the City's published standing holiday rule.
- Expected — Based on the City's past holiday notices. The City confirms a few days before.
- Not announced — The City usually suspends collection that day but has not said how it will be made up.
We only show dates as far ahead as the city has published its holidays. Beyond that we show the weekday, not a guess.
3. Testing against the cities' own calendars
Where a city offers its own address calendar, we pick random addresses and compare every date we produce with the city's. Differences are investigated one by one before a city goes on the site.
City by city
New York City
Collection days come straight from DSNY's published frequency map (610 sections). DSNY announces each holiday's make-up schedule about a week ahead, so holiday weeks are flagged instead of guessed.
Sources: DSNY Frequencies (NYC Open Data) · DSNY holiday notices
Houston
Recycling A and B weeks follow the City's 2026 recycling calendar (Friday A pickups on January 9 and 23). Holiday shifts follow the City's notices from the past year, where only the routes on and right after the holiday move by one day.
Sources: Solid Waste Management GIS layers (City of Houston) · 2026 bi-weekly recycling calendar (PDF) · City holiday list
Philadelphia
Checked against the City's own address service (AIS): the collection day matched, including the second weekly trash day in twice-a-week areas.
Sources: Rubbish/Recycling Collection Day Boundaries (OpenDataPhilly) · Holiday collection notices (phila.gov)
Phoenix
Holiday changes are the City's published 2026–27 table: only Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day move collection.
Sources: Garbage and recycling pickup areas (City of Phoenix GIS) · 2026–27 holiday collection schedule
Dallas
Compared with the City's official collection calendar for 15 random addresses: every trash and recycling date matched through December 31, 2026, where the official calendar ends.
Sources: Sanitation parcel routes (City of Dallas GIS) · Dallas Sanitation
Austin
Compared with the City's official collection calendar for random addresses: trash, recycling and compost dates matched, except that the official calendar does not yet apply the City's New Year's Day rule for 2027.
Sources: Garbage and recycling collection routes (City of Austin Open Data) · Holiday rule (Austin Resource Recovery)
Columbus
Compared with the City's official collection calendar for more than 15 random addresses across all five color zones: trash, recycling and yard waste dates matched. The only differences were January days where the official calendar lists both the regular and the holiday date.
Sources: Refuse color days and recycling zones (City of Columbus GIS) · Find My Collection Day (columbus.gov)
Oklahoma City
Recycling and bulky waste dates are the City's own published dates for each route. Holiday make-up days are the City's published fiscal-year table.
Sources: Trash, recycle and bulky waste zones and pickup dates (OKC Open Data) · Holiday make-up days
Grand Rapids
Refuse and recycling days come from the City's route maps. The 2026 recycling week calendar was not posted when we checked, so recycling shows the day only.
Sources: Refuse routes (City of Grand Rapids GIS) · Recycling routes (City of Grand Rapids GIS)
Corrections
Cities change routes, and we can make mistakes. If a date doesn't match what happens on your street, tell us and we'll check it against the city's source. Data last verified October 14, 2026.