Bedford Trash Collection Info

Not sure what your pickup day is? 
Call 812-279-9222 

Holiday Schedule Monthly billing insert
  What We Pick-Up Weekly: Bagged Household Trash

Bagged Household Trash: The City will provide one blue 96 gallon toter container for household garbage. ​Additional toters can be purchased at the cost paid by the City Utilities Sanitation Department.

 ​ Placement of Toters / Pick-Up Guidelines
  • For residences with on street parking, all toters should be place three feet from the curb by6 a.m. on the customer's pick-up day. For residences on streets with NO ON STREET PARKING, toters may be placed on the curb. 
  • If the customer has more than one toter they need to be place THREE feet apart and SIX feet from any obstruction  (i.e. mailbox, car, etc.).
  • Once collection has occurred, all emptied Toters picked up curbside from the street shall be removed from the curb and returned to the residence the same day.
  • Toters should be stored in such a manner as to not be visible from the street front.
  • All residential and governmental solid waste that by its size is capable of being placed in a Toter which is to be picked up by the Sanitation Department shall be placed in 96 gallon Toters.
  • Bags of trash that are outside the Toter will not be picked up.
  • All 96 gallon Toters shall be plastic, with tightly fitting lids, in clean, neat and sanitary condition and must be originally provided by the Sanitation Department.
  • For regular solid waste pick-up service by the Sanitation Department, each customer shall be provided with one Toter at no charge.
  • Additional Toters can be purchased at the cost paid by the Sanitation Department.
  • Any non-conforming container being utilized as a container for pick-up by the Sanitation Department will not be collected.
  • The Sanitation Department retains the right to charge its customers for a Toter if it is lost, stolen, or damaged by means other than normal wear and tear or acts of other persons.
  • If your Toter is in need of repair, please contact the Sanitation Department at 812 -279 -9222.
 ​ What We Pick-Up Every Two Weeks: Recyclables

A Rear-Load trash truck will be in your neighborhood EVERY OTHER WEEK to collect your recyclables. 

Items picked up (subject to change) include:

  • newspapers (must be dry),
  • cardboard (must be broke down),
  • glass (clear and brown only, no lids),
  • plastics, rinsed no lids (#1 & #2 only), magazines (must be dry),
  • aluminum cans such as beverage cans, aluminum foil, and pie pans, and metal cans, rinsed, labels can be left on.

Batteries and paint can be taken directly by residents to the Lawrence County Recycling Depot.

Learn more about Bedford's Single Stream Curbside Recycling Program.

  ​What We Pick-Up on a Call In Basis: Heavy Trash & Brush

If your Heavy Trash/Brush Pick-Up fits the criteria below, you can place a Sanitation Work Order.

Sanitation Work Order

Furniture: Furniture such as couches, chairs, mattresses, box springs, beds, tables etc are picked up on a call in basis. Appliances/White Goods : All types of non -refrigerated appliances such as washers, dryers, dishwashers, water heaters, microwave ovens, stoves, cooking units, washing units, or any apparatus that is designed to be used within the home if placed within three feet of the curb on a call in basis.

Refrigerated Appliances: Refrigerated appliances containing Freon or other coolants—such as refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners—are accepted by placing a work order. Before pickup, they must be properly tagged with a sticker purchased from the Lawrence County Refrigerated Recycling Facility, located east of the transfer station.

Salvage Metal Items: Salvage metal items (with oil and fuel removed): clean light iron, auto springs, bicycles, metal containers, rear ends, metal wire, charcoal grills, lawn chairs, fence posts and fence clean of vegetation will be picked up by the Sanitation Department on a call in basis. No pressure vessels of any kind (such as propane tanks, fire extinguishers, etc). No metal items with fluids (such as gas and oil) such as engine blocks, auto transmissions, and lawn mowers with engines attached. Loader Items: Items unable to be chipped such as root balls and stumps are picked up on a call in basis. Dirt should be removed as much as possible. 

Brush, Limbs and Branches, Logs, Christmas Trees: Brush, limbs, branches and logs shall be stacked neatly at the curb with base or cut ends pointing toward street and will be collected by the Sanitation Department on a call in basis. Any tree that is topped, pruned or removed by a contractor will not be the responsibility of the Sanitation Department. The customer shall be responsible for the removal of all contractor cut limbs and logs. 

Yard Waste: Yard Waste shall be placed in either 96 gallon or 64 - gallon Toters. NO TRASH SHALL BE PLACED IN A COMPOST BIN. Yard Waste includes uncontaminated organic waste: garden waste, wood chips, grass clippings, leaves, plants, sawdust, pine needles, fruits, and rose and bush clippings. Yard waste will be collected if by its size is capable of being placed in a Toter which is to be picked up by the Sanitation Department on a call in basis. Bags of yard waste that are outside the Toter will not be picked up. Yard waste cannot be accepted in bags in the Toter. Yard Waste Toters can be purchased with the Sanitation Department paying half the cost and the customer paying the other half of the purchase cost of the Toter. Approximate cost is $25 each to customer and will be delivered after payment is made. 

Collection of Ashes: No ashes shall be set out for collection unless they are dampened to avoid dust, then placed in plastic bags and securely fastened. Secure bags of ashes then can be placed in Toters for collection.

 ​ What We Do NOT Pick-Up

Construction Waste and Large Items:Solid Waste resulting from work performed by a contractor, resulting from performing construction, cleaning, remolding or produced in any other activity shall not be collected by the Sanitation Department. All such solid waste shall be removed at the contractor’s or customer’s expense. Occasional large quantities of solid waste, rubbish, trash, debris, or other refuse over and above the Toter provided and purchased requires pick up on a call in basis. 

Unacceptable Waste: The City of Bedford Sanitation Department is unable to pick up waste that cannot be dumped at the Lawrence County Transfer Station without charge. Items subject to change include drywall, plaster, concrete, wood, paneling, siding, insulation, roofing, windows, guttering, bricks, doors, and tires. These items will be accepted at the Lawrence County Transfer Station if residents take them there directly and pay the applicable tipping fees. 

   Leaf Season Leaves

Leaf SeasonLeaves (Leaf season pickup runs approximately October 1st to November 30th)

  • Leaf season leaves shall not be bagged.
  • If you do not mulch your leaves, please rake them in a pile within 3 feet of the curb in your lawn, not in the street.
  • Leaves clog storm drains if piled in the roadway.
  • Leaves raked to the alley will be picked up at the last of the season.

The Benefits of Mulching

  • Soil enrichment: Leaf mulch returns nutrients to the soil.
  • Water conservation: Mulch helps retain moisture in soils.
  • Less waste: Won’t need to have bags for yard waste.
  • Insulation: Leaf mulch acts as an insulating barrier from the heat in summer and the cold in winter.
  • Weed control: Mulch helps reduce the growth of weeds.

Leaf Mulching Tips

  • Keep mower blade sharp
  • Set mower blade to 2.5 inches
  • Mow dry leaves
  • Push mower slowly
  • Mow when there is no more than 1 inch of leaf litter
  • When adding mulch to gardens, do not put right up to the base of plants or trees
  • Make the mulch no deeper than 2 to 3 inches
  • For those who use lawn services, ask them to leaf mulch.

Uses for Leaf Mulch

  • Leave it on the lawn 
  • Dig leaves directly into the garden to add organic matter and the nutrients 
  • Put leaf mulch on gardens and flower beds or around trees and shrubs

    Source: York Region Solid Waste Management
  No Collection / Delays

Pick-up times will vary on occasion. Inclement weather, excessive pick-ups, and holidays will cause delays.

If your regularly scheduled trash collection day falls on an observed City of Bedford holiday, collection services vary depending on the route and truck your residence is picked up by. 

See the top of this page for our current holiday schedule.

 ​ Refusal to Collect Refuse

Collection of trash, garbage, solid waste, or other refuse by the Sanitation Department may be refused any time it is not presented for pick-up or it is in violation of any provision herein provided. In such cases the customer shall promptly and properly dispose of the trash, garbage or solid waste. Failure to comply or dispose of the waste within five (5) days shall be a violation of ordinance and subject to citations issued by Plan Commissioner.

   Billing Questions

Residential customers inside the city limits of Bedford will be charged a fee ($16/month) for the collection and disposal of trash, garbage and refuse on their monthly water bill. 

For Billing questions: Contact Bedford City Utilities: 812-275-1626

What (and how) to Recycle in Bedford, Indiana

A Rear-Load trash truck will be in your neighborhood EVERY OTHER WEEK (on the same days the trash truck is in your neighborhood) to collect your recycles. Read the FAQ section below for more on Bedford, Indiana's Single Stream Curbside Recycling
When does my recycling get picked up?

A Rear-Load trash truck will be in your neighborhood EVERY OTHER WEEK (on the same days the trash truck is in your neighborhood, by 6AM) to collect your recycles.

Do I have to sort my recycling?

No. All collected recyclables will be properly sorted and processed by Rumpke Recycling. However, please be sure you are putting the right items in your bin, and following guidelines on what needs to be rinsed, keeping newspapers dry, etc. (more below).

What items can go in my recycle bin?

Please place only the accepted listed materials in your bin. All unacceptable items will be left in your bin on the curb.

 GLASS

Accepted: food and beverage containers only. Remove all lids.
NOT Accepted: Window glass, ceramics, light bulbs, or glass cookware.

 METAL CANS

Accepted: Food cans; labels may be left on. 
NOT Accepted: clothes hangers, skillets, utensils, pans, etc.

 PLASTIC BOTTLES

Accepted: #1 - #7 bottles and jugs with list reattached (look on bottom for number). Milk and water jugs, soda bottles, soap bottles, and detergent bottles.
NOT Accepted: Oil jugs, antifreeze jugs, party trays, styrofoam, egg cartons, clear plastic coverings and wrappings, plastic utensils, or plastic shopping bags

 Magazines & Other Paper

Accepted: Magazines, junk mail, phonebooks, shredded paper, and office paper should be kept separate from newspaper.
Not Accepted: No hard of soft cover books.

 Newspaper

Place newspaper and slick inserts in a brown paper bag and put on top of your recyclin bin. This will allow you to have 6 separate products per pick-up. DRY NEWSPAPERS ONLY.

 Paper and cardboard

Accepted: Cardboard and paperboard broken down (cereal boxes, etc.), dog and cat food bags, brown paper grocery bags, brown kraft envelopes. Please remove styrofoam liners.

 Aluminum Cans

Accepted: Beverage cans, aluminum foil, pie pans, etc.
NOT Accepted: aluminum products such as chairs, siding, etc.

 Cartons

Remove caps and straws.

Why were my items left on the curb?
  • Items left out to be collected that are not recyclable.
  • If you believe your household was missed, please call (812) 279-9222 and leave a message including your address.
What to do between pickups?

If you would like, between regular pick-ups recyclables can be dropped off at the Recycling Center located at 3326 Mitchell Road.

M-F 6am-6pm
Sat. 7am-5pm
Sun. 12pm-6pm

Have Questions?

For Billing Questions: Contact our Utilities Department
For Garbage and Recycling Pickup Questions: Contact our Street & Sanitation Department