Trash and recycling pickup in Bowling Green: schedule, holidays, bulk

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Facts on this page come from Bowling Green Municipal Utilities’ sanitation page, Scott Waste Services and the City of Bowling Green’s Public Works pages.

Scott Waste Services provides trash pickup to every residential customer inside the Bowling Green city limits, and Bowling Green Municipal Utilities (BGMU) handles the billing, BGMU says. Pickup is once a week. Scott Waste’s routes start at 5 a.m., so have your cart within 3 feet of the curb by then, or put it out the night before.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, broken cart, bulk items, brush: Scott Waste Services, 270-783-4016, or email customerservice6052@wcnx.org with your full address
• Your sanitation bill: BGMU customer service, 270-782-1200 (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays)
• Leaf pickup and missed leaf zones: City of Bowling Green Citizen Information and Assistance, 270-393-3444
• Junk or trash piled on a property in the city: report it to Code Compliance online
• Official pages: BGMU sanitation billing and Scott Waste pickup schedule

If you live outside the city limits in unincorporated Warren County, these city rules do not apply; check with your own hauler.

What day is my pickup?

Your service day depends on your street. Scott Waste publishes it through its pickup schedule page and its free WasteConnect+ app, which BGMU says is also the place to see delays or problems on your scheduled day. Search “Waste Connect” in the Apple or Google Play app store.

Scott Waste’s answers to common questions set out the basics:

• Routes begin at 5 a.m. each day.
• Place the cart within 3 feet of the curb.
• If your pickup is missed, the company says it is usually resolved within a week, and you can set the cart out again on the next service day. Call 270-783-4016 or email customerservice6052@wcnx.org with your full address and say whether the cart is for trash or recycling.
• For a broken cart, use the broken container form or call the same number.

Holiday schedule

Scott Waste posts holiday changes for its service areas on its pickup schedule page and pushes delays through the WasteConnect+ app. The company has not published a Bowling Green holiday list in a form we could check, so we do not print one here. Before Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 26), Christmas (Friday, Dec. 25) and New Year’s Day (Friday, Jan. 1, 2027), check the app or call 270-783-4016.

Bulk items, brush and limbs

Large items such as furniture or appliances can be picked up by Scott Waste. The city’s guidance on brush and large items says:

• Limbs and brush must be cut to less than 5 feet long and 6 inches in diameter.
• Brush goes in the trash cart or is tied in a small bundle at the curb.
• Scott Waste takes up to 3 cubic yards a week.
• For a large amount of brush, call Scott Waste at 270-783-4016 first.

Scott Waste’s bulk pickup page says accepted items vary by location and asks you to confirm a pickup date before you put anything at the curb.

Fall leaf pickup

Loose leaves are collected by the city, not by Scott Waste. Public Works runs residential loose leaf pickup in 10 zones. Find your zone by typing your street address into the city’s lookup on that page.

The city’s rules for leaf piles:

• Rake leaves to the edge of the street your home faces before the first scheduled day in your zone. Crews do not come back once your street is done.
• Keep leaves off sidewalks, out of the street and gutter, and away from fire hydrants, mailboxes and parked cars. Leaves in the street or gutter break city ordinances and can bring a civil fine.
• No limbs, rocks, household trash, furniture or tires in the pile.
• No pickup at commercial properties, private subdivisions, private roads, alleys or mobile home parks.
• Missed your zone? Call 270-393-3444 to go on the “alibi list.” The city asks residents not to call the Police Department about leaves.

Leaf pickup stops for snow, because the same crews clear the streets. The schedule can change, and there is no leaf pickup on holidays.

Recycling

Scott Waste’s residential recycling page says its curbside recycling is offered in the city of Franklin and Logan County. It does not list Bowling Green. City residents recycle at drop-off sites. Western Kentucky University’s community recycling guide lists these:

• Aluminum, tin and steel cans, cardboard and mixed paper: SA Recycling, 63 N. Graham St.
• Household batteries and light bulbs: Batteries Plus, 1150 U.S. 31-W.
• Electronics: Best Buy, 1875 Campbell Lane, takes select items.
• Printer cartridges: Staples, 1680 Campbell Lane.
• Old medicine: the drop box at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, 429 E. 10th Ave.
• Plastic grocery and shipping bags: most major grocery stores.

Household hazardous waste collection: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 999 Lauren Avery Drive. The city’s event listing says it is for household hazardous waste only, with no commercial waste and no tires. The list of accepted items is on Warren County’s household hazardous waste page. Questions: stormwater@bgky.org.

Illegal dumping and junk on a property

Trash, junk or overgrown grass on a property inside the city goes to Neighborhood and Community Services. Use the city’s Report a Problem page or call 270-393-3000.

Related guides

• Who to call at City Hall
• Power outages in Bowling Green
• Moving to Bowling Green

Frequently asked questions

Who picks up trash in Bowling Green, Kentucky?

Scott Waste Services collects household trash for every residential customer inside the Bowling Green city limits. Bowling Green Municipal Utilities (BGMU) bills for the service.

What time should I put my trash cart out in Bowling Green?

Scott Waste says its routes start at 5 a.m., so the cart should be within 3 feet of the curb by then or out the night before.

Does Bowling Green have curbside recycling?

Scott Waste says its residential curbside recycling is offered in the city of Franklin and Logan County, not in Bowling Green. Bowling Green residents use drop-off sites such as SA Recycling at 63 N. Graham St.

When does leaf pickup start in Bowling Green?

The city’s Public Works crews plan to start loose leaf pickup in Zone 1 on Nov. 23, 2026 (tentative), working through 10 zones until the Zone 10 start on Dec. 28.

How do I get rid of brush and large items in Bowling Green?

Call Scott Waste at 270-783-4016. The city says limbs must be cut under 5 feet long and 6 inches across and bundled or put in the cart, up to 3 cubic yards a week.