Missed trash pickup in Austin? We get your 311 report ready

Short answer

For missed City trash collection, report to Austin 311 after 4 p.m. on collection day and within two business days. For recycling or compost, the City's pages say within two days. Confirm your collection day, ask 311 what to do with the cart, and save your request number.

Who this is for

Residents with Austin Resource Recovery curbside collection. If your property uses a private service, contact the property manager or that provider.

The steps, in order

1. Check the official schedule for your address and collection type, including any holiday change.
2. Confirm the cart was out by 5:30 a.m. and check for a tag, blocked access, or wrong items.
3. Contact Austin 311: trash after 4 p.m. on collection day and within two business days; recycling or compost within two days.
4. Save the service request number and ask 311 for the next step and instructions for your cart.
5. If the cart is still full or the request closes without collection, follow up with 311 using the same request number.

Have this ready

• Your street address
• Which collection was missed (trash, recycling, compost)
• Your normal collection day

Common mistakes to avoid

• Missing the reporting window for your collection type or assuming every holiday changes collection.
• Assuming a return date or cart instructions without checking with 311.
• Starting a duplicate report instead of following up with your request number.

Common questions

When should I report a missed pickup?

For trash, report after 4 p.m. on collection day and within two business days. The recycling and compost pages say within two days, without specifying business days. Contact 311 promptly and ask if the timing is unclear.

When will the crew return, and should I leave the cart out?

The City does not give a specific return date on these pages. Ask 311 for the next step and cart instructions, then follow up with the same request number.

Official sources

• trash collection and reporting window
• recycling collection and reporting window
• compost collection and reporting window
• collection schedule
• Austin 311 reporting and status options

Last reviewed August 26, 2026 against the official source.

Related

• Get rid of large items in Austin
• Austin 311 help: report and track a city issue