Even though garbage and trash sound like the same thing to the average person, they are in fact two different things. As such, they are collected on different days by Kingsport’s Streets and Sanitation crews.

Garbage includes your weekly household refuse (food, food containers, organic waste and clothing). Trash includes brush, bagged leaves and grass clippings generated by the resident, furniture, appliances, small amounts of building materials, and up to four tires off the rims. All of these items will be picked up by the city.

The city will not pick up batteries, paint and paint products, butane and gas tanks, dead animals, hazardous liquids / materials and infectious materials. Contractor generated waste will be picked up for an additional fee.

To find out when your garbage and trash are collected, please visit www.kingsporttn.gov and click on the “My City Services” button. Enter your address in the search bar and the result will show your collection dates. Garbage is collected every week; trash/yard waste every two weeks.

For more information, you can call Public Works at 423-229-9451.

Trash/Yard Waste includes:

• A small amount (no more than 2 wheelbarrow loads) of wood, brick block, concrete, dry wall, ferrous metals, shingles, construction scraps or building materials
• Brush, bagged leaves and grass. Tree limbs no longer than 6 ft in length.
• Appliances
• 4 tires off the rim
• Car parts
• Swing sets
• Yard furniture
• Mattresses
• Bed frames and box springs
• Grills without tanks
• Kitchen, coffee and end tables
• Lawn mowers
• Pool liners/covers

Chargeable Items:

• Carpet $25 per pick up
• Building Materials $82 per ton

Please note: once chargeable items are placed at the curb, you have agreed to be billed for the collection service.

Preferred Practices: Here are some preferred practices that will help us serve you better in the future.

• Bag your grass and other fine materials.
  • Stack brush piles so the cut ends are all together. A tall pile is preferred over a short pile.
  • Leave a 1 ft gap between each pile.
  • Tying twine around each pile of limbs helps reduce damage to your lawn.
  • Limbs intertwined all together in different directions are dangerous to our operators.
  • Do not place brush piles near overhead wires, trees and utility poles.
  • Cardboard can be disposed of one of three ways – 1) at one of the Sullivan County recycling stations, 2) inside your recycling cart or 3) inside your garbage cart.

The Kingsport Public Library is excited to announce that a Library of Things collection is now available to the community. The collection contains a variety of items that community members might need to use infrequently or want to try before they purchase it. From garden tools, to outdoor games, to crafting tools, the collection contains a variety of things.

“We want to provide the community with access to the resources they need,” said Chris Markley, Manager of the Kingsport Public Library. “This collection will continue to grow to support the varied interests and needs of the community.”

Library of Things items are available to adults with a Kingsport Public Library card. The items check out for 7 days and may be renewed one time if there are no holds on the item. All items must be returned to the circulation desk.

While the Library of Things collection is small, the suggested borrowing limit on items in this collection is one at a time.

Some of the items available in the Library of Things include – a bean bag toss set, cultivator, electric air pump, embroidery hoops, horseshoes, leaf blower, pickleball set, posthole digger, soccer ball and goal, stud finder, volleyball set and wrenches. To discover what is available, search “Library of Things” at www.kingsportpubliclibrary.org or visit the Kingsport Public Library.