- Basic disposal
- ET Tier 0: Basic Service
- Maintenance Office
- ET Tier 2
- Recycler
- ET Tier 4
Build the cleanup chain in this order
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Unlock Basic Service
The Tier 0 Basic Service pack provides Garbage Bins and Garbage Disposal. Bins hold a small amount; Disposal permanently removes garbage.
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Place bins near tourist activity
Use bins around shops and busy paths. Some tourist traits can ignore bins, so bins reduce litter but do not replace cleanup staff.
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Unlock and build a Maintenance Office
The Tier 2 Garbage Collection Service provides the office. Build it from Town Centre → Waste and Cleaning and assign a Townie to its worker slot.
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Keep a disposal destination available
Use Garbage Disposal for permanent removal. Later, Garbage Recycler can convert collected rubbish into a material instead.
Garbage Disposal or Garbage Recycler?
The Recycler does not become useful as a crafting route until the Recycled Material recipe is available. Top Town Tournament Challenge 04 lists the Recycler and recipe among its rewards.
| Building | Unlock | Result | Use it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garbage Disposal | ET Tier 0 Basic Service | Permanently removes garbage | You need simple, early cleanup |
| Garbage Recycler | ET Tier 4 Recycling Service | 4 Garbage → 1 Recycled Material | You want garbage as a crafting input |
Increase maintenance capacity later
A Maintenance Office starts with one worker slot. Official Wiki data lists extra slots from Expanded Job Slots packs at EGO Tech Tiers 5 and 9, for a maximum of three workers per office.
Add capacity when one worker has a consistently large area to cover. A second office or more staff cannot fix an unreachable target, so check access before spending more EGO or assigning more Townies.
If garbage workers are not working
- Confirm a Townie is actually assigned to the Maintenance Office worker slot.
- Confirm the target area and Waste and Cleaning buildings are reachable rather than isolated by the layout.
- Check whether the available disposal or recycling route can accept garbage.
- Check the current build before using old workarounds; previous patches fixed several maintenance-worker pathfinding issues.
- If the problem repeats on PC, press F8 and send an in-game bug report with the save.
Cleanup fixes already shipped
Hotfix 1.0.26109 (August 3) fixed two issues that looked like cleanup failures: maintenance workers ignoring Recycler output storage until you saved and reloaded, and tourists getting stuck trying to put garbage in bins. If your recycler chain only works after a reload, updating to that build is the documented fix.
The same hotfix also made Grots stay clean after they have been Bubbled. The previous warning that this was still an open bug is now obsolete.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What automatically picks up garbage?
Townies assigned through a Maintenance Office handle town care and cleanup. The office is obtained from the Tier 2 Garbage Collection Service pack.
Where is Garbage Disposal in the Build Menu?
The official Wiki places it under Build → Town Centre → Waste and Cleaning. It is available from the ET Tier 0 Basic Service pack.
Should I dispose of or recycle garbage?
Disposal is available earlier and permanently removes rubbish. Recycling arrives later and uses 4 Garbage to create 1 Recycled Material after the recipe is unlocked.
Why won't my Grots get clean?
Update the game first. PC hotfix 1.0.26109 made Grots stay clean after they have been Bubbled, so advice describing this as an open bug is outdated.
