- 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.
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.