RCHOA Board Members:(931) 330-0580
Collection Procedures
Additional Information
Click here for the residential collection procedures brochure (English)
Click here for the residential collection procedures brochure (Spanish)
Click here for the garbage, recycling and yard trimmings container requirements flyer (English)
Click here for the garbage, recycling and yard trimmings container requirements flyer (Spanish)
Household garbage collection procedures
All household garbage must be drained free of liquids and placed in individual trash bags that are securely tied and placed inside a county-issued garbage roll cart. Household garbage must be placed at the curb before 7 a.m. on a resident’s scheduled collection day, and should not block mailboxes, driveways, sidewalks, drainage systems or roadways. Residents are not allowed to place refuse at the curb prior to 7 p.m. on the day before their scheduled collection day. Containers must be returned to residents’ homes after collection. Additionally, containers should not remain at the curb for more than 24 hours after being serviced.
Residents in unincorporated DeKalb and cities within the Sanitation Division service area are required to adhere to county-approved garbage preparation and collection procedures in their entirety. Please review the Sanitation Division’s residential collection procedures brochure for more information on county-approved garbage preparation and collection procedures.
Single-stream recycling collection procedures
Recyclable materials can be commingled and loosely placed inside a county-issued 35- or 65-gallon recycling roll cart. Recycling containers must be placed at the curb prior to 7 a.m. on a resident’s scheduled collection day, and should not block mailboxes, driveways, sidewalks, drainage systems or roadways. Residents are not allowed to place recycling containers at the curb prior to 7 p.m. on the day before their scheduled collection day. Containers must be returned to residents’ homes after collection. Additionally, containers should not remain at the curb for more than 24 hours after being serviced. Please click here (curbside recycling section) for detailed information on acceptable and unacceptable recyclable items.
Yard trimmings collection procedures
All yard trimmings must be properly prepared for collection. Yard trimmings include grass clippings, leaves, twigs, branches, limbs, tree parts, shrubbery, vines, garden plants, etc., and other naturally occurring vegetative matter. Grass clippings, leaves, twigs, shrubbery, vines, garden plants and small items must be placed in approved 20-40 gallon receptacles. Approved receptacles include durable metal and plastic containers or durable biodegradable paper bags. Each container must have two durable handles. Each paper bag must be folded at the top to minimize rain deteriorating the paper bags. Yard trimmings placed in plastic bags will not be collected. All approved receptacles must be placed at the curb without blocking mailboxes, utilities, driveways, sidewalks, drainage systems or roadways before 7 a.m. on the scheduled day of yard trimmings collection for your service area. Branches and limbs must be trimmed of twigs, vines and leaves, and cut to a maximum of four (4) feet in length, and stacked neatly at the curb. The removed twigs, vines, and leaves must be placed in an approved receptacle as outlined above. Trees must be cut as small as possible, where each piece does not exceed a maximum of 50 pounds. Tree limbs that are cut by professional or hired contractors should not be left at the curb for collection by the Sanitation Division.
Missed garbage, recycling or yard trimmings collection
If household garbage, recycling and yard trimmings placed at the curb are not serviced by the end of the business day on a resident’s scheduled collection day, please contact the Division’s customer service team at (404) 294-2900. A service request will be created. While the designated day for servicing missed collections is Friday of the week the service request is created, every attempt will be made to service missed collections prior to Friday. Residents not adhering to approved collection procedures may not be serviced or may experience a delay in collection service, and will receive a door hanger notification for noncompliance.
Bulky items collection procedures
Approved bulky items are collected by special collection vehicles and are included in the residential annual assessment fees. Bulky items include furniture, mattresses and box springs, household appliances, playground equipment, lawn mowers, hand tools, accessories etc., and/ or other items not collected on the weekly servicing days. Please call (404) 294-2900 to report bulky items as soon as they have been placed at the curb. The collection period is on average within 10 business days. However, a surge in bulky item collection requests may result in a collection time frame beyond 10 business days.
Sanitation collection service for disabled residents
The Division provides special collection service for residents with physical limitations/disabilities that preclude them from placing their garbage and recycling containers curbside for servicing. Residents seeking this service are required to complete an application (please see below), and provide the specific documentation and endorsements required for the review and processing of this application. Once a final determination is made, the applicant will be contacted with an update. For more information, please contact the customer service team at 404.294.2900.
Please click here for the application and instructions to apply for this service
Please click here for instructions and the ongoing certification form for residents with a permanent disability
Special collection procedures
Special collection services are provided for a fee to residents to properly dispose of tires, uncontainerized/ improperly prepared yard trimmings, construction and demolition materials, rocks, dirt, concrete, wood, metal fences, decking, and other materials not identified. These special items are collected using specialized vehicles, and are not included in annual residential sanitation assessment fees.
Once a resident calls in or emails regarding a special collection request, the field collection team will visit the site to perform an assessment for determining the appropriate collection fee. A completed special collection authorization form (please click here to view the form) advising of this fee will be left at the customer's location. Fees must be paid prior to the collection of materials. Once the appropriate fee has been paid, email sanitation3720@dekalbcountyga.govwith the payment confirmation number, name and address, referencing a request for a special collection. The items will be collected curbside within 10 business days after payment has been confirmed.
Please click here for special collection payment instructions, or here to make a special collection online payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can residents subscribe to the recycling program?
Click here for more information.
What are the proper single-stream recycling preparation and collection procedures?
Recyclable materials can be commingled and loosely placed inside a county-issued 18-gallon recycling bin, 40-gallon recycling bag, 35-gallon roll cart and/or 65-gallon recycling roll cart. Recycling containers must be placed curbside prior to 7 a.m. on a resident’s scheduled collection day. Click here (curbside recycling section) for more information on acceptable and unacceptable recyclable items.
What are the county-approved recycling containers?
Effective September 11, 2017, the DeKalb County Sanitation Division will no longer offer 18-gallon bins and 40-gallon bags as part of the residential single-stream recycling program. A new standard 35-gallon roll cart will replace the bins and bags. While the Sanitation Division is moving toward the two roll cart options, recycling subscribers are able to use existing bins and bags for the time being. Subscribers with 40-gallon bags can continue using them until their inventory is fully depleted. Subscribers with 18-gallon bins must return/trade them in by December 28, 2018, for a 35- or 65-gallon roll cart. This change offers recycling subscribers a more practical and durable recycling container, and allows for safer and more efficient curbside recycling collection using automated collection vehicles.
Is glass being recycled?
While the County no longer accepts glass in curbside single-stream recycling, residents can recycle glass using county-operated glass recycling drop-off locations. Click here for more information.
What type of container should be used for garbage collection?
Household garbage must be placed in green county-issued garbage roll carts. Excess garbage can be placed in secure, durable plastic bags. Effective April 18, 2016, only county-issued garbage roll carts will be serviced; customer-provided garbage containers will not be serviced.
What kind of containers should be used for yard trimmings?
Biodegradable paper bags, clean cardboard boxes or durable clean cans that have not been exposed to household waste should be used. All bags, boxes or containers must not exceed 20-40 gallons in size or 50 lbs. in weight. Effective April 18, 2016, only county-issued recycling containers will be serviced; customer-provided recycling containers will not be serviced.
*** Please note *** Plastic bags are not acceptable.
What time should garbage, yard trimmings and recyclables be placed curbside for collection?
All garbage, yard trimmings and recyclables must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on scheduled collection days.
Does the Sanitation Division collect furniture and appliances at the curb?
Yes. This service is available free to all residential curbside customers. All other residents will be subject to the Special Collection Fee Schedule (see Fee Schedule below). Further information can be obtained by contacting the Sanitation Division at sanitation@dekalbcountyga.gov or (404) 294-2900.
How should refrigerators and freezers be prepared for collection?
Doors must be secured or removed. They should be placed on the right-of-way not blocking mailboxes, sidewalks, utilities, roadways or drainage ditches. All food must be removed prior to placing the item at the curb for collection. Once the appliance is placed curbside, please contact us at sanitation@dekalbcountyga.gov or (404) 294-2900 to arrange for collection.
How should paint be prepared for proper disposal?
Paint can be collected at the curb on residents’ scheduled collection day as long as the paint has solidified, and will not pour out of the can. Residents can use kitty litter or another drying agent to solidify liquid paint. Another method is to remove the paint can’s lid, and stir the paint daily until it hardens in the can. Full cans of paint must be dry to the bottom, and not simply crusted over. Kindly ensure that paint cans are left beside the garbage roll cart, and not placed inside the roll cart with household garbage. The lid must be removed, and can either be placed in residents’ single-stream recycling container, or disposed in bagged garbage inside the garbage roll cart. Cans with liquid paint placed in collection trucks can spill and leak onto roads. Paint spills on roads are extremely difficult to remove.
How should Christmas trees be prepared for collection?
The Sanitation Division provides county residents with free curbside Christmas tree collection from December 26 through the end of the second week in January. Collections occur during residents’ scheduled collection day. To participate, residents must remove all decorations from trees and place them curbside. Trees should be seven feet or shorter. Trees that cannot be cut to the required length can be taken to the County’s Seminole Road Landfill, or collected by the Sanitation Division’s special collection unit (fees will apply). All trees are recycled and converted to mulch.
What is the proper size for tree parts?
Tree trunks must be cut small enough in size that they can be hand loaded to the collection vehicle. Each tree part must not exceed 50 pounds in weight. Limbs and branches must not exceed four feet in length and must be stacked neatly at the curb. Twigs, leaves, pine straw and other small vegetation items must be placed in paper biodegradable bags or empty cardboard boxes that do not exceed 20-40 gallons. Residents can also use 20-40 gallon containers that are clean and have not been exposed to loose household refuse.
What sanitation assessment fees are associated with home-based businesses?
In general, solid waste collection services fall under Section 22 of the DeKalb County Code. All home-based businesses within the DeKalb County Sanitation Division’s service area are under the Sanitation Division’s jurisdiction. Any individual with a business license at a home-based location, pays an annual sanitation assessment fee equivalent to that of a residential-only customer in spite of the facility serving a dual purpose of a home and business. Please call the Division's customer service team at 404-294-2900 for more information on requirements for establishing a home-based business.
How is new sanitation service established?
Residents requesting new sanitation service are required to complete the residential garbage roll cart request form. Proof of new ownership or lease agreement will be requested. A prorated and prepaid annual sanitation assessment fee will be required prior to activating collection service. Click here for the garbage roll cart request form, or here for information on prorated sanitation assessment fees.
How are residential collection services billed and paid?
Residents' annual sanitation assessment fees are billed on annual property tax statements through the Tax Commissioner's office, and listed as a seperate line item. Please visit the Tax Commissioner's website for more information on payment options.
What services are included in the annual sanitation assessment fee?
Once-a-week household garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings collection, and bulky item collections.
Do you collect building materials and is there a charge?
Yes, see the fee schedule listed below.
Does the Sanitation Division collect tires from residents?
Yes. The Sanitation Divison will collect up to four passenger tires from residential customers at a fee of $2.00 per tire. Or, residents may take a maximum of 10 passenger tires to the Seminole Road Landfill located at 4203 Clevemont Road, Ellenwood, GA 30294. Please call (404) 687-4020 for more information.
Does the county have a landfill for public use?
Yes. The Seminole Road Landfill is located at 4203 Clevemont Road, Ellenwood, GA 30294. Please call (404) 687-4020 for more information.
For directions to the Seminole Road Landfill, please enter your address here (street, city state):
What items can residents dispose of at the landfill, and at what cost?
Residents are able to dispose of garbage, yard trimmings, furniture, personal vehicle tires, appliances and construction and demolition material at the landfill. Disposal costs are as follows:
Garbage, furniture, yard trimmings and construction and demolition material
Up to 999 lbs. - $16.50
1,000 lbs. and up - prorated at $33 per ton
Appliances without Freon (stove, dishwasher, trash compactor, etc.)
$5 fee per appliance
Appliances with Freon (refrigerator, freezer, air conditioner, etc.)
$16.50 per appliance
Personal vehicle tires (no commercial vehicle tires are accepted; up to 10 tires are accepted)
$1 per tire
Who handles litter on county roads and rights-of-way?
Please contact the Beautification Unit regarding litter removal or illegal dumping inquiries or issues.
Who mows the county rights-of-way?
Property owners are responsible for maintaining the right-of-way joining their property. The Beautification Unit periodically mows overgrown county rights-of-way, trims bushes, and increases sight vision on rights-of-way and county-owned vacant lots. For more information, please contact the Beautification Unit.
How should dead animals be handled?
Dead animals are collected by the Sanitation Division from county rights of way and roads. Collection from residents’ homes are assessed a nominal collection fee. Residents also have the option of transporting dead animals to the Division’s animal crematory or Seminole Road Landfill. Click here for more information.