How Acworth Handles Trash & Recycling: A Practical Guide

Acworth maintains 91 local ordinances across all categories, and 7 of those deal specifically with trash & recycling. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Acworth falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Yard Waste Collection

Acworth picks up yard waste and dry items once a week under Sec. 78-8, but only if clippings and limbs are bagged or bundled to four feet long and 50 pounds, set at the curb by 6:30 a.m. on the scheduled day, and dirt, mulch and rocks are never collected.

Key details: Collection frequency: Once weekly, Sec. 78-6. Curbside deadline: 6:30 a.m. on pickup day. Limb bundle limit: 4 ft long, 50 lbs, 4-in diameter. Not collected: Dirt, mulch, rocks. General penalty: Up to $1,000 fine, Sec. 1-11.

Chapter 78 sets no dedicated fine for yard waste violations, so the city's general penalty in Sec. 1-11 applies: a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. Repeated noncompliance can also be referred to the code compliance division for citation under Sec. 78-17(e), and the fall leaf program specifically authorizes a notice of violation for residents who ignore its piling rules under Sec. 78-12(6).

Bin Placement Rules

Sec. 78-7 requires Acworth residents to roll their city-issued 95-gallon sanitation cart to the curb by 6:30 a.m. on collection day and pull it back to the side or rear of the house within 24 hours, keeping it clear of pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

Key details: Curb-out deadline: 6:30 a.m. on pickup day. Cart removal deadline: Within 24 hours of pickup. Cart provided: One 95-gallon cart per residence. Damage/replacement fee: Charged to resident, Sec. 78-4(b)(3). Scavenging carts: Banned except owner/collector, Sec. 78-13.

Chapter 78 carries no dedicated fine for cart placement, so the city's general penalty in Sec. 1-11 governs: up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months' imprisonment, or both, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense. Persistent noncompliance, along with unpaid service charges, can be referred to the code compliance division under Sec. 78-17(e) for citation, fines or other compliance measures.

Recycling Requirements

Acworth does not run a residential curbside recycling route; instead Code § 54-92(b) regulates the city's designated recycling facility, listing the only materials residents may place in its receptacles and banning dumping anything else in or around it. A separate provision, Section 78-14, bars removing deposited recyclables without authorization.

Key details: Governing section: Acworth Code § 54-92(b). Allowable items: Paper, cardboard, magazines/books, plastics 1-7, aluminum, steel, tin cans. Placement rule: All recyclables must go inside provided receptacles. Related offense: Removing deposited recyclables barred by § 78-14. Service type: Drop-off facility, not curbside recycling collection.

Leaving non-listed items in or around the recycling facility, or removing deposited recyclables without authorization under Section 78-14, is a citable offense. Because Section 54-92 sets no fine of its own, penalties default to Section 1-11's general penalty: up to $1,000.00, up to six months in jail, up to 60 days of city labor, or a combination, with continuing violations charged per day.

Dumpster Rules

Acworth requires commercial dumpsters to sit inside a three-sided solid enclosure with a matching opaque gate, placed in the rear yard at least five feet from property lines, and it caps servicing near homes to daytime hours only.

Key details: Enclosure walls: Solid on 3 sides, matches dumpster height. Setback from property line: 5 feet minimum. Roof clearance: 12 ft 6 in minimum above grade. Weekday service hours near homes: 7 a.m.-10 p.m., within 300 ft. Saturday service hours near homes: 9 a.m.-9 p.m..

Enforcement runs through Section 73-10: the Development Director can cite a noncompliant enclosure, an improperly placed dumpster, or a collection outside the permitted hours near residential property as a zoning violation, with civil penalties up to $1,000 per day the violation continues or a municipal court citation carrying a fine up to $1,000, up to 60 days in jail, or both.

Illegal Dumping

Acworth Code § 54-92(a) bans intentionally dumping 'egregious litter' anywhere in the city without a permit, covering public rights-of-way, Lake Acworth, Lake Allatoona and other waterways, and private property lacking the owner's consent. The Acworth Police Department and City Code Compliance Division cite violators, who face Municipal Court penalties under the Code's general penalty section.

Key details: Governing section: Acworth Code § 54-92(a). Covered locations: Rights-of-way, lakes/waterways, private property without consent. Enforcement: Acworth Police and Code Compliance Division. Maximum fine: $1,000.00 under general penalty § 1-11. Maximum jail term: Six months, or 60 days of public labor.

A person who dumps litter on a right-of-way, into Lake Acworth or Lake Allatoona, or on private property without consent can be cited by Acworth Police or Code Compliance and, absent a penalty specific to Section 54-92, is punished under the Code's general penalty at Section 1-11: a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to six months in jail, up to 60 days of city labor, or a combination, with continuing violations charged separately for each day.

Collection Schedule

Sec. 78-3 requires every single-family and two-family dwelling in Acworth to carry city solid waste service, and Sec. 78-6 sets it as once-weekly pickup for garbage, yard waste and large items, shifting a missed collection day forward when weather or a holiday interferes.

Key details: Service mandatory for: Single-family & two-family dwellings, Sec. 78-3. Collection frequency: Once weekly, Sec. 78-6(a). Missed-day makeup: Resumed next collection day, extra crews. Holiday bonus bags: Six 13-gal or two 55-gal extra bags. Delinquent billing: Late fee after 2 unpaid cycles, Sec. 78-17.

Chapter 78 does not set its own fine for schedule violations; the general penalty in Sec. 1-11 governs, allowing a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months' imprisonment, or both, with each day a violation continues treated as a separate offense. Delinquent service accounts unpaid past two billing cycles draw a late fee under Sec. 78-17(d) and can be referred to the code compliance division for citations or other compliance measures under Sec. 78-17(e).

Bulk Item Disposal

Acworth collects large appliances and furniture under Sec. 78-9, but only after a resident calls ahead to schedule the pickup, tags the item for the crew, and pays the large-item service fee set by the mayor and board of aldermen.

Key details: Scheduling required: Call ahead to arrange pickup, Sec. 78-9(a). Tag required: Large item pickup tag in plain view. Fee: Separate per-item service fee. Not collected: Tires, batteries, construction debris, hazardous waste. Placement rule: Clear of mailboxes, trees, traffic.

Chapter 78 sets no separate fine specific to large-item pickup, so the general penalty in Sec. 1-11 applies: a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months' imprisonment, or both, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. An item put out without the required pickup tag or advance arrangement will simply not be collected, and repeated placement violations blocking traffic or obstructions can be referred to the code compliance division under Sec. 78-17(e).

The Bottom Line

Acworth's trash & recycling rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Acworth is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Acworth's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.