How Clarksville Handles Trash & Recycling: A Practical Guide

Clarksville maintains 101 local ordinances across all categories, and 4 of those deal specifically with trash & recycling. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Clarksville falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Recycling Requirements

Clarksville has no curbside recycling and no ordinance requiring anyone to recycle. Bi-County takes recyclables free at the Dover Road landfill and 17 convenience centers, and unlike many programs it does accept glass food and beverage containers.

Key details: Curbside recycling: None in Clarksville. Glass: Accepted, food and beverage containers. Plastics: Necked bottles marked #1 or #2. Drop-off cost: Free with the user fee. Newspaper and magazines: Dropped from bins in 2020.

No recycling mandate exists, so there is no penalty for not recycling. Dumping recyclables outside a container is litter under section 8-202(1).

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Clarksville gives residents more flexibility on recycling requirements.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Clarksville runs no residential garbage route and neither does Montgomery County. Households either pay a private hauler or drive their own waste to a Bi-County convenience center. Your collection day comes from the hauler, not the city.

Key details: Service model: Private subscription or self-haul. City collection route: None. Bi-County user fee: $5 monthly, billed $15 quarterly. Convenience centers: 17 across Montgomery and Stewart. Truck quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 5 a.m..

Hauling refuse for pay without the section 8-206 license risks revocation plus a fine under the general penalty clause; uncovered loads violate section 8-204.

Bulk Item Disposal

The Street Department runs a free spring and fall yard waste pickup on request for city addresses. Furniture, mattresses, and appliances are not part of it; those go to the Bi-County landfill on Dover Road for a per-item fee.

Key details: Spring 2026 window: March 23 to May 1. Fall 2025 window: October 20 to November 10. Limb size limit: 8 feet long, 18 inches diameter. Placement: Within 10 feet of roadway. Mattress or freon appliance: $10 each at main landfill.

Dumping refuse on any vacant or partially vacant lot violates section 8-202(3); filling a lot with anything but soil, rock, or stone needs a building official permit.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find Clarksville gives residents more flexibility on bulk item disposal.

Bin Placement Rules

Clarksville Code section 8-203 is the only container-storage rule. Between pickups, garbage cans must sit no closer to the street than the front building line of the house. Corner lots store behind that line or beside the structure.

Key details: Storage line: Behind front building line. Corner lots: Behind line, or side or rear. Set-out window: None written into the Code. Container lids: Required, animal-resistant. Never store in: Street, sidewalk, public place.

Codes enforcement acts on the section 8-203 storage rule; a conviction draws a fine under the general penalty clause of the Clarksville Code in city court.

The Bottom Line

Compared to many U.S. cities, Clarksville gives residents more room on trash & recycling. 2 of the 4 rules here are rated permissive. But permissive does not mean unregulated. There are still requirements, and the city does enforce them when violations are reported.

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