How Hendersonville Handles Trash & Recycling: A Practical Guide

Hendersonville maintains 104 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with trash & recycling. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Hendersonville falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Bin Placement Rules

Hendersonville requires all residents to have trash containers at the curb by 6:00 AM on their assigned service day. Standard curbside service is limited to two cans (up to 96-gallon size), two additional bags, and two bulk items per week. All cans must have lids; all trash must be bagged. Boxes must be broken down and placed in cans or in bags next to them. Backdoor service (medical waiver or paid upgrade) cannot exceed four 65-gallon cans plus two bulk items, must be visible from the driveway, and may NOT be placed under carports, behind fences, or behind gates. Yard waste paper bags must be at curbside by 6:00 AM Monday.

Key details: Governing Code: H.M.C. Title 17 Ch. 2 + Waste Pro contract rules. Set-Out Deadline: 6:00 AM on assigned service day. Curbside Volume Cap: 2 cans (<=96 gal) + 2 bags + 2 bulk items. Container Rules: Lids required; bagged trash; broken-down boxes. Backdoor Service Cap: 4 cans (<=65 gal) + 2 bulk items.

Carts or bags set out after 6:00 AM on the service day may be skipped, with no makeup collection until the next regular service day. Cans without lids, unbagged trash, intact boxes, or volume above the 2-can/2-bag/2-bulk limit may also be left in place. Backdoor cans not visible from the driveway, hidden under carports, or behind fences/gates will not be serviced. Repeated violations or carts left at the curb in a manner that blocks the right-of-way, sidewalks, or fire hydrants can be cited under Title 17 Chapter 2 and may trigger Code Enforcement action with civil penalties under the local enforcement framework. Setting out prohibited items (construction debris, hazardous waste, appliances with compressors not properly tagged, motors with fuel tanks, infested furniture, automotive parts and tires, wet paint) violates the City's published collection guidelines and may result in items left at curb plus a Notice of Violation.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Residential solid waste collection in Hendersonville is governed by Title 17 (Refuse and Trash Disposal), Chapter 2 (Solid Waste Disposal) of the Hendersonville Municipal Code. The City CONTRACTS with Waste Pro for all city solid waste collection — pickup runs Monday through Friday with each address on an assigned weekday route. All residents MUST have their trash out for collection by 6:00 AM on their service day. Standard curbside service includes up to two cans (96-gallon maximum), two additional bags, and two bulk items per week. The City does NOT currently offer curbside or drop-off recycling. Public Works: (615) 822-1016.

Key details: Governing Code: H.M.C. Title 17 Ch. 2 (Solid Waste Disposal). Service Provider: Waste Pro (contracted by City). Set-Out Deadline: 6:00 AM on assigned service day. Volume Limit: 2 cans (<=96 gal) + 2 bags + 2 bulk items / week. Holiday Delays: 6 federal holidays — 1-day delay rest of week.

Violations of H.M.C. Title 17 Chapter 2 are enforced by Public Works and Code Enforcement. Set-outs after the 6:00 AM deadline may result in skipped collection until the following week. Set-outs of prohibited materials (construction debris, hazardous waste, appliances with compressors not properly tagged, motors with fuel tanks, infested furniture, automotive parts and tires, wet paint) will not be collected and may trigger a Notice of Violation. Curbside volume above the 2-can/2-bag/2-bulk limit may also be left in place. Illegal dumping anywhere in the city — particularly into Drakes Creek, Station Camp Creek, a storm drain, or Old Hickory Lake — is a triple violation under Title 17 (solid waste), Title 18 (stormwater, with civil penalties up to $5,000 per day under the Enforcement Response Plan), AND state criminal littering under T.C.A. 39-14-502 (Mitigated criminal littering, Class C misdemeanor for less than 5 lb / 7.5 cu ft) and T.C.A. 39-14-503 (Criminal littering, Class A misdemeanor or Class E felony depending on volume and prior offenses), plus mandatory community service and possible vehicle forfeiture under T.C.A. 39-14-504. Discharge of hazardous materials triggers additional TDEC enforcement under the Tennessee Solid Waste Disposal Act (T.C.A. 68-211-101 et seq.).

Bulk Item Disposal

Hendersonville residents may set out up to TWO bulk items per week with regular Waste Pro curbside collection. Acceptable bulk items include stoves, refrigerators, water tanks/heaters, washing machines (all drained of water), furniture, and large/oversized boxes. Refrigerated appliances (refrigerators, freezers, AC units, vending machines) cannot be accepted unless refrigerant and/or compressor is removed and tagged before collection. The Sumner County Resource Authority operates regional disposal at (615) 452-1114. Household hazardous waste goes to TDEC mobile HHW collection events at Moss Wright Park, Goodlettsville. Illegal dumping into Old Hickory Lake or its tributaries is a triple violation.

Key details: Bulk Items / Week: TWO bulk items per week (curbside). Acceptable Bulk: Stoves, refrigerators (tagged), water heaters, washers, furniture, oversized boxes. Refrigerant Rule: Compressor/refrigerant removed and TAGGED first (EPA 40 CFR Part 82). Excluded Items: Construction debris, hazardous waste, tires, wet paint, motors with fuel, infested furniture. HHW Location: Moss Wright Park, 705 Caldwell Dr., Goodlettsville (TDEC mobile events).

Setting out excluded items for regular City collection violates Title 17 Chapter 2 and the City/Waste Pro collection guidelines — items will be left at curb and may trigger a Code Enforcement citation. Setting out refrigerated appliances without certified refrigerant recovery and proper tagging violates federal Clean Air Act regulations at 40 CFR Part 82 with EPA civil penalties up to $46,989 per day per violation (2024 adjustment) — and Waste Pro will not take them. Illegal dumping — particularly into Drakes Creek, Station Camp Creek, a storm drain, or Old Hickory Lake — is a triple violation: Title 17 Chapter 2 (Solid Waste Disposal), Title 18 (Stormwater, with civil penalties up to $5,000 per day under the City's Enforcement Response Plan), AND state criminal littering under T.C.A. 39-14-502 (Mitigated criminal littering, Class C misdemeanor for less than 5 lb / 7.5 cu ft) and T.C.A. 39-14-503 (Criminal littering, Class A misdemeanor or Class E felony depending on volume and prior offenses), plus mandatory community service and possible vehicle forfeiture under T.C.A. 39-14-504. Discharge of hazardous materials triggers TDEC enforcement under the Tennessee Solid Waste Disposal Act (T.C.A. 68-211-101 et seq.) and the Tennessee Hazardous Waste Management Act (T.C.A. 68-212-201 et seq.). Because Old Hickory Lake is a federal USACE reservoir, the most serious dumping into the lake can also be referred for federal Clean Water Act enforcement under 33 U.S.C. 1319.

The Bottom Line

Hendersonville'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 Hendersonville is broadly strict or permissive.

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