Trash & Recycling in Mobile, AL

If you live in Mobile or are thinking about moving there, trash & recycling are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Mobile has 8 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of trash & recycling, and some of them might surprise you.

Collection Schedule

The city collects household garbage once a week and household trash (bulky/yard waste) every other week, with carts assigned to each residence by the public services department.

Key details: Garbage frequency: Once per week. Trash frequency: Every other week. Trash limit: 2 cubic yards or 15 bags. Cart size: 96- or 64-gallon, city-issued.

Improperly set-out or oversized garbage and trash can go uncollected, and failing to comply with chapter 25's cart and pickup rules is a violation carrying up to a $350 fine.

Illegal Dumping

Dumping litter, garbage, trash, or junk on any private or public property in Mobile without permission is a Chapter 25 violation, punishable by up to a $350 fine or three months in jail.

Key details: Ban: Dumping without site permission. Evidence rule: Mail found in pile. First offense: $250 fine + costs. Max penalty: $350 fine or 3 mo jail.

First offense: $250 fine plus court costs before a magistrate. Repeat violations require court; a judge may fine up to $350, order up to three months jail, or community service, each day is a separate offense.

Compared to other cities, Mobile takes a harder line on illegal dumping. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Bulk Item Disposal

Mobile's biweekly household trash pickup is free for up to two cubic yards or 15 bags of leaves per household; anything beyond that is billed as an oversized load.

Key details: Frequency: Every other week. Free limit: 2 cubic yards. Free limit (leaves): 15 bags. Over limit: Oversized-load fee applies.

Exceeding the free quantity limit under Sec. 25-6(b) means the excess goes uncollected and the household gets a corrective notice; unpaid oversized loads can also trigger a chapter 25 violation and fine.

Yard Waste Collection

Mobile collects yard waste as part of household trash under Sec. 25-6, picked up every other week. Leaves, straw, and clippings must be bagged or boxed, and the free limit is about two cubic yards, or fifteen bags of leaves, per household per cycle. Limbs over twelve inches thick or six feet long are not collected curbside at all.

Key details: Collection cycle: Every other week with household trash (Sec. 25-6(a)). Free volume limit: About 2 cubic yards or 15 bags of leaves (Sec. 25-6(b)(1)). Bagging rule: Leaves, straw, clippings must be bagged or boxed (Sec. 25-6(e)). Brush limit: No limbs over 12 in. diameter or 6 ft. long (Sec. 25-6(f)). Oversized loads: Collected for a fee if over the free limit (Sec. 25-6(b)(2)).

Putting out more debris than Sec. 25-6 allows, leaving limbs or construction debris the city won't collect, or placing yard waste in a location barred by (d), such as blocking a sidewalk or storm drain, is a violation under Sec. 25-6(h) and punishable through chapter 25's article III. A first offense draws a $250 fine plus court costs under Sec. 25-33(b); a repeat violation requires a court date, where a judge can impose up to $350 or three months in jail, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.

Bin Placement Rules

Mobile zoning bars dumpsters from front yards, buffers, and rights-of-way, and requires an 8-foot enclosure of matching materials unless the dumpster is hidden from view.

Key details: Front yard: Dumpsters prohibited. Enclosure height cap: 8 feet maximum. Enclosure material: Wood, brick, masonry, or matching siding. Hidden dumpsters: No enclosure needed if unseen.

Dumpster placement and enclosure violations are enforced as zoning code violations under Mobile's Unified Development Code, subject to the code's standard zoning enforcement and penalty provisions.

Pickup Rules & Schedules

Mobile collects household garbage once a week on a set day by address; carts must reach the curb no earlier than noon the day before pickup and be pulled back in by 6 a.m. the next morning.

Key details: Frequency: Once weekly, fixed day. Curb out: No earlier than noon prior day. Curb in: By 6 a.m. next day. Cart limit: Two per household.

Leaving a cart at the curb past the deadline violates Sec. 25-5(g). Chapter 25 penalties: first offense $250 plus court costs before a magistrate; later violations require court, with fines up to $350.

Dumpster Rules

Mobile bars placing waste dumpsters in front yards, protection buffers, right-of-way or street frontages, and requires an enclosure sized to the dumpster's height, up to eight feet, built of wood, brick or masonry.

Key details: Front yard: Dumpsters prohibited. Enclosure height: Matches dumpster, max 8 feet. Materials: Wood, brick, or masonry. Right-of-way: Trucks can't use it.

Unpermitted dumpster placement or a missing enclosure is a Code of Ordinances violation; the general penalty (Sec. 1-21) is a fine up to $500, with each day of noncompliance a separate offense.

Holiday Pickup Schedule

Mobile's household garbage collects weekly and household trash collects every other week, but both schedules can shift around holidays. The Department of Public Services sets pickup days under Sec. 25-3 and must publish any permanent change at least two weeks ahead; storm or disaster changes go up on cityofmobile.org and through Mobile 311 as they happen.

Key details: Garbage pickup: Weekly; holidays can shift the day (Sec. 25-5(a)). Trash pickup: Every other week; holidays can shift it (Sec. 25-6(a)). Notice required: Permanent changes need 2 weeks' public notice (Sec. 25-3(b)). Emergency changes: Storm/disaster changes posted at cityofmobile.org (Sec. 25-3(c)). Info line: Mobile 311, 251-208-5311, for current collection day.

Chapter 25's enforcement article applies to a schedule mishap the same as any other violation: leaving a garbage cart at the curb outside the window in Sec. 25-5(g), even because a holiday moved the pickup day, is punishable under Sec. 25-33. A first offense carries a $250 fine plus court costs, payable to the magistrate; a repeat violation requires a court appearance, where a judge can impose up to $350 or three months in jail, and each day of noncompliance counts as a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Mobile'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 Mobile is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Mobile's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.