Trash & Recycling in Decatur, GA (2026)
7 verified trash & recycling rules for Decatur, Georgia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
Decatur, Georgia tells residents exactly where garbage carts must sit between pickups and exactly when they can hit the curb. Containers stay behind the front building line and within 150 feet of the street, and can't go to the curb before 5 p.m. the day before collection.
Decatur GA Trash Cart Placement & Timing
Some RestrictionsDecatur Code of Ordinances § 82-34(c),(e),(f)
(c)Conditions for removal of residential units on a scheduled basis. City collectors will remove household garbage from residential units on a scheduled basis under the following conditions:(1)Garbage containers shall be located behind the front building line and no more than 150 feet from the curb or street edge in front of the building, except that, in the case of existing units which are sit...
Bulk Item Disposal
Furniture and worn-out appliances get their own curbside rules in Decatur, Georgia: large trash that won't fit in a bag goes out separately from yard waste, and old refrigerators or washers are picked up for recycling, but only after the doors are removed or secured shut.
Decatur GA Bulk Item & Appliance Pickup
Some RestrictionsDecatur Code of Ordinances § 82-32(2), (9)
(2)Trash. Trash shall be free from liquid and placed in an approved single-use plastic bag in an approved refuse container. ... Trash ... that does not completely fit in an approved single-use plastic bag and large items such as furniture shall be set on the curb separately from yard trimmings and metal appliances. ... (9)Household appliances. Inoperable or worn out privately used household app...
Recycling Requirements
Apartment and condo properties in Decatur, Georgia with more than four units that aren't on city residential pickup must run their own on-site recycling program, recycling at least four designated materials under a written service agreement with weekly collection.
Decatur GA Multi-Unit Recycling Mandate
Some RestrictionsDecatur Code of Ordinances §§ 82-35, 82-36(a)-(c)
All multiple dwelling properties with more than four units not serviced under the residential unit collection process must provide on-site recycling services. ... (a)Service responsibility. All multiple dwelling properties in the City of Decatur with more than four dwelling units not serviced under the residential unit collection process shall provide an on-site recycling program and shall recy...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping refuse, building material or discarded vehicle parts anywhere in Decatur, Georgia without city commission approval is unlawful, and anyone whose name turns up in the dumped material is presumed to be the one who dumped it under the city's identification rule.
Decatur GA Illegal Dumping Prohibition
Significant RestrictionsDecatur Code of Ordinances § 82-40(a), (c)
(a)Prohibited without approval. It shall be unlawful for any person to dump or to cause to be dumped any refuse such as garbage, trash, litter, building material, motor vehicle parts, or equipment, or recyclables such as appliances, cans, bottles, newspapers, telephone books, grass clippings, trees, tree limbs, brush or parts thereof anywhere in the city without the expressed approval by action...
Yard Waste Collection
The City of Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia keeps yard trimmings out of the regular trash stream and sets hard limits on how brush is prepared for curbside pickup. Branches must be cut to four feet, bundles capped at four feet and 50 pounds, and the sanitation department will not haul oversized logs or limbs at all.
Decatur GA Yard Trimmings Prep Rules
Some RestrictionsDecatur Code of Ordinances § 82-32(4)
(4)Yard trimmings. Yard trimmings shall not be mixed with other solid waste. To the maximum extent feasible, yard trimmings shall be chipped, composted, used as mulch or otherwise beneficially reused or recycled. ... Yard trimmings shall be ... containerized in approved refuse containers, or approved single-use yard trimmings containers, except that tree branches and heavy brush which will not ...
Dumpster Rules
In the City of Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia, every commercial establishment, condominium or multiple dwelling must provide its own approved refuse containers and get the director of sanitation's approval for their storage and pickup location before a building permit issues. Standard commercial containers put into service must hold three to eight cubic yards depending on how they're emptied.
Commercial Dumpster Rules in Decatur, Georgia
Some RestrictionsDecatur Code of Ordinances § 82-33
(a)Arrangements for storage of refuse and recyclables, and location of containers; approval required. It shall be the responsibility of each commercial establishment, condominium, or multiple dwelling to provide adequate containers for storage of its own waste. Before a building permit shall be issued for construction of a commercial establishment, condominium, or multiple dwelling, arrangement...
Collection Schedule
Decatur, Georgia runs residential refuse and recycling pickup once a week by code, with commercial properties and multiple-dwelling buildings serviced as often as the sanitation director decides is needed, though recyclables get a guaranteed weekly minimum everywhere.
Decatur GA Weekly Trash Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsDecatur Code of Ordinances § 82-34(b)(1), (2)
(b)Conditions for refuse and recyclables collection. The city shall collect refuse and recyclables under the following conditions:(1)Refuse and recyclables shall be collected once each week from residential units; except for exceptionally large piles of limbs which may require an excessive period of time to load.(2)Refuse and recyclables shall be collected from commercial establishments and mul...
Looking for DeKalb County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Decatur city rules.
Trash & Recycling in DeKalb County →