Trash & Recycling in Chatham County, GA (2026)
8 rules for unincorporated Chatham County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Chatham County requires unincorporated-area residents to prepare, separate and store curbside waste under specific rules, and to have trash removed at least every 14 days, under section 21-403. The County runs a regular weekly yard-waste pickup and monthly bulky-item pickup under section 21-405, and materials cannot sit curbside more than 72 hours ahead of collection.
Trash Pickup Rules in Chatham County, GA
Some RestrictionsCode of Chatham County §21-403(1)(f), (2); §21-405
§21-403 Responsibility of Property Owner/Occupant for Preparation, Separation, Storage and Placement of Waste for Curbside Collection. ... f. Any and all materials slated for collection by the County shall not be place at curbside more than 72 hours in advance of each separate collection event. 2. All property owners and occupants in the unincorporated area of Chatham County shall remove putres...
Bin Placement Rules
In the City of Savannah, residential refuse carts should be placed at curbside by 7 a.m. on collection day and removed by 7 p.m. In unincorporated Chatham County, §21-308 requires roadside receptacles to be removed within 24 hours after collection.
Trash Cart Placement Rules in Chatham County and Savannah
Some RestrictionsCode of Chatham County §21-308
Garbage or refuse placed on the side of the road, in a public right-of-way or at the front of any dwelling, structure or residence for collection... shall be in water-tight, air-tight and rodent-proof receptacles... Receptacles shall be removed... no later than 24 hours after collection of garbage or refuse.
Bulk Item Disposal
Chatham County residents can self-haul bulky items and dry trash to county disposal sites; under Code §21-316 a non-commercial pickup truck may unload without charge, and §21-318 lets residents dump residential dry trash without a direct charge. The City of Savannah collects bulk items on schedule.
Bulk Waste and Landfill Disposal in Chatham County
Some RestrictionsCode of Chatham County §21-316
The purpose of this Ordinance shall be to provide for a charge for dumpings made at the County landfill by commercial operators and municipalities. A non-commercial pickup truck may unload without charge.
Recycling Requirements
Chatham County Code §21-408 establishes a recycling program at county drop-off centers and encourages all residents, in both incorporated and unincorporated areas, to participate. Recycling is voluntary rather than mandated; residents must properly prepare and separate materials, and no commingling is allowed in drop-off containers.
Recycling Rules in Chatham County
Some RestrictionsCode of Chatham County §21-408
All residents living in incorporated and unincorporated areas of the County are encouraged to participate in any and all waste diversion/reduction or recycling opportunities available within the County.
Illegal Dumping
Chatham County Code §21-313 makes it unlawful to dump, deposit, or leave litter on any public or private property in the unincorporated county without authorization. Violations carry a fine up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, and each day is a separate offense (§21-314).
Illegal Dumping Laws in Chatham County
Some RestrictionsCode of Chatham County §21-313
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to violate the provisions of this article or to dump, deposit, throw or leave, or to cause or permit the dumping, depositing, placing, throwing or leaving of litter on any public property or private property in Chatham County, Georgia, without the corporate limits of any municipality therein...
Yard Waste Collection
Chatham County runs a weekly curbside pickup for yard waste, leaves, pine straw, grass clippings and brush, plus a monthly pickup for separated bulky items, in the unincorporated county. Materials must be containerized or stacked correctly, and the county will not take construction debris or commercial tree-service waste.
Yard Waste Collection Rules in Chatham County
Some RestrictionsCode of Chatham County Sec. 21-405
The County shall provide a regular weekly scheduled curbside pickup in the unincorporated area for the following items: a. Yard waste, including such items as leaves, pine straw, grass clippings, prunings, limbs, brush, provided such materials are properly separated, containerized and/or stacked as specified in Section 21-403. ... The County shall provide a regular monthly scheduled curbside co...
Dumpster Rules
Chatham County requires multi-family, commercial, institutional and industrial properties to keep garbage in engineered solid waste dumpsters, not household cans. The dumpsters must resist tipping, stay covered, sit on an approved concrete pad, and get a site plan signed off by both the Health Officer and Zoning Administrator before use.
Commercial Dumpster Rules in Chatham County
Significant RestrictionsCode of Chatham County Sec. 21-321
It shall be the duty of the owner/operator of any multi-family dwelling development, manufactured home/mobile home park, commercial, institutional, or industrial establishment to store and maintain garbage or rubbish pending collection and disposal in watertight solid waste dumpsters. ... All solid waste dumpsters shall be of a stable construction so as not to tip over when a horizontal force o...
Collection Schedule
Every property owner and occupant in unincorporated Chatham County must clear away accumulating household trash at least once every 14 days. Anyone who cannot legally dispose of that trash themselves must instead subscribe to a trash removal service, and skipping service altogether is a code violation.
Mandatory Trash Removal in Chatham County
Some RestrictionsCode of Chatham County Sec. 21-403(2)
All property owners and occupants in the unincorporated area of Chatham County shall remove putrescible waste and other trash that routinely collects at least every fourteen (14) days or every other week. If the resident cannot legally dispose of the removed trash, then trash removal service is required. Failure to have such service shall be a violation of this Ordinance. (Amended November 6, 2...
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