Trash & Recycling in Cobb County, GA (2026)
8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Cobb County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Cobb County requires residential customers to bag and tie trash before setout, while recyclables must go loose into the recycling container, not bagged.
Cobb County Trash Bagging Setout Rule
Some RestrictionsCobb County Code of Ordinances § 102-69(1)
All persons receiving solid waste collection and disposal services from a permitted collector in residential areas shall comply with the following minimum three requirements: (1)All solid waste must be enclosed in plastic or plastic-lined bags which are or have been tied, except as provided in paragraph (2) of this section.(2)Yard trimmings, if collected, shall be sorted, and separated from ...
Bin Placement Rules
Cobb County limits how long garbage carts can sit streetside: no earlier than 6 p.m. the evening before pickup, gone by 11 p.m. on collection day.
Cobb County Trash Cart Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsCobb County Code § 102-18(a)
(a) A moveable garbage can, bag, box or other such container filled with garbage and municipal solid waste as defined in this section, excluding yard trimmings, shall not be placed or allowed at streetside prior to 6:00 p.m. on the evening prior to the scheduled day of collection; nor shall the container, can, bag, or box remain placed or allowed at streetside after 11:00 p.m. on the regularly ...
Recycling Requirements
Unincorporated Cobb County requires every permitted residential collector to offer recyclable-materials pickup on a regular monthly basis to enrolled customers, not just advertise it. Minimum accepted materials are cardboard, PET and HDPE plastics, hard-to-recycle plastics routed through the Hefty ReNew program, newspaper and aluminum. Collectors must supply a container for enrolled customers, may charge a separate fee for it, and cannot dump collected recyclables into a landfill or a county Residential Drop-Off Center to dodge the recycling stream.
Cobb County Curbside Recycling Service Mandate
Some RestrictionsCobb County Code of Ordinances § 102-65
(a)All collectors must offer to their residential customers the service of having their recyclable materials collected on a regular basis each month and must provide recycling service to their customers enrolled in the recycling program. Recyclable materials to be collected shall include at a minimum the following items: cardboard, PET, HDPE and hard-to-recycle plastics (currently under the Hef...
Holiday Pickup Schedule
Cobb County doesn't cancel trash pickup for holidays: it shifts it. Code of Ordinances § 102-70(2) requires every permitted residential hauler in the unincorporated county to alternate collection days during any week containing a legal holiday, guaranteeing at least one pickup that week. The rule binds collectors, not just guidance, and sits alongside a once-per-week baseline enforced by the sustainability, waste and beautification department.
Cobb County Holiday Trash Collection Shift Rule
Some RestrictionsCobb County Code of Ordinances § 102-70(2)
All residential collectors shall comply with the following requirements: (1)Collection schedule: Collectors shall provide residential collection service at least once per week. No undue disturbance shall be created in residential areas during residential collection.(2)Collection during holidays: During a week which includes a legal holiday, collectors shall alternate collection days, if necessa...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping, throwing, or leaving litter on public or private property in unincorporated Cobb County is a misdemeanor under County Code section 102-92(a). A load of ten pounds or 15 cubic feet or less is fined under the chapter's general penalty, up to $1,000 and 60 days in jail; anything larger draws a flat $1,000 fine for each dumping incident.
Cobb County Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsCobb County, GA Code of Ordinances § 102-92(a), (e)
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to dump, throw or leave litter on any public or private property in the unincorporated areas, unless: (1) The property is designated by the state or by any of its agencies or political subdivisions for the disposal of such litter, and such person is authorized by the proper public authority to use such property; (2) The litter is placed into a litt...
Yard Waste Collection
Since September 1, 1996, Cobb County has banned mixing yard trimmings with municipal solid waste anywhere in unincorporated Cobb County. Residents must sort, stockpile, chip, compost, mulch, or otherwise recycle uncollected yard trimmings, or take them to a landfill permitted for yard trimmings under O.C.G.A. § 12-8-40.2. Violators face citation under the county's solid waste penalty schedule, with fines and jail time rising for repeat offenses.
Cobb County Yard Trimmings Disposal Rules
Some RestrictionsCobb County Code § 102-10(a)-(e)
(a) Effective September 1, 1996, it shall be unlawful to place or mix yard trimmings with municipal solid waste within unincorporated Cobb County. (b) Yard trimmings shall not be disposed of at any municipal solid waste disposal facility with liners or leachate collection systems or any municipal solid waste landfills except in compliance with O.C.G.A. § 12-8-40.2, as amended. (c) Yard trimming...
Dumpster Rules
Cobb County limits homeowners to one temporary dumpster, placed on a hardened surface, for up to 30 days per year in unincorporated areas.
Cobb County Temporary Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsCobb County Code of Ordinances § 134-288
(1)Only one temporary residential dumpster unit may be placed on a residential property.(2)A temporary residential dumpster unit shall only be placed on a hardened surface and shall be located at the furthest point away from the street.(3)A temporary residential dumpster unit or similar enclosure is limited to 30 days on a property during any 365-day period beginning on the date of the placemen...
Collection Schedule
Cobb County requires every permitted residential hauler working the unincorporated area to collect household trash at least once a week under Code of Ordinances section 102-70. During any week that includes a legal holiday, the hauler must shift the pickup day rather than skip the stop. Collectors also owe the county and each customer ten days written notice before selling the business, dropping service, or raising rates, and may only dump at a state or county permitted disposal facility.
Cobb County Weekly Trash Collection Requirement
Some RestrictionsCobb County Code of Ordinances § 102-70(1)-(4)
All residential collectors shall comply with the following requirements: (1) Collection schedule: Collectors shall provide residential collection service at least once per week. No undue disturbance shall be created in residential areas during residential collection. (2) Collection during holidays: During a week which includes a legal holiday, collectors shall alternate collection days, if nece...
Trash & Recycling by City in Cobb County
1 cities in Cobb County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Cobb County ordinances
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