Trash & Recycling in Rockdale County, GA (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Rockdale County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Rockdale County Code § 78-7 requires every owner, occupant, tenant and lessee of a commercial, institutional or industrial property to supply litter containers sized and typed as the county's public services and engineering director specifies, so trash generated on-site is contained instead of piling up for collection.
Trash Container Rules in Rockdale County
Some RestrictionsRockdale County Code § 78-7
Every owner, occupant, tenant and lessee using or occupying any commercial, institutional or industrial building or property shall be obligated, jointly and severally, to provide litter containers of that character, size, number and type as may be specified by the director of public services and engineering to be reasonably required to hold litter generated by operations on the premises. Specif...
Bin Placement Rules
Under the Unified Development Ordinance (Title 2 of the Code), commercial dumpsters in unincorporated Rockdale County must sit on a rated concrete pad, stay out of sight from public streets or be located behind the building, and be screened by a six-foot opaque enclosure plus perimeter planting if not in the rear yard.
Rockdale County Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsRockdale County Code § 226-3
(a)Location. Dumpsters shall be enclosed either within a building and out of sight from public streets or located outside to the rear of the principal building.(b)Pad.(1)Dumpsters shall be placed on concrete pads of sufficient size and strength to support the weight of service vehicles.(2)Restaurants and other food service establishments shall place dumpsters on concrete pads that are designed ...
Bulk Item Disposal
Rockdale County Code § 78-9 requires bulk trash from holidays, moving or cleanup to be bundled to no more than 50 pounds and 4 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet, secured, with cartons broken down, and placed near the front property line for routine pickup under county policy.
Bulk Cleanup Trash Bundling in Rockdale County
Some RestrictionsRockdale County Code § 78-9
Litter, trash and debris resulting from special occasions such as holidays, moving or cleanup will be made into bundles weighing not more than 50 pounds each and not more than four feet long, two feet wide and two feet high, and made secure. Empty cartons will be broken down before being placed in bundles. Bundles will be placed at or near the front property line for routine pickup in accordanc...
Recycling Requirements
Unincorporated Rockdale County has no curbside recycling pickup: residents recycle by hauling material to the county recycling and transfer station instead. Rockdale County Code Sec. 78-15 puts the director of public services and engineering in charge of setting hours, subject to board of commissioners approval, and every resident must pay the prescribed fee to drop off acceptable waste.
Rockdale County Recycling and Transfer Station Rules
Some RestrictionsRockdale County Code §§ 78-15, 78-17
Rules regarding the manner and operation of the recycling and transfer station shall be set by the director of the department of transportation subject to the approval of the board of commissioners. During the hours of operation designated by the director of public services and engineering, acceptable waste shall be received for disposal from any resident of the county upon payment of the presc...
Illegal Dumping
Illegal dumping anywhere in unincorporated Rockdale County, on a public road, right-of-way, waterway or someone else's private property without consent, is banned under Rockdale County Code Sec. 78-43. Violators face a magistrate court fine of $200.00 to $1,000.00 under Sec. 78-45, plus reimbursement of the county's cost to remove the dumped material, and each day of a continuing violation counts as a separate offense.
Illegal Dumping Penalties in Rockdale County
Heavy RestrictionsRockdale County Code §§ 78-43, 78-45
The owner, occupant and lessee of all property, jointly and severally, are required to remove all waste and place the waste in proper containers. It shall be unlawful for the owner, occupant, or lessee to maintain, cause or permit the accumulation of waste on any property. ... In or on any public highway, road, street, alley, or thoroughfare, including any portion of the right-of-way thereof, o...
Yard Waste Collection
Rockdale County Code § 78-14(b) bars mixing yard trimmings with regular household trash and bans sending them to a lined landfill with a leachate system. Trimmings must be sorted, bundled and staked to no more than four feet, with biodegradable containers only if bagged.
Yard Trimmings Disposal Rules in Rockdale County
Some RestrictionsRockdale County Code § 78-14(b)
(b)Yard trimmings, disposal restrictions.(1)Yard trimmings shall not be placed in or mixed with other forms of municipal solid waste.(2)Yard trimmings shall not be disposed of at any municipal solid waste disposal facility having a liner and leachate collection system or requiring vertical expansion.(3)Yard trimmings shall be sorted and stored for collection in such a manner as to facilitate co...
Dumpster Rules
Sec. 226-3 of the county's Unified Development Ordinance requires commercial dumpsters in unincorporated Rockdale County to sit on a concrete pad, be enclosed or placed to the rear of the building, and be screened by a six-foot opaque enclosure and perimeter planting if not in the rear yard.
Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules, Rockdale County
Some RestrictionsRockdale County Code § 226-3
Location. Dumpsters shall be enclosed either within a building and out of sight from public streets or located outside to the rear of the principal building.(b)Pad.(1)Dumpsters shall be placed on concrete pads of sufficient size and strength to support the weight of service vehicles.(2)Restaurants and other food service establishments shall place dumpsters on concrete pads that are designed to ...
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