St. Tammany Parish, LA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 38-79
- Applies in
- Unincorporated parish
- Container standard
- ANSI Z245.3-1077 for 1+ cu. yd. bins
- Placement rule
- Beside service area, not in the street
- Correction window
- 10 days after violation notice
Summary
St. Tammany Parish requires every residential property owner in the unincorporated parish to keep adequate solid waste containers, place oversized items beside the service area rather than in the street, and use rust-resistant, tight-covered containers to keep waste from scattering.
Storage facilities and containers required. Every residential property owner shall have adequate solid waste storage facilities or containers. Only those items (i.e., white goods, tree limbs) larger than a standard sized facility of container shall be allowed to be placed loosely or upon the ground prior to collection. Those items requiring special handling shall be placed adjacent to the service area, but not in the street, so as to block the flow of traffic... Property owners shall cause occupants and employees to store solid waste for removal in the solid waste storage facilities or containers provided by said property owner or by licensee if a commercial customer. The property owner shall not permit solid waste to be placed in locations or in a manner that the solid waste may be scattered by wind, water, animals or insects... All solid waste storage containers shall be constructed of rust and impact resistant materials with covers that deter rodent and insect entry.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 38-79 of the Code of Ordinances, Article IV of Chapter 38, spells out the parish's container and placement standards for the unincorporated area. Subsection (c) requires every residential property owner to maintain adequate solid waste storage facilities or containers, allows only oversized items, such as white goods or tree limbs, to be set loosely on the ground before collection, and requires anything needing special handling to be placed adjacent to the service area, not in the street, so it does not block traffic. Subsection (e) makes property owners responsible for ensuring occupants and employees use the provided containers and bars placing waste in a manner where wind, water, animals or insects can scatter it.
3-1077) for any refuse bin with an internal volume of one cubic yard or more. The department of environmental services enforces container compliance under subsection (k): a commercial hauler that finds a noncompliant container must report its location, and the department investigates complaints, attaches a notice of violation to noncompliant containers, and can charge the cost of investigation and removal back to the owner or as a property assessment if problems are not corrected within ten days of notice.
Violations & Fines
A noncompliant container gets a notice of violation attached that only the department of environmental services may remove; owners have ten days from the notice date to report corrective action before the department opens an investigation. Public costs tied to investigating or removing a violating container can be billed to the owner directly or assessed against the property, per Sec. 38-79(k).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave my trash can in the street for pickup?
What kind of container does the parish require?
What happens if my container doesn't meet the parish standard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Tammany Parish
Compare St. Tammany Parish to another location·View the Louisiana trash & recycling overview
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