Decatur, AL Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

Section 19-18(e) of the Decatur City Code governs all bulky waste the city removes from private residences or apartments. It must be placed either beside the sidewalk and curb or in an accessible place approved by the sanitation department. Limbs have to be cut in lengths not exceeding five feet, with protruding branches trimmed, and stacked in an orderly and neat manner next to the part of the street right-of-way normally used by vehicles, so that traffic and water can still move. No bundle or limb may be heavier than seventy-five pounds. Collection then happens in accordance with the collection schedule established by the department charged with collecting it, so the code ties the pickup date to the sanitation department rather than printing a fixed calendar.

Subsection (f) adds a safety rule for large containers. Anyone putting out an icebox, refrigerator or other container, including garbage or trash containers big enough to enclose a human being, must first remove the snap lock or doors, or provide a device that lets the doors be opened from the inside.

The city does not haul everything. Under § 19-8, the city is not responsible for collecting rubbish, trash, limbs, brush or other debris from private property before, during or after construction of a new building until it is occupied, and the owner or the contractor responsible for the accumulation must remove it. Section 19-9 puts the same duty on fence companies, tree surgeons, nurseries and landscape contractors, who must take away all residue and rubbish from their work.

Residents who haul their own load to the city landfill pay under § 19-38: $29.00 per ton, a $15.00 minimum for loads up to 740 pounds, and $5.00 per passenger tire. Section 19-21 requires anyone hauling refuse to use a covered or enclosed vehicle.