Ouachita Parish, LA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- unincorporated parish only (Sec. 8-27)
- Collection method
- franchise permit agents
- Self-haul exception
- producers may self-collect if compliant
- Recycling exception
- licensed recycling contractors exempt
- Hauler permit
- LDEQ vehicle permit required for landfill hauling
- Violation penalty
- up to $100 fine or 30 days jail
Summary
In unincorporated Ouachita Parish, Code Sec. 8-29(a) requires all solid waste to be collected, conveyed and disposed of through franchise permit agents, with exceptions for households that self-haul their own waste and for licensed recycling contractors. Violators of the collection article face up to a $100 fine or 30 days in jail under Sec. 8-33.
(a)All solid waste accumulated in Ouachita Parish shall be collected, conveyed, and disposed of by franchise permit agents, except:(1)This article shall not prohibit the actual producers of solid waste from personally collecting, conveying, and disposing of such waste provided such producers comply with the provisions of this article and with any other applicable laws or ordinances.(2)This article shall not prohibit the collection, by contractors actually engaged in the business of recycling or secondary recovery of nonputrescible solid waste materials for use in bona fide recycling or secondary recovery operations.(b)Collection of solid waste by franchise agents shall be under the supervision of the Ouachita Parish Police Jury, which shall have authority to make regulations concerning the days of collection, type and location of waste containers and such other matters pertaining to the collection, conveying and disposal as it shall find necessary, provided that such regulations are not contrary to the provisions hereof.
Full Breakdown
Article III of Chapter 8 (Sec. 8-26 through 8-33) is the Ouachita Parish Solid Waste Collection Service Ordinance and, per Sec. 8-27, applies only within the parish's jurisdictional boundaries, excluding municipalities; Monroe and West Monroe run their own municipal trash service. Sec. 8-29(a) requires that all solid waste accumulated in the parish be collected, conveyed and disposed of by franchise permit agents, except that producers may personally collect and dispose of their own waste if they comply with the article and other applicable laws, and that contractors engaged in recycling or secondary recovery of nonputrescible materials may collect for bona fide recycling operations without a franchise.
Sec. 8-29(b) puts collection by franchise agents under the supervision of the Ouachita Parish Police Jury, which is empowered to set the days of collection and the type and location of waste containers by separate regulation, though the code text itself does not print those day-of-week schedules or container specifications. Sec. 8-29(c) requires the property owner or occupant, or the franchise agent, to supply refuse containers, and Sec. 8-29(d) bars placing refuse in a street, road, alley or other public or private place unless it is in a proper container approved for collection, and separately bars throwing or depositing refuse in any stream or body of water.
Sec. 8-30 requires commercial and industrial haulers conveying waste to a sanitary landfill to hold a Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality vehicle permit, with the company name and permit number displayed on both sides of the vehicle, and requires franchise agents to apply to the Police Jury for a franchise and occupational license.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 8-33 makes violation of any provision of the collection article, or of the police jury's implementing regulations, a misdemeanor. A conviction carries a fine of not more than $100, imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both, at the court's discretion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use a franchise trash hauler in unincorporated Ouachita Parish?
Does the parish set specific collection days in the code?
Does this collection rule apply inside Monroe or West Monroe?
What happens if I dump refuse loose in the street instead of using a container?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ouachita Parish
Compare Ouachita Parish to another location·View the Louisiana trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.