Roswell, GA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Placement
- director-approved location only
- Blocked access
- container goes unemptied
- Streets/sidewalks
- prohibited without authorization
- Sanitation plan
- written plan required, city-approved
Summary
Commercial dumpsters in Roswell must sit exactly where the environmental/public works director directs; a blocked or misplaced container simply goes unemptied, and a written sanitation plan is required.
Commercial containers required by this article shall be placed as required by the environmental/public works director or his/her designee. If a commercial container is placed at any location other than that directed by the environmental/public works director or his/her designee or if sufficient access to the container is blocked or obstructed in any manner, the container will not be emptied. The failure of the city to pick up garbage or trash under such circumstances shall not affect the garbage container rental or rate for this service. A written sanitation plan is required and should be approved by the environmental/public works director or his/her designee. At a minimum the sanitation plan should include proposed location and number of dumpsters/containers, frequency of service, sharing information (if applicable) and contact information. All commercial refuse areas must be constructed in accordance with section 12.9 refuse regulations of the City of Roswell Unified Development Code and the City of Roswell Standard Construction Specifications or the Fulton County Standard Construction Specifications as applicable.
(2019-01-08, § 1, Amended 01/14/2019; Ord. No. 2017-07-08, § 1, Amended 7/10/2017; 2015-07-18, § 1, Added 07/13/2015)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 17 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
Roswell Code § 24.3.2 requires commercial containers to be placed as directed by the environmental/public works director; if a container sits elsewhere or its access is blocked or obstructed in any manner, the city will not empty it, and non-collection does not affect the rental fee. Businesses must submit a written sanitation plan covering proposed dumpster location and number, service frequency and any sharing arrangement, and commercial refuse areas must be built to the Unified Development Code's refuse-area standards. A separate section, § 24.3.3, bars leaving commercial containers on any street, sidewalk, avenue or public place except as the director specifically authorizes.
Violations & Fines
A blocked or obstructed container goes unemptied regardless of the rental fee already paid; placing a container outside the director-approved location, or on a public street or sidewalk without authorization, is a separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I leave a dumpster on the street in Roswell, GA?
What happens if my dumpster access is blocked in Roswell?
Sources & Official References
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Dumpster Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle dumpster rules.