Chatham County, GA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Sec. " The dumpsters must be stable enough that a 70-pound horizontal force or a 191-pound downward force will not tip them, and must have close-fitting lids (Sec. 21-321(1)). Dumpsters are required unless a property generates less than the equivalent of six 32-gallon household cans per week (Sec. 21-321(2)). Before a dumpster goes into service, its location must be approved on a site plan by both the Health Officer and Zoning Administrator, showing the dumpster pad, screening and cleaning method, as a condition of any building or use permit (Sec.

21-321(4)). Design standards require the pad to measure 12 feet wide by 10 feet deep with a 6-inch reinforced concrete slab, enclosed by a 6-foot solid architectural fence with landscaping and a 10-foot fence opening, plus a 12-by-6-foot, 6-inch concrete apron at the entrance (Sec. 21-321(6)). New dumpsters must be screened from public rights-of-way and cannot sit in a required front-yard setback or in the right-of-way itself (Sec. 21-321(5)). Burning trash in a dumpster is barred, and bulky items over 36 inches in any dimension, tires, bed springs, mattresses, appliances and similar oversized items are banned from dumpsters outright (Sec. 21-321(8)).