Effingham County, GA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Set-out timing
- No earlier than the day before collection
- Removal deadline
- Within 24 hours after collection
- Overage
- Waste above the rim not permitted
- Container distance
- 3 ft from roadway, 5 ft from obstructions
- First offense fine
- $100-$1,000, up to 30 days
Summary
In unincorporated Effingham County, curbside trash pickup runs on exact windows: containers can't go out earlier than the day before collection, must come back in within 24 hours after, and can't be overfilled past the lid, under Sec. 66-104(a)(2) and (a)(6).
(iii)Overage is not permitted. ... (6)Placement of containers and collection hours.a.Each residential service unit shall place the residential solid waste storage container, bulky waste, white goods, and/or residential recovered materials storage container at the designated residential collection location, for collection by the authorized residential service provider, no earlier than the day prior to the day scheduled for collection. ... c.The residential service unit shall remove, or cause to be removed, the residential solid waste storage container or cart, and the residential recovered materials storage container, if applicable, within 24 hours following the scheduled collection day. Upon removal from the right-of-way, such containers shall be situated no less than three feet from the edge of the roadway and shall be maintained a minimum of five feet from any other obstruction, including but not limited to vehicles, mailboxes, fences, and utility poles.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 66-104(a)(6)a. of the county code fixes when a residential solid waste storage container, bulky waste, white goods or recovered-materials container may go to the curb: no earlier than the day before the scheduled collection day. Overfilling is barred outright. Sec. 66-104(a)(2)a.1.(iii) states flatly that overage is not permitted, meaning waste cannot extend beyond the container rim so the lid fails to close, a condition the code separately defines at Sec. 66-103(b) as 'overage.' Once the truck has come through, the clock keeps running: Sec.
66-104(a)(6)c. requires the resident to remove the container within 24 hours of the scheduled collection day, and once it is back off the right-of-way, it has to sit at least three feet from the edge of the roadway and at least five feet from anything else, including vehicles, mailboxes, fences and utility poles. The container itself must be the storage container or cart supplied by the residential service provider (Sec. 66-104(a)(2)a.1.(ii)), and ownership of anything placed out for pickup transfers to the provider at the moment it is set at the collection location, except for unacceptable wastes such as hazardous or biomedical waste (Sec.
66-104(a)(6)d.). Curbside collection excludes anything placed behind a fence, wall, or below-ground vault; the code's own definition of 'curbside collection' carves those locations out of curbside service (Sec. 66-103(b)).
Violations & Fines
Setting a container out too early, leaving it more than 24 hours after collection, or overfilling it past the lid violates Article III's general provisions and is enforced under Sec. 66-115 and Sec. 66-108: a first offense in Magistrate or State Court draws a fine of $100 to $1,000 or up to 30 days, and repeat offenses rise to $750-$1,000 or up to 60 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put my trash container out for pickup in unincorporated Effingham County?
Can I overfill my trash container if I have extra waste?
How far from the road does my empty container need to sit after pickup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Effingham County
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