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

Under section 21-403, every property owner and occupant in unincorporated Chatham County must prepare and store waste for collection in a specific way: leaves, grass clippings and small vegetative material go in containers or compostable bags of no more than 32 gallons, weighing no more than 50 pounds when full; yard waste must be kept separate from bulky items, with commingled piles left at the curb until properly separated; branches and brush that will not fit in a container must be cut to a maximum of four feet and neatly stacked; and refrigerators, freezers and other latching appliances must have their doors removed, sprung or secured. Waste cannot be set out more than 72 hours ahead of the scheduled collection, and residents must have putrescible waste and routine trash removed at least every 14 days, or every other week, obtaining private trash service if the resident cannot legally dispose of it themselves; failing to keep that service running is itself a violation (amended November 6, 2020).

Section 21-405 fixes what the County actually collects on that schedule: a regular weekly curbside pickup for yard waste (leaves, pine straw, grass clippings, prunings, limbs and brush that is properly separated and containerized) and a regular monthly pickup for separated bulky items. The County will not collect construction or demolition debris, commercial-tree-removal logs and limbs, business waste, explosive or flammable materials, or hazardous waste at curbside; those go to the drop-off centers instead. Violating the waste-collection ordinance carries a fine of up to $100 or up to 30 days in jail, or both, under section 21-411.