Atlanta, GA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Bag limit
- 20 bags per collection
- Weight cap
- 35 lbs per bag
- Container size
- 32 gallons, marked YARD TRIMMING
- Loose debris limit
- Under 4 in. dia., 4 ft length
- Excess bags
- Fee under § 130-84
Summary
Atlanta requires single-family residents to bag yard trimmings separately from trash in city-approved paper bags or marked containers, with curbside pickup capped at 20 bags per collection and a 35-pound weight limit per bag.
Yard trimmings shall be placed in proper, separate yard trimmings bags, the adequacy of which for identification of contents and the facilitation of removal by city personnel must be approved by the commissioner. The department of public works may collect up to 20-yard trimmings paper bags per collection period placed for yard trimmings collection, when full, are not to exceed 35 pounds in weight. Reusable containers or receptacles used for the disposal of yard trimmings may not exceed a volume of 32 gallons visibly marked with YARD TRIMMING on four sides.
Full Breakdown
Under Atlanta Code of Ordinances § 130-36, single-family residential property owners must separate yard trimmings from garbage and recyclables and set them out for curbside collection in approved yard-trimmings paper bags or reusable containers marked YARD TRIMMING on all four sides, capped at 32 gallons. The Department of Public Works collects up to 20 bags per collection period, each capped at 35 pounds; bags beyond 20 are picked up only under the excess-yard-trimmings fee set in § 130-84. The city will not collect un-containerized trimmings over four inches in diameter or four feet long, nor debris generated by a contracted tree service or landscaper: that removal is the contractor's responsibility.
Violations & Fines
Trimmings that aren't bagged, containerized, or separated as required draw a written notice from the commissioner to correct or remove them at the property owner's expense; setting out debris outside the rules can be treated as illegal dumping under the Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the city collect yard debris left by my landscaper?
What container do I need for yard trimmings?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Atlanta
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Yard Waste Collection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle yard waste collection.