Effingham County, GA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Curbside time limit
- 7 days at collection location
- Bundle size limit
- 4 in. diameter, 3 ft length
- Bundle weight limit
- 50 lbs maximum
- Bagging
- Sturdy paper bags, never plastic
- On-site option
- Composting allowed under state/county law
- First-offense fine
- $100.00-$1,000.00
Summary
Yard trimmings in unincorporated Effingham County must be kept separate from household trash and can't sit at the curb more than seven days. Sec. 66-104(a)(4) also caps bundles at four inches thick, three feet long, and 50 pounds, bagged in sturdy paper, never plastic.
(4)Yard trimmings collection service.a.Yard trimmings may be composted by a residential service unit owner on the owner's property in accordance with the laws and regulations of the state and county. ... g.The following provisions shall apply to the placement and collection of yard trimmings:1.Yard trimmings shall be segregated from residential solid waste.2.Yard trimmings shall be placed within the designated residential collection location.3.A residential service unit owner shall not place, or cause, or allow to be placed, yard trimmings within the designated residential collection location for more than seven days.4.Yard trimmings shall be placed in sturdy paper bags suitable for containing yard trimmings or in a container labeled for yard trimmings, excluding residential solid waste storage containers or carts, residential recovered materials storage containers, and plastic bags; or shall be tied in bundles weighing not more than 50 pounds each.5.Yard trimmings are not to exceed four inches in diameter and three feet in length and bundles are not to exceed 50 pounds.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 66-104(a)(4) lets a residential service unit owner compost yard trimmings on their own property under state and county law, or contract with the county's residential service provider for a separate yard trimmings collection service; if collected, the trimmings must be segregated from regular residential solid waste before pickup, and an owner can still use a third party that generated the trimmings through its own work at the property instead of the county's provider. Under subsection (g), yard trimmings must be placed within the designated residential collection location and can't sit there for more than seven days.
They have to go out either in sturdy paper bags made for yard trimmings or in a container labeled for that purpose, never in the residential solid waste cart, the recovered-materials container, or plastic bags, or else be tied into bundles weighing no more than 50 pounds each; individual trimmings and bundles alike are capped at four inches in diameter and three feet in length. Sec. 66-31 separately classifies yard trash as inert waste at county disposal sites, meaning stockpiled, chipped, composted, or mulched trimmings are handled differently from household garbage under Sec. 66-35.
Violations & Fines
Leaving yard trimmings at the curb longer than seven days, bagging them in plastic instead of paper, or bundling branches thicker than four inches, longer than three feet, or heavier than 50 pounds violates Sec. 66-104(a)(4). A violation is punished under Sec. 66-115: $100.00 to $1,000.00 and up to 30 days for a first offense, $750.00 to $1,000.00 and up to 60 days for repeats, each day a separate count.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put yard trimmings in a plastic bag for pickup in Effingham County?
How long can yard waste sit at the curb in unincorporated Effingham County?
How big can a bundle of tree branches be for county pickup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Effingham County
Compare Effingham County to another location·View the Georgia trash & recycling overview
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