Jackson, TN Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Definition
- § 17-201, excludes loose leaves
- Limb limit
- 12 inches diameter, 8 feet long
- Free pick-ups
- 12 per year, § 17-401
- Set-out window
- No more than 7 days early
- Bagging rule
- Grass, leaves, debris must be bagged
- Noncompliance
- Fee charged under § 17-504
Summary
In the City of Jackson, Tennessee, yard waste covers tree trimmings, grass cuttings, garden trimmings, weeds and loose brush under § 17-201, excluding limbs over twelve inches in diameter or eight feet long; residents get twelve free bulk yard waste pick-ups a year and must set debris out no more than seven days before the scheduled date, per § 17-402.
"Yard waste." All tree trimmings, dead trees, or branches thereof, grass cuttings, garden trimmings, weeds and roots from which all dirt has been removed. Included in this item shall be loose brush, loose limbs, and similar items excluding loose leaves. The term yard waste excludes limbs that are greater than twelve (12) inches in diameter by eight (8) feet in length. ... (2)Content of residential bulk yard waste pick-up. Residential bulk yard waste must not consist of limbs or trunks that are longer than eight (8) feet or more than twelve (12) inches in diameter. All other yard waste such as grass, leaves, and yard debris must be bagged. ... No residential bulk yard waste may be lawfully set out for pick-up more than seven (7) days before such scheduled pick-up.
Full Breakdown
Jackson Municipal Code § 17-201 defines yard waste as tree trimmings, dead trees or branches, grass cuttings, garden trimmings, weeds and roots with the dirt removed, plus loose brush and loose limbs, while specifically excluding loose leaves from that definition and excluding any limb greater than twelve inches in diameter by eight feet in length. Professional tree trimmers and contractors must haul away their own yard waste rather than leaving it for city pickup. Section 17-401 folds bulk yard waste into the same benefit as bulk waste: residential units of one or two family units get twelve pick-ups per calendar year, combining bulk waste and bulk yard waste, included in the monthly collection fee, and the two waste types cannot be combined in a single pick-up.
Section 17-402(2) sets the content rule for a qualifying bulk yard waste pick-up: limbs or trunks cannot exceed eight feet or twelve inches in diameter, and everything else, grass, leaves and yard debris, must be bagged. Section 17-402(4) sets the scheduling rule that separates yard waste from ordinary bulk waste: a resident must pre-schedule the pick-up with the health and sanitation department, and yard waste may not be set out more than seven days before the scheduled date, compared with the forty-eight-hour limit for ordinary bulk waste.
Violations & Fines
Yard waste from professional tree trimmers or contractors set out for city pickup, rather than hauled away by the contractor, does not qualify under § 17-201 and can be refused. Setting bulk yard waste out more than seven days before the scheduled pick-up, exceeding the eight-foot or twelve-inch limb limit, or leaving grass and leaves unbagged violates § 17-402 and is charged under § 17-504 as a noncompliant pick-up, in addition to the nuisance and environmental court exposure in § 17-506.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as yard waste in Jackson, Tennessee?
How many free yard waste pick-ups do Jackson residents get?
How early can I put yard waste out for pickup in Jackson?
Do tree trimmers hired to cut my trees haul away the debris themselves?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jackson
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