Trash and recycling pickup in Atlanta: schedule, holidays, bulk

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Facts on this page come from the City of Atlanta Department of Public Works’ Office of Solid Waste Services pages and the city’s ATL311 service center.

The City of Atlanta Department of Public Works collects household garbage, recycling and yard trimmings at more than 100,000 homes in the city, the department says. Collection is weekly, and all three go out on the same day. The city provides a 96-gallon green cart for garbage and a blue cart for recycling.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, new or damaged cart, bulk pickup, illegal dumping: ATL311, dial 311 in metro Atlanta or 404-546-0311, or file a request at atl311.com
• Solid waste billing questions: DPWSolidWasteBilling@atlantaga.gov
• Department of Public Works office: 55 Trinity Ave. SW, Suite 4700, 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays
• Paint, electronics, batteries: CHaRM, 404-600-6386, by appointment
• Find your day: the city’s Solid Waste Services collection tool

What day is my pickup?

Look up your address in the city’s collection tool, which the city also calls the Waste Wizard. The rules, from the city’s curbside collection page:

• Put carts at the curb no later than 7 a.m. on collection day.
• Take them back in by 9 a.m. the day after.
• If your cart has not been emptied by 8 p.m. on your collection day, report it to 311.
• A cart that was not out in time waits until the following week.
• Use the city-issued carts. Keeping them clean is the resident’s job.

Holiday schedule

Public Works is closed on some holidays, and collection then runs a day late. The city’s 2026 holiday collections schedule for the rest of the year:

Earlier in 2026, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth and Labor Day each brought a one-day delay; Presidents Day and the Fourth of July did not. The city had not posted its 2027 schedule when we checked. For questions, dial 311.

Bulk pickup

Furniture, appliances and other bulky items need a scheduled bulk collection. Book it through ATL311 online, by phone or on the city’s ATL Solid Waste app for Android and iPhone, the city’s recycling page says.

Under the city’s solid waste rates, a bulk collection fee applies per truck-capacity load only after 12 calls a year from the same address. That fee is $349.96 for fiscal 2027, which runs July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

Yard trimmings

Yard trimmings go out on the same weekly day as garbage. The city’s rules:

• Use paper yard waste bags or a reusable container of no more than 32 gallons marked “YARD TRIMMINGS” on all four sides. No plastic bags.
• Up to 20 bags a collection, each no heavier than 35 pounds when full.
• Branches no longer than 4 feet and no thicker than 4 inches.
• More than 20 bags counts as bulk and needs a scheduled pickup.
• Christmas trees go out as yard trimmings.

Recycling, glass and hazardous waste

Recycling goes in the blue cart on your garbage day. Check what the cart takes in the Waste Wizard.

The city has no collection program for household hazardous waste, its hazardous waste page says. It sends residents to the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM), 1110 Hills St. SE, by appointment only at 404-600-6386. CHaRM takes items such as computers, televisions, motor oil, batteries, fluorescent bulbs and weed killers. Latex paint is not hazardous; the city says to let it dry with the lid off before it goes in the garbage.

Atlanta Recycles Day runs on the third Saturday of every month from February to December at Greenbriar Mall, with paper shredding and drop-off for tires, small electronics and single-stream recycling, including glass. The remaining 2026 dates fall on Saturday, Oct. 17, Saturday, Nov. 21, and Saturday, Dec. 19.

What it costs

The solid waste fee appears on the property tax bill. The Fulton County Tax Commissioner collects it for the city, as does the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner for homes in the DeKalb part of Atlanta. Rates from the city’s 2025-2027 solid waste service rate page:

An extra green or blue cart costs $70 each; the request form goes to Public Works by mail or in person with a check, money order or cashier’s check. Homes that need special collection equipment pay an extra $200 a year. Bill disputes must reach the department at least seven days before the bill’s due date.

Backyard service is free to residents 70 or older who live alone and have a doctor’s statement that they cannot take carts to the curb. It must be recertified every year. Seniors can also check the city’s senior financial services page for discounts.

Starting service

New owners must apply for trash and recycling service in their own name, with a settlement statement or warranty deed and, for new construction, a certificate of occupancy, ATL311’s new service article says. Submit online, by fax to 404-546-9073 or at 55 Trinity Ave. SW, Suite 4700.

What this means for you

• Carts out by 7 a.m., back in by 9 a.m. the next day.
• Thanksgiving and Christmas weeks run a day late; Oct. 12 and Nov. 11 do not.
• Bulk pickup is booked through 311, and the first 12 requests a year carry no extra charge.
• Yard waste goes in paper bags, never plastic.

More city services: who to call at City Hall, property taxes and moving to Atlanta.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Atlanta?

Garbage, recycling and yard trimmings are all collected once a week on the same day. Look up your day in the city’s Solid Waste Services collection tool, and have carts at the curb by 7 a.m.

Does Atlanta trash pickup change on holidays?

Some holidays bring a one-day delay. For the rest of 2026, Indigenous Peoples’ Day (Oct. 12) and Veterans Day (Nov. 11) run on the regular schedule, and Thanksgiving (Nov. 26) and Christmas (Dec. 25) bring a one-day delay.

How do I schedule bulk trash pickup in Atlanta?

Request it through ATL311 online, on the ATL Solid Waste app or by calling 311 (404-546-0311 from outside metro Atlanta). The city charges a per-load fee only after 12 bulk requests at one address in a year.

How do I pay my Atlanta trash bill?

The solid waste fee is collected with your property taxes by the Fulton County Tax Commissioner (404-613-6100) or, for homes in the DeKalb County part of the city, the DeKalb County Tax Commissioner (404-371-2886).

Where do I take paint, electronics and batteries in Atlanta?

The city does not collect household hazardous waste. It sends residents to the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM), 1110 Hills St. SE, by appointment at 404-600-6386.