Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Gainesville
Georgia municipal collections typically run weekly. Your exact service day is determined by your local county or city zoning schedule.
State Mandate
EPD laws restrict yard trimmings from being mixed with general household garbage.
City-issued waste receptacle Bin (Trash)
Place curbside by 6:30 AM on your designated collection day. Bag all trash to prevent odors and litter.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
Blue recycling bin Bin (Recycling)
Rinse out and flatten cans. Place curbside by 6:30 AM rain or shine. Call (770) 532-0493 to request a bin.
Accepted Items
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓Scrap metal (under 5 lbs and 18 inches)
- ✓Newspaper and magazines
- ✓#1 and #2 plastics
- ✓Broken-down cardboard
Do NOT Include
- ✕Glass
- ✕Plastics #3 through #7
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Plastic bags
Yard Waste Bin
October to January: Leaves can be raked to the curb for vacuum collection (keep separate from limbs/trash). February to September: Leaves must be bagged and scheduled for pickup by calling (770) 532-0493. Limbs must not exceed 5 feet.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Small branches (max 5 feet in length)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly (up to 1 cubic yard) or On-Demand (Special Pickups)
Placement
Do not place white goods or large electronics curbside until you have called the Solid Waste Division at (770) 532-0493 to schedule and authorize the special pickup.
Accepted
- ✓ Refrigerators and washing machines
- ✓ Televisions and electronics
- ✓ Air conditioners
- ✓ Bagged minor cleanup debris
- ✓ Furniture
Not Accepted
- ✕ Biomedical waste
- ✕ Bricks, blocks, and dirt
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris
- ✕ Explosives and flammables
- ✕ Eviction and estate cleanups
Standard bulky items up to 1 cubic yard per week are free. White goods and special pickups incur a per-occurrence fee that will be added to your local water bill.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Neither garbage nor recycling is picked up on observed city holidays. Customers are asked to hold their garbage and recycling until the following day.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste and scheduled special pickups will also experience delays during observed city holiday weeks.
When holding trash for the following day due to a holiday, continue to follow the 6:30 AM set-out rule.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Stop Bagging Your Recyclables
Never place your recyclables inside plastic grocery bags. Plastic film gets tangled in the sorting machinery at the materials recovery facility, causing major delays. Keep items loose in your blue bin.
Keep Glass Out of the Blue Bin
Gainesville no longer accepts glass in its single-stream recycling program because it shatters and ruins paper products. Take all glass bottles and jars to a Hall County compactor site for proper recycling.
Separate Leaves from Limbs
When preparing yard waste, never mix tree branches, rocks, or household trash into your leaf piles. These items will severely damage the Street Maintenance Division's leaf vacuuming equipment.
Seasonal Information
Fall/Winter
October to JanuaryThe City of Gainesville Street Maintenance Division runs an annual curbside leaf vacuuming program. Check the city’s zone map to find out which weeks your neighborhood’s loose leaves will be collected.
Post-Holidays
JanuaryAfter the holidays, ensure all large cardboard shipping and gift boxes are completely broken down and flattened before placing them in or near your recycling bin to maximize space for the collection trucks.
Major Holidays
Year-RoundThe city observes 10 major holidays, including Christmas Eve and the Day After Thanksgiving. If your collection day falls on one of these holidays, hold your garbage and recycling until the following day.
About Gainesville Waste Management
City of Gainesville Solid Waste Services
The City of Gainesville’s Public Works Department operates the Solid Waste Division, directly managing residential garbage, single-stream recycling, and seasonal leaf collection. To keep neighborhoods beautiful, the city implemented once-weekly garbage and recycling collection using municipal-issued receptacles. By bundling sanitation charges onto residents' local utility bills, Gainesville effectively coordinates comprehensive waste disposal and street maintenance services without relying on third-party private contractors.
Curbside Trash and Cart Placement Rules
Gainesville residents receive one standard household garbage receptacle per household, which must be set at the curb no later than 6:30 AM on their scheduled pickup day. It is vital to bag all household trash before placing it into the cart to prevent litter and contain foul odors. Ensure your cart is placed near the street but out of the way of traffic and mailboxes. After the automated trucks finish their route, remember to roll your bins back to your property to comply with local ordinances.
Navigating Gainesville's Single-Stream Recycling
Participating in Gainesville’s single-stream recycling program is an easy way to divert waste from the Hall County Landfill. Residents can recycle flattened cardboard, mixed paper, aluminum and tin cans, and #1 and #2 plastics directly in their city-issued blue bins. However, the city has strictly removed glass from curbside collection; glass bottles and jars must now be taken to specialized drop-off locations within Hall County to avoid contaminating the main recycling stream.
Seasonal Leaf Vacuuming and Yard Waste Rules
Gainesville provides a unique, highly anticipated curbside leaf vacuuming service from October through January, operated by the Street Maintenance Division. During this period, residents can rake loose leaves into narrow piles along the curb for automated pickup. Outside of these winter months, all loose yard waste must be securely bagged and specifically scheduled for removal by calling the Solid Waste Division. Tree limbs up to five feet in length are also collected year-round but must always be kept separate from leaf piles.
Scheduling Bulky Items and White Goods Pickups
Disposing of oversized appliances or electronic waste in Gainesville requires a bit of advanced planning. White goods like refrigerators, washing machines, and televisions cannot simply be left on the curb; residents must call (770) 532-0493 to schedule a 'Special Pickup'. The city charges a per-occurrence fee for these items, which will conveniently appear on your next water bill. Standard bulky waste from minor home cleanups (up to one cubic yard) is collected weekly, but larger estate or eviction cleanups are the homeowner's responsibility.
Drop-off Facilities
Hall County Landfill
1700 Oakbrook Drive, Gainesville, GA 30507
Materials Accepted
East Crescent Drive Compactor Site
738 East Crescent Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What time should I place my trash out in Gainesville, GA?
The Solid Waste Division requires all residents to place their garbage and recycling bins at the curb no later than 6:30 AM on their designated collection day, rain or shine.
How do I dispose of an old refrigerator or TV in Gainesville?
Appliances (white goods) and electronics require a scheduled 'Special Pickup.' You must call the Solid Waste Division at (770) 532-0493 in advance to schedule the removal. An additional per-occurrence fee will be applied to your next water bill.
Can I mix yard waste like leaves and branches together for pickup?
No. Leaves and tree limbs (up to 5 feet long) must be kept strictly separate. Mixing sticks, rocks, or trash into leaf piles can damage the city's vacuuming equipment, and mixed piles will be skipped by collection crews.
Where can I recycle glass since it is banned from curbside bins?
Since glass is no longer accepted in the city's blue recycling bins, residents must drop off their clean glass bottles and jars at one of the designated Hall County compactor sites, such as the one located at 738 East Crescent Drive.