Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Savannah
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 refuse cart Bin (Trash)
Cart must be placed at the curb by 7:00 a.m. (but no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the day prior) and removed by 7:00 p.m. The lid must close. Absolutely no overflow outside the cart.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging
City-issued recycling cart Bin (Recycling)
Recyclables must be clean and unbagged. Contaminated carts will be tagged, left uncollected, and may result in a $25 contamination fee per occurrence.
Accepted Items
- ✓Empty plastic drink bottles and jugs
- ✓Office paper, newspaper, and magazines
- ✓Empty aluminum and steel cans
- ✓Flattened cardboard and chipboard
Do NOT Include
- ✕Glass bottles (use drop-off locations)
- ✕Personal Protective Equipment (PPE like masks/gloves)
- ✕Pizza boxes and food-soiled paper
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Tanglers (cords, rope, hangers)
Yard Waste Bin
Leaves and grass must be in biodegradable brown bags (maximum 15 bags per week). Limbs must be piled neatly. Collected the day following your regular trash day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Small limbs and branches
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
By request or self-haul only. Unscheduled curbside placement results in fines.
Placement
Do not place items at the curb without coordinating through 311. Off-schedule bulk trash is classified as neighborhood blight and code compliance will issue fines.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Large dry household items
- ✓ Appliances
Not Accepted
- ✕ Commercial waste
- ✕ Hazardous chemicals
- ✕ Eviction or rental property cleanouts
If the city must send a special crew, you will be billed $50 for the first 15 minutes of labor, and $25 for every additional 15 minutes required to clear the pile.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
On city-observed holidays, residential refuse and yard waste collections typically shift back by one day for the remainder of the week. Recycling services often maintain their normal schedules, but always verify with the SAV311 app.
Yard Waste Exception
Because yard waste is collected the day after regular trash, a holiday delay will push yard waste collection to two days past your standard trash day.
Both the Dean Forest Landfill and the Bacon Park Transfer Station are closed on major City of Savannah holidays and all Sundays.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Keep the PPE Out of the Blue Bin
The City of Savannah explicitly bans personal protective equipment from the recycling stream. Discarded masks, rubber gloves, and medical wipes must always go into your regular refuse cart.
No Tanglers Allowed
Never place garden hoses, ropes, electrical cords, or wire hangers in your recycling cart. These 'tanglers' cause severe mechanical jams at the recycling plant.
Beware of the Contamination Fee
Wish-cycling is penalized in Savannah. If inspectors find household trash or prohibited items (like greasy pizza boxes or glass) in your recycling cart, you may face a direct $25 contamination fee.
Seasonal Information
Summer/Fall
August to OctoberDuring peak hurricane season on the Georgia coast, monitor city alerts. Secure all rolling carts and avoid placing bulky yard waste at the curb if a tropical storm is approaching, as it can become a flooding or projectile hazard.
Spring
March to MaySpring cleaning generates high yard debris. Remember the strict 15-bag weekly limit for biodegradable brown bags. Excess bags will incur special collection fees or require a trip to the Bacon Park Transfer Station.
Winter
Late December to JanuaryPost-holiday box overflow is common, but placing extra bags next to your trash bin will trigger a $50 overflow fee. Always break down cardboard to fit inside your recycling cart or utilize a city drop-off site.
About Savannah Waste Management
Savannah's Staggered Collection Schedule
The City of Savannah Sanitation Department operates a highly structured pickup routine. While your household garbage is collected weekly, your yard waste is specifically scheduled for the day immediately following your regular trash day. Meanwhile, curbside recycling is collected on a bi-weekly basis, falling on either the 1st and 3rd or the 2nd and 4th occurrence of your regular service day each month. Carts must be curbside by 7:00 a.m. and removed by 7:00 p.m. to avoid code compliance fines.
Strict Yard Waste Limits and Bagging Ordinances
Savannah enforces rigid rules for organic debris to protect local composting equipment. All leaves and grass clippings must be packed into biodegradable brown paper lawn bags—plastic bags are strictly prohibited and will result in a special collection fee. Furthermore, the city imposes a hard limit of 15 yard waste bags per week. Any branch or limb piles that require more than five minutes for a crew to collect will also incur supplementary charges.
Avoiding Savannah's Costly Overflow and Bulk Fees
If you routinely generate more trash than your city-issued cart can hold, it's cheaper to order a second cart for a flat $50 than to face Savannah's penalty fees. Leaving overflow garbage bags next to your cart, or placing unscheduled bulk items at the curb, immediately triggers a $50 'Special Collection Fee' for the first 15 minutes of the crew's time, plus an additional $25 for every 15 minutes thereafter.
The Senior Needs Assistance Program
Savannah takes care of its elderly community through a specialized backdoor collection service. Residents who are 65 years and older, or those with mobility impairments who do not have an able-bodied person living in the home, can apply for the Needs Assistance Program. Once approved by the city, sanitation crews will walk up to the resident's back door, collect the trash and recycling, and return the empty carts, entirely bypassing the physical strain of rolling bins to the curb.
Dean Forest vs. Bacon Park: Knowing Your Drop-Offs
Savannah residents have access to two distinct disposal facilities, but knowing what to bring to each is crucial. The Dean Forest Road Disposal Facility accepts standard putrescible household garbage, yard debris, and recyclables. However, the Bacon Park Transfer Station on Skidaway Road is strictly for 'dry' waste; it accepts yard trash, excess dry household goods, and recyclables, but outright rejects standard bagged kitchen garbage and commercial waste.
Drop-off Facilities
Dean Forest Road Disposal Facility
1327 Dean Forest Road, Savannah, GA 31401
Materials Accepted
Bacon Park Transfer Station
6400 Skidaway Road, Savannah, GA 31406
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Savannah pick up yard waste?
Yard waste is strictly collected once a week on the day immediately following your regularly scheduled curbside refuse collection. Remember to use only biodegradable brown bags.
What happens if I leave extra trash bags next to my city cart?
The City of Savannah charges a mandatory $50 'Trash Overflow' fee if you leave bags or items outside of your refuse cart. If you regularly have too much trash, you can order an additional cart for a one-time $50 fee.
Does Savannah recycle glass at the curb?
No. Glass is completely banned from the city's residential curbside recycling carts. Residents who wish to recycle glass must utilize the specialized glass drop-off containers provided by the city at locations like the Bacon Park Transfer Station.
Can elderly residents get help moving their trash bins to the curb?
Yes. Residents aged 65 and older, or those with physical limitations who live without able-bodied assistance, can apply for the city's Needs Assistance Program. If approved, sanitation workers will empty the carts directly from the resident's backdoor.