Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Athens
Trash Day
Collection runs Monday through Friday depending on your street location.
Recycling
Collected weekly on the same day as your regular trash pickup.
Yard Waste
Collected on your regular service day through the curbside composting program, or by appointment for special seasonal pickups.
Set Out Time
By 7:00 AM on collection day
Utility Billing & Payments
Manage your local solid waste services
Residential trash, recycling, and curbside compost services are billed together with water and sewer on a combined monthly utility statement.
Billing Cycle
Monthly
Accepted Methods
Online, Auto-Pay, Mail, Drop Box, In-Person
Green or Brown Rumpke Cart Bin (Trash)
Trash carts must be placed at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your designated service day or the evening prior. Carts are provided by Rumpke based on your household's subscribed service level.
Accepted Items
- ✓Everyday household garbage
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Bagged pet waste
- ✓Styrofoam and packaging peanuts
Blue Cart Bin (Recycling)
All recyclables should be lightly rinsed, clean, and placed loose inside the blue recycling cart. Do not bag recyclables in plastic bags, as they jam the processing equipment.
Accepted Items
- ✓Cardboard and clean paperboard
- ✓Glass bottles and jars
- ✓Aluminum and tin cans
- ✓#1 through #7 plastic containers
Do NOT Include
- ✕Film plastic (grocery bags, shrink wrap)
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Window glass and mirrors
- ✕Tanglers (cords, hoses, wires)
Yard Waste Bin
Organic food waste should go in the provided 7-gallon curbside compost bin. Larger brush must be cut, bundled, and require city stickers or a private tree service. Leaves are handled by Public Works vacuums in the fall.
Accepted Items
- ✓Food scraps (in the 7-gallon compost bin)
- ✓Small cut brush
- ✓Seasonal leaves
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly on your regular service day
Placement
Place bulk items at the curb by 7:00 a.m. All fabric and upholstered items, including mattresses and couches, must be fully wrapped and sealed in plastic before pickup to protect workers.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (wrapped if upholstered)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs (must be plastic-wrapped)
- ✓ Non-Freon household appliances
- ✓ Large toys or general household goods
Not Accepted
- ✕ Freon-bearing appliances (unless tagged by an HVAC tech)
- ✕ Hazardous waste and wet paint
- ✕ Automotive tires and parts
- ✕ Heavy construction or demolition debris
While standard bulky items are picked up at no extra cost, mattresses can alternatively be sustainably recycled via Rural Action's Zero Waste Program for a $20 exact cash fee to prevent them from entering the Athens-Hocking Landfill.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Rumpke operates on a standard 6-day holiday schedule. If a recognized holiday falls on a weekday on or before your regular service day, collection will be delayed by exactly one day for the remainder of that week.
Yard Waste Exception
Curbside composting and recycling follow the exact same holiday delay schedule as the standard trash collection.
If a major holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday, your standard Monday through Thursday collection schedule will typically remain unaffected.
Observed Holidays
Seasonal Information
Fall
October to DecemberDuring the fall leaf pick-up season, Athens citizens can rake dead leaves to the curb line (ensuring they do not cover storm catch basins) and notify the Department of Public Works. A municipal vacuum truck will sweep them up as routes permit.
Spring
MayDuring the Ohio University move-out season, avoid overloading curbside trash bins. Utilize designated community drop-off sites to donate usable furniture, clothing, and unopened food to local charities instead of sending it to the landfill.
Winter
January to FebruarySevere winter snowstorms in Athens County can delay sanitation vehicles. Place your bins in an area safely cleared of snow and away from the direct path of municipal snowplows to ensure seamless collection.
Local Tips & Community Info
City of Athens Sanitation Partnership with Rumpke
Residents of Athens benefit from a comprehensive municipal sanitation program managed exclusively by Rumpke Waste & Recycling. Under a community-wide contract established in early 2024, Rumpke handles all residential refuse, standard recycling, and specialized curbside composting. Your designated carts must be wheeled to the curb by 7:00 a.m. on your specific service day to guarantee the automated trucks can empty them. You are permitted to set them out the evening prior. Because Athens boasts a unique mix of long-term homeowners and seasonal university students, adhering to the standard pickup schedule ensures local neighborhoods remain clean and orderly throughout the academic year.
Strict Cart Placement and Removal Mandates
While getting your bins to the street on time is important, putting them away is equally enforced by local ordinance. The City of Athens requires that all refuse containers be removed from the curb and brought back to your home by sunset on the day of your collection. Furthermore, they must be stored completely out of sight from the public roadway. Leaving bins out for consecutive days can result in municipal warnings. When placing carts for pickup, make sure they have a minimum three-foot clearance from vehicles, lampposts, and mailboxes so the mechanical arm can safely reach them.
Recycling and Curbside Composting Initiatives
Athens is widely recognized for its strong commitment to sustainability, which is reflected in its robust organics and recycling collection. All collected recyclables and organic compost materials are transported directly to the Athens-Hocking Recycling Center for proper sorting. Households that subscribe to the localized compost program are provided with a dedicated 7-gallon green bin. This organic waste stream helps divert food scraps and compostable paper products away from the Athens-Hocking Landfill, significantly reducing the region's environmental footprint and contributing to local agricultural soil revitalization.
Holiday Collection Interruptions
Major national holidays can occasionally pause regular sanitation operations. Rumpke observes a one-day service delay when significant holidays like New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas fall on a Monday through Friday. If your regular trash day is Wednesday and a holiday occurs on Monday, your bins will be emptied on Thursday. Standard routing immediately resumes the following week. It is heavily encouraged to verify your specific street's schedule using the interactive map on the city's official government portal before major three-day weekends.
Handling Oversized Waste and Service Adjustments
Occasional basement cleanouts or furniture upgrades generate bulky waste that simply doesn't fit inside a standard cart. If you find yourself needing to permanently alter your service tier—such as requesting a larger trash bin or adding compost collection—you must coordinate these account changes directly through the City of Athens administration, not the hauler. However, if you experience a missed pickup or notice a damaged lid on your cart, you should bypass the city office and contact Rumpke's regional dispatch directly at 1-800-828-8171 to schedule a prompt recovery route.
Drop-off Facilities
Athens-Hocking Recycling Center (AHRC)
5991 Industrial Drive, Athens, OH 45701
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Who provides trash and compost collection in Athens, Ohio?
Rumpke Waste & Recycling is the contracted hauler for the City of Athens, managing standard refuse, curbside recycling, and residential compost programs as of January 2024.
When do I need to bring my trash cans back from the street?
Per local regulations, all trash cans must be removed from the street and placed out of sight from the roadway by sunset on your scheduled pickup day.
Who do I call if my garbage was skipped this week?
If you experience a missed collection or need to report an immediate service concern, you should call Rumpke directly at 1-800-828-8171.