Frequently Asked Questions

Do you pickup furniture/appliances at the curb?
Yes. This service is available to all residential curbside customers.  All others will be subject to the Special Collection Fee Schedule listed below.  Further information can be obtained by contacting us at sanitation@co.dekalb.ga.us or by phone at (404) 294-2900.

How should refrigerators and freezers be prepared for collection?
Doors must be secured or removed and laid where they will not turn over by wind or children.  They should be placed on the right-of-way not blocking a mailbox, sidewalk, utilities, roadway or drainage ditch.  All food must be removed prior to placing it at the curb for collection.  Once the appliance is placed at the curbside, contact us at sanitation@co.dekalb.ga.us or by phone at (404) 294-2900, for collection.

How do we handle dead animals?
Dead animals are collected by the Sanitation Department from unicorporated DeKalb County right-of-ways and roads.  Residential and commercial locations are assessed a fee for collection.

What sanitation assessment fees are associated with home-based businesses?
In general, solid waste collection services fall under Section 22 of the DeKalb County Code.  All home-based businesses within the DeKalb County Sanitation Division’s service area – unincorporated DeKalb, and the cities of Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Lithonia and Tucker – are under the Sanitation Division’s jurisdiction.  Any individual with a business license at a home-based location pays an annual sanitation assessment fee beyond that of a residential only customer, since the facility now serves a dual purpose of a home and business.  All home-based businesses must pay the appropriate fee for solid waste services, even those that do not generate additional waste beyond their residential collection service.

The Sanitation Division made a recommendation to the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners to reduce home-based sanitation assessment fees from $400 to $265 annually.  The $400 fee had been in effect since Jan. 1, 2006.  On March 10, 2015, the Board of Commissioners approved and adopted this recommendation by the Sanitation Division.  This revised $265 annual sanitation assessment fee covers all solid waste management services that the Sanitation Division provides to its customers, including unlimited garbage collection and curbside recycling services.  These fees are assessed annually on the business’s tax notice as a sanitation assessment fee.  Any changes to this fee will require review and amendment by the Board of Commissioners.

What is the proper size for tree parts?
Tree trunks must be cut small enough in size that they can be hand loaded on the collection vehicle.  Each cut piece must not exceed 50 pounds in weight.  Limbs and branches must not exceed four feet in length and must be stacked neatly at the curb.  Twigs, leaves, pine straw and other small vegetation items must be placed in paper biodegradable bags or emptied cardboard boxes that do not exceed 20-40 gallons in size.  The resident can also use 20-40 gallon containers that are clean and have not been exposed to loose household refuse.

Do you pick up building materials and is there a charge?
Yes.

What type of container do we need for garbage collection?
Household garbage must be placed in green county-issued garbage roll carts. Excess garbage can be placed in secure, durable plastic bags. Effective April 18, 2016, garbage placed in customer-provided containers will not be serviced.

What kind of containers should we use for yard debris?
Use biodegradable paper bags, clean cardboard boxes or durable clean cans that have not been exposed to household waste.  All bags, boxes or containers must not exceed 20-40 gallons in size or 50 lbs in weight.
*** Please note *** Plastic bags are not acceptable.

How do I dispose of a christmas Tree for recycling?
DeKalb residents receiving sanitation services can place their tree at the curb for pick-up on regular yard waste collection days.  Trees should be seven feet or smaller; trees eight feet or larger need to be cut in half for curbside pick-up.  The recycled trees will be chipped into mulch or used as wildlife habitat.  Mulch is used for public beautification projects and is free to DeKalb County residents.

NOTE:  Trees will be collected the entire month of January.

How do I pay for residential collection services?
Your residential collection services are billed with your annual property tax statement as a seperate line item.

What services are included in the assessment fee?
Once-a-week household garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings collection.

What time should garbage, yard debris and recyclables be placed at curbside for collection?
All garbage, yard debris, and recyclables must be placed curbside by 7 a.m. on the day of your scheduled pickup days.  No exceptions.

• Do you have a landfill for public use?
Yes.  The Seminole Road Landfill is located at 4203 Clevemont Road, Ellenwood, GA 30294. 

For directions to the Seminole Landfill, enter your address here (street, city state):

Do you pick up tires?
Yes. The Sanitation division will collect up to four passenger tires from a residential home at a fee of $2.00 per tire.  Or you may take up to a maximum of 10 passenger tires to the Seminole Road Landfill located at 4203 Clevemont Road, Ellenwood, GA, 30294 (404) 687-4020.

Who handles litter county reads and rights of way?
Property owners are responsible for maintaining the right-of-way joining their property.  The Beautification Department periodically mows overgrown county right of way, trims bushes, increases sight vision on rights of way and county-owned vacant lots.