Residential Cart Refuse Service

Where Do I Place the Container on Collection Day?

Place your refuse cart at your collection site in the street with wheels resting against curb. Always place the container at curb with wheels and handles towards your residence. Under normal circumstances, the container should be placed at or near the driveway approximately 4 feet from any mailboxes, fences, parked cars, trees, utility poles, water meters, trash container racks or other obstacles.

Place the container at the curb no earlier than 6:00 p.m., prior to your collection day, but no later than 7:00 a.m., on your scheduled collection day. Remove your container from the curb and return to storage no later than 8:00 p.m. on your service day.

*Do Not Leave Your Container at the Curb on Non-Collection Days.*

Excess or Overloaded Container

Do not fill your container above the rim such that the lid will not close. A closed lid helps to prevent litter, odor, and spillage when the container is lifted for dumping. If container is overloaded, the EXCESS or OVERLOADED CONTAINER will be considered a special collection and may require an extra fee. A tag will be tied to the handle, indicating these problems.

“Residents only” may take up to two tons per year of waste material to the Transfer Station at no charge. Customers may not come in free on more than two dates per year. No roofing or other construction material will be allowed for this program. Bring your water service account bill with you for this service. Accounts will be tracked by physical addresses. Once an address has met its limit, any additional trash during the remainder of the fiscal year must be paid. (Fiscal year for our Free Residential Two Ton Program is October thru September).

What Kind of Refuse Can I Put in the Container?

Place typical bagged household refuse in the container. This helps keep your cart clean and reduces wind-blown litter and scattered debris during the collection process. You may include a small amount of bagged yard waste. Examples of what not to place in container are: hot ashes, solvents, paints, hazardous materials, flammable materials & liquids or solids, dead animals, motor oil, medical waste, fireworks, car batteries, construction materials, concrete, dirt, sod, sand, plaster or chemicals. Drain or wrap wet trash prior to bagging and placing in your cart.

If you have an item that is generally not considered “bulky” but that won’t fully fit into your cart, break it down as much as possible and place it into the cart and close the lid. Anything larger will be considered a special collection and may require an extra fee. Examples of such items include brooms, mops, fishing rods, and curtain rods. Please do not pack refuse in your container too tightly or place objects of such length that could lodge against the sides of the container, preventing or impeding the emptying of your container.

Containers are City Property

The 98 gallon roll out containers are the property of the City and must not be painted, marked, abused, mutilated, altered, or modified in any way. Abuse and damage to a container by citizen shall result in an assessment equal to the replacement cost of the container and/or time and materials involved to repair such container. Examples of abuse include, but are not limited to: overloading the container beyond the rated weight capacity of the container; fire damage caused by hot coals and/or ashes; painting or marking the container in any manner; or failure to follow the proper care and use instructions for the container. If the container is damaged, the following policy applies: If the damage is your fault, you will be required to pay for a replacement. For example, any container that is destroyed by hot ashes or coals shall be the responsibility of the customer and shall be replaced at the customer’s expense. If the container is stolen from your residence at a time other than when it should normally be out for collection, you will be required to pay for a replacement. If the city damages your container, your container will be replaced at no cost to you.

Brush, Yard Waste – Grass Clippings, Leaves, Shrubs, and Garden Trimmings

Citizens are encouraged to use a mulching power mower, which eliminates raking and bagging of grass. The City will pick up two cubic yards of brush “Free for Residents only”. If your service day is on Tuesday or Thursday, brush pickup in your area will be the first (1) & third (3) Wednesdays of each month during a non-holiday week. If your service day is on Monday or Friday, brush pickup in your area will be the second (2) & fourth (4) Wednesdays of each month during a non-holiday week. Please place your two cubic yards into one yard sections; (example: one cubic yard equals three (3) feet height X three (3) feet length X three (3) feet width, or six (6) 30 gallon trash bags. If bagged, all small accumulations of two cubic yards must weigh less than forty pounds each and have sufficient wall strength and thickness to maintain physical integrity when lifted at the top, with opening closed. City crews will not pick up loose materials. City crews will not pick up solid waste that does not conform to standards. A city ordinance requires residents to remove solid waste left at the curbside. A tag left at the residence will serve as notice of heavy or unusual accumulation. Residents have 48 hours to remove the materials before city crews do so at a $29.97 per cubic yard charge. Additional charges can be levied if heavy equipment is required. Please call General Services Department, Solid Waste Division at (940) 668-4551, before your designated brush/special pickup day to provide time for truck scheduling and routing.

2021-2022 Brush Schedule-Residential Only

Special Collection Services – “Residents Only”

Residents may schedule special collection service for Wednesday of non-holiday weeks. The residential utility account that generated the waste will be billed for the service. A $ 35.98 charge per item will be added to your bill for the safe removal of these items. Residents who place waste materials at curbside grant permission for additional fees. Items requiring special collection services:

· Furniture items such as couches, chairs, mattresses, bed frames, and tables.

· White goods or appliances such as hot water heaters, stoves, washing machines and dryers. Special provisions apply to air conditioning units and refrigerators. No Freon containing appliances can be accepted at this time. Please contact Fulton Supply and Recycling (940) 665-2572 or TASWA Landfill (903) 564-1290 for more information on these items.

· Construction and demolition (C&D) material, such as sheetrock, flooring, lumber, fencing, carpet, padding, doors, sinks, commodes, plumbing fixtures.

· Other bulky waste, such as barbecue grills, toys, ironing boards, and lawn furniture.

Please call General Services Department, Solid Waste Division at (940) 668-4551 before your special pickup day to provide time for truck scheduling and routing.

Pre-Paid 30-Gallon Plastic Bags

Residents may purchase plastic bags for special occasions or for extra refuse on regular pick-up days. You may place these plastic bags out by your cart for pickup on your designated service day. These colored bags will have the City’s logo with “Paid Garbage” on them. Anything other than these pre-paid plastic bags will not be serviced on regular pick-up days. These special plastic bags may be purchased for $3.15/per bag with a 5 bag minimum order ($15.75 plus tax). The purchase price of these bags includes disposal fees. You may purchase these bags at several locations throughout the City: City Hall, 200 S. Rusk, Joe Walters Lumber, 705 W. Hwy 82, General Services Gatehouse and Office at 601 N. I-35, Gainesville.

Additional Residential Carts

Residential customers may get an extra cart(s) for $61.00 per cart. An additional fee of $7.32 for servicing this extra cart will be added to your monthly water bill. To request an extra cart(s) or to discontinue service of the additional cart(s), please call the General Services Department, Solid Waste Division at (940) 668-4551.

Cart Care

Although your refuse container is City of Gainesville’s property, you are responsible for its care. Wash your cart with a hose and mild soap as needed. If you move, please leave the cart with the existing property. To report damaged or stolen carts please call General Services Department, Solid Waste Division at (940) 668-4551. Replacement or repair of cart due to damage or neglect by a citizen may result in a fee on the customer’s utility bill.

Special Service Needs

Citizens requiring special collection services are able to receive those with their refuse cart. They will receive a yellow cart or yellow lid 65-gallon cart for their service. To request service please call General Services Department, Solid Waste Division at (940) 668-4551.

Two Tons a Year Free For City of Gainesville Residents

Gainesville residents are allowed to dump up to two tons of waste per year free at the Transfer Station or 2 days which ever comes first, provided that a current water bill, & photo ID License with current address are presented.

· The City of Gainesville will accept up to two tons per year for each residential address with active City of Gainesville water service. Accounts will be tracked by physical addresses. Once an address has met its limit, any additional trash during the remainder of the fiscal year must be paid for.

· Customers should have their water bill and a current driver’s license with same address and must be present at the time of disposal. NO EXCEPTIONS

· Only Household waste will be accepted. NO ROOFING OR OTHER CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS WILL BE ALLOWED FOR THIS PROGRAM.

· Customers may bring in material on one or two dates per year.

· Each date will count as a one ton minimum.

· Customers may come in repeatedly on one date to reach their limit.

· If a customer comes in on one date and brings over one and one quarter tons they will have used all the allowance for the year.

· When customers have less than one and one quarter tons on the first day, they will have one more day up to one ton free in the remainder of the fiscal year.

· Customer may NOT come in free on MORE THAN TWO DATES PER YEAR.

· Brush is a separate program and does not count against the Free Residential MSW Disposal Program Collection.

· Businesses are excluded from this two-ton program

· Fiscal year for this program is October 1st thru September 30th.

Need assistance in managing your household waste?

The following services are available: Request brush, yard waste removal, Special Collection Service, Purchase of Additional Carts, Cart Care or Special Service Needs. Please call the General Services Department, Solid Waste Division at (940) 668-4551.

According to city ordinance, residents must remove solid waste left at the curbside. A yellow tag left on the door of the resident will serve as notice of heavy or unusual accumulation. The resident has 48 hours to remove the materials before the city crew does so at a $28.12 per cubic yard. Residential waste shall be placed at the location designated by the city no earlier than 6:00 p.m., prior to your collection day, but no later than 7:00 a.m. on your scheduled collection day. Do not block or impede a street, water or gas meter, drainage ditch, sight triangle at an intersection or sidewalk.

Holiday Schedule

Every year the city observes several holidays. These holidays are spread throughout the year and will affect some of the services provided to citizens and businesses. For instance, the Solid Waste Division will not provide residential, commercial carts or roll-off service, or brush/bulky waste collection on city designated holiday. *Commercial dumpster routes will run as scheduled. * These services will resume on your next regularly scheduled day. Please click on link below to access the Holiday Schedule for both Residential and Commercial Cart Customers:

2022-2023 Holiday Schedule

If you have any questions or concerns about how city observed holidays affect your commercial/residential waste collection, please contact the Generals Services Department, Solid Waste Division at (940) 668-4551.

IMPORTANT: The City shall be the exclusive provider of residential waste and commercial waste, rubbish, and refuse collection and disposal service for all residential premises and commercial premises and establishments within the city limits.

Fees effective 10/01/2021:
(1) 95 gallon cart: $20.81/month

(1) 68 gallon cart: $18.35/month

Additional 95 gallon cart: $61.00 (1 time) + $7.32 per month 

*Rates are subject to change annually*

Pick Up Dates

View a map of cart pickups  (PDF). Call Customer Service at (940) 668-4500 with any questions.

For more information on any of the comments mentioned above you may contact the General Services Department, Solid Waste Division at 940-668-4551.