In Support of Proper Garbage/Recycling Bin Etiquette

Passing along the following reminder about garbage/recycling bin etiquette from Kay Stephenson of the Keep Virginia-Highland Beautiful group:

In my walks about the neighborhood I’ve noticed that some residents in both single- and multi-family dwellings are less than diligent about moving bins from curbside back onto their own property in a timely manner. This behavior presents a number of issues.

First, the bins can impede either vehicular or pedestrian traffic, and they present the appearance of a property that is not cared for. This ties directly to the ‘broken window theory’ of public safety. More information about the broken window theory can be found here.

In addition, within the City of Atlanta it is illegal to place containers at curbside before the hour of 7:00 pm on the day before collection, or to leave them after 7:00 pm on the day of collection. In our neighborhood collection day is Monday.

We all have busy schedules and in the case of multi-unit rental homes and apartment buildings with absentee owners, there may be no one responsible for moving the bins to and from the curb. I’ve even had reports of neighbors who have returned bins for others on their street, only to find the property owner or tenant is annoyed. Apparently some find it more convenient to leave the bin at the curb permanently.

However, that is a poor excuse for allowing the neighborhood to look trashy, making life more difficult for neighbors and for breaking the law. We all have bad weeks, and neighbors should certainly cut each other a bit of slack. However, if this is a chronic situation, residents are within their rights to file a complaint with the City of Atlanta Office of Code Compliance.

The first step in this process should be to have a friendly conversation with the offending party to provide education on the law and to see if the problem can be remedied. If this approach is unsuccessful and the resident wishes to file a complaint, the process to do so is outlined here.

Just to clarify the rules, here is a summary:

• Garbage and recycling bins are provided by the city, and are to be kept closed at all times to prevent garbage and odors from escaping.
• Garbage bins should not be filled to the point of overflow.
• It is the responsibility of the resident (whether home owner or renter) to keep the bin clean, sanitary, and odor-proof.
• Bins cannot be placed where they will block normal vehicular traffic, public transportation, or pedestrian or wheelchair access roads and sidewalks.
• Bins cannot be placed at curbside before 7:00 pm on the day before collection (Monday) and must be removed to private property by 7:00 pm on the day of collection.
• Any extra garbage that doesn’t fit in the can must be place in properly marked bags or containers and not more than five bags are allowed at one time.
• Violation of these codes results in a Class A offense.
  • 1^st offense – $50 and/or up to 20 hours community service
  • 2^nd offense – $75 and/or up to 50 hours community service
  • 3^rd offense – $100 and/or up to 100 hours community service.
  • Each day that the bins remain at the curb in violation of the code is considered a separate offense, so you can see that the penalties can add up quickly.
  • For those with physical limitations that prevent movement of bins, an exemption can be given at the discretion of the Commission of Public Works. Contact DPW at 404-330-6333 for more information.

If you’d like to read more about the code, you can find the citation here.

I’m certainly not suggesting we all start reporting our neighbors for minor infractions. My intent for this message is to help educate those who honestly don’t know the rules, and encourage the rest of us to cooperate in Keeping Virginia Highland Beautiful!

Kay Stephenson, Keep Virginia Highland Beautiful