Garbage
The Solid Waste Division provides weekly garbage collection service for household garbage to homes with four or fewer units within the limits of the City of Gainesville. Each resident’s monthly refuse charge is based on their garbage cart size (20, 35, 64, or 96 gallons) and service type (curbside or backyard). Be sure to Right Size Your Garbage Cart to fit your household’s needs appropriately.
FIND OUT YOUR COLLECTION DAY
Collection Guidelines for Garbage Carts
- ✅ Place your garbage cart curbside for collection by 7 AM on your scheduled collection day. Remove your garbage cart from the curb between collection days (remove by 9 PM on the day collection has occurred). Repeat offenders not removing carts, bins or containers from the curb can be issued a $35 service charge per occurrence.
- ✅ Allow at least 4 feet of clearance on all sides of your cart. Obstructions such as recycling bins, yard waste, official yellow bags, bulk items, mailboxes, cars, poles, or other obstacles may prevent the automated truck from emptying your cart.
- ✅ Bag your garbage. All household waste should be securely tied in bags when placed inside your garbage cart. Pet waste and cat litter should be double-bagged.
- ✅ Cart lids should be completely closed when setting carts out for collection. ❌ Do NOT overfill or overload your garbage cart. Trash volumes should NOT exceed the height of the Maximum Fill Line (top rim) of your cart. Do NOT pile bags of trash on top of or around the cart. Excess trash must be placed in Official Yellow Bags and set out curbside for collection at least 2 feet from your garbage cart.
- ✅ Your garbage cart is for regular household garbage only. ❌ Do NOT place unacceptable items in your garbage cart, such as yard waste, recyclables, bulk items, electronics, appliances, hazardous waste, dead animals, hot ashes, or flammable liquids.
- ✅ Set your garbage cart curbside for collection near the edge of the street with the front of the cart facing the street. Garbage carts should never be placed in the street, block the driveway of your neighbors, or interfere with the path of vehicles.
- ✅ Take care of your cart by periodically washing it out with soap and water, or bleach when needed for bug infested carts. If your cart is damaged or in need of repair, contact the Solid Waste Division at (352) 334-2330.
Cart Care Tips
Excess garbage must be placed in Official Yellow Bags and set out for collection curbside near your trash cart by 7 AM on your scheduled collection day. Each Official Bag holds approximately 30 gallons of garbage and has a weight limit of 40 pounds per bag. Excess waste set out in personal containers, boxes or non-official yellow bags will ❌ NOT be collected.
You can purchase Official Yellow Bags at all local Publix andGainesville Ace Hardware stores. Look for the yellow bags in the trash bag aisle or ask for them at the customer service counter. Official Yellow Bags sell for $11.25 per pack and each pack includes 5 bags.
Choose the Right Size Garbage Cart
Residents are encouraged to make less waste and save money by selecting the garbage cart size that best fits their needs. New residents have 30 days after initiating services at a home to request a garbage cart size change without being charged an additional fee. After 30 days, there will be a $14.25 service fee for changing cart size. Please contact the Solid Waste Division at (352) 334-2330 to request a garbage cart size change.
Monthly cart rate based on cart size (gallons) and service type (curbside or backdoor):
|
Mini-cart (20 gallons)
|
1 kitchen-sized bag per week
|
$19.50 |
$32.75 |
|
Small (35 gallons)
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2 to 3 kitchen-sized bags per week
|
$ 25.25 |
$38.00 |
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Medium (64 gallons)
|
4 to 5 kitchen-sized bags per week
|
$31.25 |
$46.25 |
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Large (96 gallons)
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6 to 7 kitchen-sized bags per week
|
$38.75 |
$56.75 |
Refuse service includes the weekly collection of garbage, recycling, yard waste and bulk items. Large appliance and electronics collection by appointment at no additional charge.
Request Disabled Services
Residents with a physical disability and unable to set out carts or bins curbside for collection, should contact the Solid Waste Division at (352) 334-2330. Documentation from your physician will be required to receive backyard collection services at no additional charge (same charge as standard monthly curbside collection rate).
Moving or Cancelling Services
Residents are required to leave the garbage cart, and recycling bins behind when moving as each trash cart has a serial number that is assigned to a specific address. Residents may be charged additional fees for missing garbage carts or cart sizes that don't match up to billing records. To ensure proper billing, always check to make sure the number on your garbage cart matches the number printed on your GRU utility bill. The first number of the cart serial number indicate the size (gallons) of your cart ("2" = 20 gal., "3" = 35 gal., "6" = 64 gal., "9" = 96 gal.).
