Holiday Waste Collection Services & Schedule Changes

As the holidays approach, here are some tips and information regarding your waste collection to keep in mind.

There will be no waste collection service on Christmas Day (Wednesday, December 25th) or New Year's Day (Wednesday, January 1st). Trash, recycling, and green waste that would have been collected on those days will be picked up on the following day, and for the remainder of the week, waste collection will be delayed by one day. (Friday routes will be serviced on Saturday). Street sweeping service will also be delayed by one day during the week of December 25 and the week of January 1, 2024. To see how your street is impacted, please see the residential street sweeping schedule on our website, toaks.gov/street-sweeping. 

Holiday Tree Curbside Recycling

Did you know holiday trees are 100% recyclable, yielding compost and mulch through the organics collection program? Place your holiday tree inside your organics cart or curbside next to your cart, and Athens will collect your tree from December 26 through January 16, 2025, on your normal pick-up day. To ensure that your tree is collected correctly, follow these tips:

1. Remove all decorations, including ornaments, hooks, lights, tinsel, and tree stands.
2. Cut your tree in half if it is over 6 feet in length.
3. Place holiday trees inside your green organics cart or curbside next to your cart.
4. Artificial trees and trees with flocking or fire retardants are unacceptable, but you may schedule a bulky item collection for those items.

Holiday Light Strand Disposal

Please do not place unwanted or broken holiday light strands in your waste carts, as they can get tangled in Athens processing equipment. Unwanted or broken light strands can be dropped off at the City’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Facility by appointment. CLICK HERE to make a drop-off appointment. Please keep in mind that the facility will be closed on Friday, December 20, through the holidays and will reopen on Friday, January 3, 2025.

Reminder About Your Cooking Oil/Fat

Dumping used cooking oil in the drain can clog pipes in your home and the City’s sewer system, causing the need for costly plumbing repairs. Oil used to fry food can be reused for up to one month after first use. When it is time to discard your cooking oil, capture it in a heat-resistant (if still warm) container with a sealed lid and make an appointment to drop off your used cooking oils, fats, and grease at the City’s HHW facility, where it will be recycled into renewable biofuel. CLICK HERE to schedule a drop-off appointment.

City Hall Schedule

City Hall will be closed for walk-in services from December 25, 2024, through January 1, 2025. City facilities will reopen on January 2, 2025. Virtual services are available 24/7 online at toaks.gov/service.