Athens City Code

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this title, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Ashes includes the waste products from coal, wood, and other fuels used for cooking and heating from all public and private residences and establishments.

Collector means any person, firm, or corporation that collects, transports, or disposes of any refuse within the corporate limits of the city.

Garbage means all animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking, or consumption of foods.

Refuse means all solid wastes, except body wastes, and includes garbage, ashes, and rubbish (trash).

Rubbish includes wastepaper, tin cans, broken ware, discarded shoes and clothing, bottles, grass cuttings, or nonputrescible solid wastes. The term "rubbish" shall not include debris from construction or repair work, trees or tree trimmings, bricks or rocks, or any other waste that is likely to cause damage to the equipment of the city or injury to its employees or is likely, because of the nature, size, or weight of the material, to cause undue hardship on the collector.

(Code 1972, § 8-101; Code 1995, § 17-101)

All persons within the corporate limits of the city are required to keep their premises in a clean and sanitary condition, free from accumulations of refuse, offal, filth, and trash. Such persons, firms, and corporations are required to store such refuse in sanitary containers of the type described in ACC 17-5 between intervals of collection or to dispose of such material in a manner prescribed by the city manager, the city health officer or the supervisor of the city sanitation department so as not to cause a nuisance or become injurious to the public health and welfare.

(Code 1972, § 8-102; Code 1995, § 17-102; Ord. No. 1012, § 2, 12-18-2012)

1. (1) Each owner, occupant, tenant, subtenant, lessee, or others using or occupying any building, house, structure, or grounds within the corporate limits of the city where refuse materials and substances, as defined in ACC 17-1, accumulate or are likely to accumulate shall provide an adequate number of approved containers for the storage of such refuse, except business and industrial establishments using city-owned receptacles as described in ACC 17-5(3).
2. (2) All refuse shall be drained free of liquids before disposal.
3. (3) Garbage (including animal waste) shall be wrapped in paper or similar material.
4. (4) All cans, bottles, or other food containers shall be free of food particles and drained before disposal.
5. (5) Rubbish shall be:
   1. (a) Placed in approved containers; or
   2. (b) Cut and baled, tied, bundled, stacked, or packaged so as not to exceed 36 inches in length and 50 pounds in weight.
6. (6) Leaves shall be collected on a nonscheduled basis without additional charge to the regular refuse collection fees. Leaves must be placed in windrows adjacent to the curb or the street right-of-way. In no case may windrows of leaves be extended more than six feet back from the curbline or street right-of-way.
7. (7) Ashes that have been exposed to the weather and are completely free of fire or smoke may be placed in regular containers. Hot ashes that may result in damage to refuse packers or containers or may result in injury to the collectors shall not be placed in containers.

(Code 1972, § 8-103; Code 1995, § 17-103)

No unauthorized person shall uncover, rifle, pilfer, dig into, turn over or in any other manner disturb or use any refuse container belonging to another. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the use of public refuse containers for their intended purpose.

(Code 1972, § 8-116; Code 1995, § 17-115)

1. (1) Residential refuse containers (tote carts) shall be issued by the city for use in the city's automated collection system at each residence where refuse and rubbish is generated and refuse and rubbish collection normally occurs. The city will not pick up garbage in privately owned containers or tote carts. Refuse containers shall likewise be issued by the city to certain business establishments. These containers are owned by and will be replaced by the city if they become damaged due to normal wear and tear. When the user associated with a collection site, whether a residence or business, relocates from the collection site, the refuse container shall be returned to public works as the container is not the property of the owner of a residence or business to which the container was assigned. Each refuse container shall be equipped with tightfitting lids or covers to preclude the free access of flies and insects and to prevent the containers from collecting water during rain or snow events. The lids or covers shall be kept in place at all times except when refuse is being deposited therein or removed therefrom by the collector.
2. (2) Refuse containers shall be maintained in good order and repair. They shall be placed in the location shown by the city, and failure to place it in the right place, obstructing the container by placing it too close to an object, not bagging garbage placed in the container, overloading the container, or placing improper materials in the container shall be reason for the container to be passed up for that week.
3. (3) Business and industrial establishments shall deposit, in city-owned refuse receptacles provided for multiple use, all refuse from their establishments in the receptacle assigned to them. They shall break down or nest all cardboard boxes prior to depositing them in the receptacles. Business and industrial establishments utilizing the city-owned receptacles are exempt from the requirements in subsection (1) of this section.
4. (4) Business and industrial establishments not served by a city-owned dumpster shall be provided with city-owned tote cart sufficient in number of containers to fully contain all refuse accumulated between collection periods. They will be limited to three containers, and any user which would generate more garbage than the three tote carts will hold will be required to use dumpster services.
5. (5) Refuse containers must be located outside of buildings. They shall be placed where they will not become a traffic or fire hazard and will be accessible to city sanitation employees.
6. (6) The user at each collection site shall place the refuse containers or other solid waste adjacent to the street, curbside, sidewalk and/or alley. City-issued waste containers, including refuse containers (tote carts), shall not be placed adjacent to the street, curbside, sidewalk or alley for more than 24 hours prior to any regularly scheduled collection or for more than 24 hours after collection occurs, to inhibit and prevent theft and vandalism of the city-owned containers and to keep city streets, curbsides, sidewalks and/or alleys free from obstacles. If a city-issued and -owned container is vandalized or stolen, the assigned user at the collection site must file a police report within 48 hours of theft or vandalism. Provided theft or vandalism is reported within 48 hours thereof, and theft or vandalism occurred during the time the container is permitted to be located at the street, curbside, sidewalk, and/or alley for collection, the container will be replaced by the city through its public works department. It shall be the responsibility of the user at the collection site to provide the public works department with a copy of the police report. In the event it is determined that theft or vandalism occurred due to the user not removing the refuse container from the street, curbside, sidewalk, and/or alley within 24 hours of collection, the resident will be responsible for the costs to replace the container for failure to timely remove the container from the street, curbside, sidewalk and/or alley.

(Code 1972, § 8-104; Code 1995, § 17-104; Ord. No. 905, 12-17-2002; Ord. No. 982, 2-16-2010)

In no case will it be the responsibility of the city sanitation department to shovel or pick up from the ground any accumulation of refuse, including leaves, lawn clippings, brush, packing material, etc., except as prescribed in ACC 17-3(5).

(Code 1972, § 8-105; Code 1995, § 17-105)

In no case will it be the responsibility of the city sanitation department to collect refuse resulting from construction, demolition, or repairs of buildings, structures, or appurtenances. The property owner/contractor, or the person having same in charge, shall be responsible for the disposal of such refuse.

(Code 1972, § 8-106; Code 1995, § 17-106)

It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to burn refuse on private or public property within the corporate limits of the city without first obtaining a permit from the fire department.

(Code 1972, § 8-107; Code 1995, § 17-107)

It is unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to dump refuse in any form into a stream, ditch, storm sewer, sanitary sewer, or other drain within the corporate limits of the city.

(Code 1972, § 8-108; Code 1995, § 17-108)

All refuse accumulated in the city shall be collected, conveyed, and disposed of by the city's sanitation department. No person shall convey over any of the streets or alleys of the city, or dispose of any refuse accumulated in the city, except as noted in ACC 17-11. All refuse shall be disposed of in the city at the city's sanitary landfill or other sites approved by the city.

(Code 1972, § 8-109; Code 1995, § 17-109)

Actual producers of refuse, including residential, commercial, and business establishments, or the owners of premises upon which refuse has accumulated, may convey and dispose of such refuse, provided they agree to comply with the requirements of this Code concerning contractors, etc., and the point of disposal, and apply for a permit granting them the right to collect, convey, and dispose of the refuse. Applicants for this type of private disposal permit will not be exempt from paying the minimum disposal charges as provided in ACC 17-43.

(Code 1972, § 8-110; Code 1995, § 17-110)