What Fits, What Is Not Allowed and Disposal in Gadsden and Etowah County

Before a dumpster arrives, it helps to know three things: what you can load, what you cannot, and where the box can sit. This page pulls together the general rules most roll-off haulers follow and what the City of Gadsden and the 2024 Etowah County Solid Waste Management Plan say about trash and disposal. Rules change, so treat this as a guide and confirm with your hauler and the city or county. Gadsden Dumpster Rental is a referral service operated by Recover Profits Now. We do not own trucks or containers; the independent hauler you are connected with quotes the job, delivers the box and hauls it away. Call (256) 485-6155 to reach a local hauler.

What usually can go in a roll-off

• Household junk, furniture, boxes and clothing
• Drywall, plaster, lumber, trim, cabinets, doors and windows
• Carpet, pad, laminate and vinyl flooring
• Asphalt shingles, felt, flashing and gutters
• Yard waste: branches, shrubs and leaves (ask about mixing it with other debris)
• Concrete, brick, block and dirt, in a small box and usually as a separate load
• Siding, fencing and decking

What is usually not allowed

• Hazardous waste: paint (unless fully dried), solvents, pesticides, pool chemicals and oil
• Batteries: car, boat and lithium batteries
• Fuel and pressurized tanks: propane cylinders and gas cans
• Tires, unless the hauler accepts them for a fee
• Appliances with refrigerant (refrigerators, freezers, AC units), unless the hauler handles them separately
• Asbestos or suspected asbestos material
• Medical waste and liquids of any kind

Every hauler has its own list. Ask before you load anything you are not sure about.

Where roll-off loads go

According to the 2024 Etowah County Solid Waste Management Plan:

• Gadsden C/D Landfill, 110 Burnsway Drive. Owned and operated by the City of Gadsden. It takes construction and demolition debris, and the city calls it a public inert landfill that "accepts only construction demolition debris." The plan lists a tipping fee of $50 per ton and about 420,000 cubic yards of remaining capacity, with a 132-acre expansion being permitted.
• City of Gadsden Transfer Station, same address. Household garbage is collected here and hauled to Noble Hill Landfill. The plan lists a $40 per ton tipping fee.
• Noble Hill Landfill, 300 Noble Hill Road, Attalla. A Subtitle D landfill owned by Evergreen Environmental Partners that accepts household, commercial, industrial and construction waste, tires and appliances.

The plan says these two sites, the Gadsden C/D landfill and Noble Hill, are the ones routinely used for the county's construction and demolition debris. The City of Gadsden's Public Works page lists hours of 7 AM to 3 PM Monday through Friday, plus 7 AM to noon on the last Saturday of each month. The city grinds limbs, leaves and trees into mulch that it gives away free and collects large metals for recycling. Your roll-off hauler deals with the landfill for you, but these details explain why weight drives price and why some items cost extra.

City of Gadsden curbside rules

• Garbage is household waste placed in the large black cans. Trash, in city terms, means tree limbs, leaves and grass clippings, which are collected separately.
• According to a Gadsden Times report, the city council approved an ordinance ending Public Works pickup of large household items, including carpet, couches and other furniture, mattresses, refrigerators and other appliances. The city was looking at a fee-based option.
• For the city's March 2026 Free Dumpster Day, officials said metal and construction debris, including shingles, sheetrock and wood, had to go directly to the landfill rather than into the event dumpsters.
• Gadsden Recycles, 306 Henry Street off Meighan Boulevard, takes cardboard, newspaper, metals, aluminum and electronics. It does not take glass or plastic at this time.

Questions about city pickup go to Public Works at 256-549-4706, and billing questions to the Garbage Fee Collection office at 256-549-4620.

Outside Gadsden city limits

Other towns use different haulers. The 2024 county plan lists Republic Services for Rainbow City and Sardis City; Arrow Disposal for Attalla, Hokes Bluff, Reece City and unincorporated Etowah County; and Waste Management for Altoona, Glencoe and Ridgeville. Bulky-item rules differ from town to town, so check with your city hall. A roll-off from an independent hauler works anywhere in the county.

Placing the dumpster

• Space. A 10 to 20 yard box usually needs about 10 to 12 feet of width and 20 to 25 feet of length, plus room for the truck to back in straight. Larger boxes need more.
• Overhead clearance. The truck tilts its bed to slide the box off. Point out low wires and branches; many older Gadsden streets have mature trees.
• Surface. Driveways and gravel pads work best. Lay plywood under the rails to protect concrete or asphalt.
• Slopes. On Lookout Mountain and other hilly lots, tell the hauler about the grade before delivery.
• Soft ground. Low ground near the Coosa River and Big Wills Creek stays wet longest after heavy rain.
• Septic systems. On rural lots, keep the box and truck off the septic tank and drain field.
• Streets and sidewalks. We did not find a published Gadsden rule on roll-offs in the street. If the box has to sit on a street, sidewalk or right-of-way, ask Gadsden Public Works, your town hall or the county whether approval is needed. Gadsden has also tightened its local dumping ordinances in recent years, so keep debris inside the box.
• HOAs. Some subdivisions have their own placement and time rules.

After a storm or flood

After the August 2023 storm on Lookout Mountain, a city contractor hauled 485.22 tons of debris in a week, and the city still had more to collect. After a big storm, check with the city or county about special debris pickups before paying to haul debris they would take, and photograph damage for insurance before anything is thrown out. See our storm debris page.

Next steps

Ready to book, or not sure what size you need? Call (256) 485-6155. For prices, read the dumpster cost guide.