Athens Landfill & Dump — Hours, Fees & What It Won't Take
Two things catch people out in Athens. The landfill isn't in Athens — it's on Lexington Road in Winterville. And it will not take construction debris. At all. Not at a higher rate, not in small amounts.
What it does take, it prices in an unusually friendly way for small loads: a punch card at $3 a bag means a couple of bags of household trash costs you six dollars rather than a $20 scale minimum. Here is the whole fee schedule, who is allowed through the gate, and where the debris the landfill refuses actually has to go.
Disposal sites in Athens
Athens-Clarke County Landfill
Municipal Landfill
Athens-Clarke County Unified Government — Solid Waste
5700 Lexington Rd, Winterville, GA 30683 Directions ↗
Appointments are no longer required for trash disposal, but you must be out of the gate by closing time (4:30 p.m. weekdays, 3 p.m. Saturday). Loads must be tarped and secured. If you are bringing 1 to 6 bags, buy a punch card at the scale house rather than going over the scale.
The gate is closed to most of Georgia. The landfill accepts municipal solid waste from Athens-Clarke County and Oglethorpe County only. An Oconee, Madison, Barrow or Jackson County address does not qualify.
Accepts: Construction & demolition debris, Remodeling debris
Where Athens-Clarke County sends remodeling debris. Athens residents can bring small household projects with proof of address; it's for residents only, not contractors.
Hours and tipping fees aren't posted online; call before you go. The option for contractors and for loads too big for the Oglethorpe residents' allowance.
The headline rate is $75 a ton with a $20 minimum, and unusually, Athens charges households and commercial haulers the same. There is no resident discount, because there is no non-resident tier — if you are not from one of the two eligible counties you are not getting in at any price.
For a small load, ignore the per-ton rate entirely. A $20 minimum on a few bags of kitchen waste is a bad deal, and the County knows it. That is what the punch card is for: $18 buys six bags, so a two-bag trip costs $6 instead of $20. It is bought at the scale house and it applies to trips of one to six bags. Anything larger goes over the scale at the per-ton rate.
Yard waste is priced separately and far cheaper. Residential leaf and limb is $25.50 a ton with a $5 minimum — a third of the household rate. Keep it in its own load so it's billed at the yard-waste rate.
The mattress fee is the one to plan around. At $50 a mattress, a mattress costs more than two and a half times the landfill's $20 minimum. A box spring is $10. If you are clearing a bedroom, that is a $60 line item before anything else in the truck gets weighed. Our mattress disposal guide covers the alternatives.
Two things are cheap or free and worth knowing: scrap metal costs nothing, and car batteries are accepted. If your load is half old metal, separate it out.
The construction debris problem
This is the single most important thing about the Athens landfill, and it is easy to miss until you are at the gate with a loaded trailer.
The ACC Landfill does not accept construction and demolition material. The County's own list of what has to go elsewhere reads: cabinetry, carpet, concrete, doors, flooring, lumber, pallets, plywood, sheetrock, shingles, siding and tile. That is most of what comes out of a bathroom remodel or a re-roof.
The distinction the County draws is between municipal solid waste — furniture, kitchen waste, the ordinary contents of a house — and anything structural. A sofa is fine. The paneling behind it is not.
So if you are remodeling in Athens, the landfill is not your destination. Athens-Clarke County sends C&D to two landfills: the Oglethorpe County C&D Landfill in Crawford, which takes small household projects from Athens residents with proof of address (cash or check only), and the Walton County C&D Landfill in Monroe. Contractors can't use the Oglethorpe residents' allowance. Our construction debris guide explains how C&D is priced differently from household waste, and why it is often the more expensive stream.
Find a landfill near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest disposal sites, then open your city's page for its exact hours, fees and what it accepts.
Household trash is $75 a ton with a $20 minimum at the Athens-Clarke County Landfill. For small trips, a punch card is much cheaper: $18 buys six bags, or $3 a bag, for loads of one to six bags. Residential leaf and limb is $25.50 a ton with a $5 minimum. Mattresses are $50 each, box springs $10, and tires $3 to $10. Scrap metal is free.
Can I take construction debris to the Athens landfill?
No. The ACC Landfill doesn't accept construction and demolition material: cabinetry, carpet, concrete, doors, flooring, lumber, pallets, plywood, sheetrock, shingles, siding, tile and similar. Athens residents can take small household remodeling projects to the Oglethorpe County C&D Landfill, 882 Athens Road, Crawford (proof of address, cash or check only). The Walton County C&D Landfill in Monroe is the other option.
Who is allowed to use the Athens-Clarke County Landfill?
Only residents of Athens-Clarke County and Oglethorpe County. The landfill accepts municipal solid waste from those two counties and no others, so an address in Oconee, Madison, Barrow or Jackson County does not qualify no matter what you are willing to pay.
Where is the Athens landfill and what are its hours?
It is at 5700 Lexington Road in Winterville, not in Athens itself. Hours are Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., closed Sunday. The phone number is (706) 613-3508.
Do I need an appointment to use the Athens landfill?
No. Appointments are no longer required for trash disposal. If you are dropping off one to six bags, buy an ACC Landfill Punch Card at the scale house rather than going over the scale, because the $20 scale minimum costs more than the bags would.
