GENERAL GUIDELINES

• Carts must be curbside the night before your scheduled service day.
• Place each cart within 3 feet of the curb, 3 feet from a mailbox or other object, with handles facing the house, and 1 foot or more separating each cart.
• Red Oak empties one 95-gallon trash cart per week. Please do not overload the cart; the lid must close for collection.
• Any waste outside the cart will be left behind. Extra trash that does not fit in the cart requires customers to order an additional cart. Please call customer service for rates and set up.
• All boxes must be broken down, cut up, and placed inside the cart to be removed. Boxes outside the carts will not be removed.
• Move in Box Protocol for Dawson, Forsyth, Fulton, and Hall Counties:
  • New standard customers have the first full month after starting service to take advantage of our move-in box program. Boxes must be broken down and bundled together with duct tape. We will pick up a maximum of 20 boxes per bundle and 4 bundles per pickup. Please call customer service for rates and scheduling.
• All waste must be bagged and put in the proper Red Oak cart to prevent trash from blowing all over the community. Red Oak is not responsible for unbagged trash that litters the community or for curbside janitorial services. Please assist with taking pride in your community’s aesthetics.
• Red Oak does not accept construction or remodeling debris in residential carts. Please refer to our Pink Bag service for removal of waste from construction or remodeling projects.

• For those areas that qualify for this service, clients receive one 95-gallon cart for recycling. Your service schedule may vary based upon your location. Please refer to our recycling calendar.
• Carts must be curbside the night before your scheduled service day.
• Place each cart within 3 feet of the curb, 3 feet from a mailbox or other object, with handles facing the house, and 1 foot or more separating each cart.
• Red Oak empties one 95-gallon recycling cart per week. Please do not overload the cart; the lid must close for collection.
• Any waste outside the cart will be left behind. Extra trash that does not fit in the cart requires customers to order an additional cart. Please call client services for rates and set up.
• All boxes must be broken down, cut up, and placed inside the cart to be removed. Boxes outside the carts will not be removed.
• Move in Box Protocol for Dawson, Forsyth, Fulton, and Hall Counties:
  • New standard customers have the first full month after starting service to take advantage of our move-in box program. Boxes must be broken down and bundled together with duct tape. We will pick up a maximum of 20 boxes per bundle and 4 bundles per pickup. Please call customer service for rates and scheduling.
• The contents of the cart must meet the following recycling guidelines.
• Accepted Recycling Materials:
  • Aluminum & Steel Food & Beverage Containers 
  • Aluminum Baking Tins
  • Cardboard Boxes o Pizza Boxes
  • Soda, Beer & Other Drink Box Cartons
  • Shoe, Cereal, Tissue & Other Packaging Boxes
  • All Junk Mail
  • Kraft Paper (Grocery & Lunch Bags)
  • Mixed Paper (Calendars, School Papers & Other Forms)
  • Catalogs/Magazines o Newspapers & Inserts
  • All Other Paper (Computer Paper, Phone Books, Books)
  • #1 Plastic Soda and Water Bottles
  • #2 Plastic Milk Jugs, Juice Bottles, & Other Rigid Containers
  • #3 Through #7 Plastic Bottles & Containers
• Not Accepted Materials
  • Metal/Plastic Furniture
  • Styrofoam
  • Hazardous Waste/Containers
  • Unemptied Aerosol Cans
  • Glass Bottles & Panes
  • Yard Waste
  • Plastic Grocery Bags
  • Bio Medical Waste & Containers
  • Construction/Demo Waste Materials
  • Compressed Gas Cylinders
  • Paint Buckets/Containers
  • Tires o Ammunition or Firearms
  • Chemicals or Chemical Containers
  • Batteries
  • Electronics
  • Garden Hoses
  • Cables
  • Food Waste
  • Electronic Cases
  • Wood
  • Liquids
  • Auto Parts

• Red Oak’s yard waste removal service is an annual service for those areas that qualify for it.
• For select service areas, yard waste removal is not available. For others, it is not included in the monthly trash rate, but is available separately.
• In areas where yard waste services are available, yard waste must meet the following parameters and guidelines for removal. Yard waste that does not meet the required specifications listed here will not be removed.
  • Yard waste consists of grass clipping, leaves, pine straw, or small plant trimmings.
  • All yard waste must be either bagged or bundled and put inside the Red Oak trash can provided. If you need an additional trash cart, please call client services.
  • Please do not put yard waste in your recycling cart. Yard Waste that is in the recycling cart will not be dumped and will need to be removed. The client will need to clean the cart for service the following week.
  • Branches cannot exceed three (3) inches in diameter or two (2) feet in length to fit inside the trash cart.
  • No trees, tree limbs, stumps, bushes, shrubs, dirt, rocks, mulch, concrete, brick, pallets, or railroad ties will be accepted. If a client leaves these items curbside, service crews are not permitted to take them. Residential sanitation trucks are not equipped to handle such debris and it will be left behind. Contact client services for our recommended affiliate that can serve your yard waste removal needs.

• A bulk item is non-household waste that does not fit into the supplied trash container. E.g., bikes, furniture, appliances, mattresses, box springs, grills, rugs, etc. This does not include construction debris or items from remodels. Any appliances containing freon (fridges, freezers, AC units, etc.) must have the freon emptied and be tagged by a certified HVAC technician before removal. Removal of appliances containing freon is not available in Gwinnett County due to landfill restrictions. Please refer to our Pink Bag service for removal of waste from construction or remodeling projects.
• Before you throw away a bulk item, consider if it is recyclable or can be donated. Please see our Neighbors Helping Neighbors program. Consider donating items you no longer use to someone in need.
• Bulk items must be called in and scheduled for pickup. Items not called in will be left at the curb. Please use discretion, as some bulk items may need to be broken down and bundled together for removal or may not be considered bulk items. Please call customer service for rates and availability.
• We ask that the night before your bulk pickup, your items are left curbside in an open area clear of and far away from any objects such as:
  • Mailboxes and Hydrants
  • Vehicles
  • Cable and Power Boxes
  • Trees and Posts
  • Overhead Low Hanging Tree Limbs and Wires
  • Grass Areas/Lawns – We will not be responsible for damage to such areas.
• Our bulk truck has a claw that will pick up your bulk items and if the claw hits anything, it will damage it. If your bulk items are too close to anything the claw could damage during the removal, they will be left behind.
• We ask that if you are unable to place the bulk item out, please call us to reschedule or cancel before the scheduled date.

• Red Oak provides the opportunity for communities to have trash service at their clubhouse, or pool and tennis areas.
• As with residential service, carts at common areas must be out the night before the service day.
• Red Oak does not provide recycling or yard waste removal from the amenity center. If the community needs bulk item removal at a common area, please contact client services for rates and availability.
• Due to safety concerns and requirements with insurance companies, our crews are not permitted inside fenced amenity areas or parking lots where they must back up to turn around. All trash carts must be accessible curbside.

• Have more than a few bulk items or remodeling debris to get rid of? Red Oak is now offering Pink Bags for more substantial cleanup needs. The Pink Bag is 3 Cubic Yards, 8ft in length, 4ft wide, & 3ft tall. Pink Bags can be bought at our Main Office location: 4250 Keith Bridge Rd, Suite 160, Cumming, GA 30041 or can be delivered to your home within 2 business days.
• Please put The Pink Bag out curbside the night before your scheduled pickup. Place The Pink Bag at the end of the driveway on the opposite side of the mailbox. (You can leave it on the grass area by the curb, but we are not responsible for damages done to grass)
• The truck will only pick up what is specifically noted on the work order.
• Items not allowed in bags:
  • Rocks, steel beams, concrete, bricks, etc.
  • Paint 
  • Car parts
  • Trees 
  • Large amount of yard waste. The whole bag can’t be full of yard waste (a few yard waste bags are allowed inside bag)
  • Hazardous materials (oil, tires, paint, etc.)
  • Refrigerators or A/C units
• We ask that your Pink Bag is left in an open area clear of and away from any objects such as:
  • Mailboxes and Hydrants
  • Vehicles
  • Cable and Power Boxes
  • Trees and Posts
  • Overhead Low Hanging Tree Limbs and Wires
  • Grass Areas/Lawns – We will NOT be responsible for damage to such areas.
• Our bulk truck has a claw that will pick up your pink bag and if the claw hits anything, it will damage it. If your bulk items are too close to anything the claw could damage during the removal, your pink bag will be left behind.
• We ask that if you are unable to place the pink bag out, please call us to reschedule or cancel before the scheduled date.

• Red Oak offers live Christmas tree removal service for the two weeks following New Year’s Day. Trees must be cut in sections shorter than 3 feet for disposal purposes. Multiple cuts may be necessary. Trees must be called in and scheduled in advance. If not scheduled, it will not be picked up. Please call the office for rates and scheduling.
• Please consider recycling your Christmas tree. County programs and options are available each year.

• Ensure that the can is empty; you should not feel or hear any liquid moving when you shake the can.
• Disposing of partially full aerosol cans is dangerous due to them being pressurized. These cans require specific treatment.
• Do not attempt to puncture an aerosol can or expose it to extreme heat. You can leave the plastic pray nozzle on the can, and if the can has a plastic lid, you can remove it for recycling. 
• Some aerosol cans have specific disposal instructions, so be sure to follow them. Some cans contain hazardous materials and cannot be disposed of with your household trash, so please check the label.
• If you are unsure whether a specific can be recycled, call your town’s recycling center, and let them know the contents of the can.

To comply with state laws and regulations, follow these guidelines:

• If you are disposing of full biomedical containers, such as colostomy or urostomy bags, you must dispose of all urine or fecal matter; through a wastewater treatment system or a properly functioning septic tank system. In other words, you must empty the contents of the container, such as the colostomy bag, into a toilet and flush. The empty container can then be placed into a sealable plastic bag and disposed of with your regular household trash.
• If you are disposing of “sharps,” which include medical syringes, hypodermic needles, and lancets, you must place the sharps into a sealed, puncture-proof container before disposing of that container with your household trash.
• Follow these steps:
  • Place used sharps in a puncture-proof plastic container, such as a bleach or detergent bottle with a screw-top lid or a sharps container (sold at local pharmacies).
  • When full, screw the lid on tightly and tape it in place with duct tape.
  • With permanent marker, clearly label the containers “Bio-Hazard.”
  • Place the container into your household trash cart for collection.

Please click here to learn more about Georgia State regulations on the disposal of biomedical wastes.

• The account holder must be the one to call in and cancel the service.
• Cancellations must be scheduled one week prior to your last service day.
• Your trash and recycle carts must be curbside the evening before your pickup day and will be removed by our cart removal team on the last day of your service.
• If we are unable to remove our cans, you will be billed for them.
• Please contact customer service to set up your cancellation and schedule your final pick up. We do not accept letters or postcards as forms of cancellation.