Solid Waste
Autauga County solid waste services cover mandatory household trash collection, curbside preparation rules, free rural dumpsters for bulky items, and an annual Social Security-based exemption process for qualifying households. Residents may need to work with different organizations depending on the task: Autauga County oversees the solid waste program, Meridian Waste handles household collection service and billing questions, and the Autauga County Health Department receives annual exemption applications. The information below explains how those parts fit together, what residents should prepare, and which restrictions can affect collection or dumpster use.
Solid Waste Program Overview
Autauga County maintains an official Solid Waste department page covering household trash collection, rural dumpster service, exemption applications, county solid waste documents, and program contacts. The county identifies Hoyt Painter as its Solid Waste Officer.
The county describes household trash pickup as mandatory. Residents who need to establish household collection service are directed to Meridian Waste, the county's collection vendor. Meridian Waste also handles questions involving collection service and billing.
The county's mandatory collection program has a formal government basis. Autauga County Resolution 2007-05 states that county voters approved participation in mandatory garbage collection in a November 7, 2006 referendum. The County Commission adopted the resolution on March 20, 2007, with an effective date of January 1, 2008.
The resolution describes mandatory garbage collection within unincorporated areas of Autauga County and within incorporated areas that elected to be included under the ordinance through the applicable statutory procedure. Residents trying to determine how the program applies to a particular property should rely on the county's current Solid Waste information rather than assuming that every address is handled identically.
Weekly Household Trash Collection
Autauga County residents who need household collection service are instructed to contact Meridian Waste to establish service. Meridian Waste customer service is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The same customer service channel is used for service and billing questions.
Household trash collection is different from the county's free rural dumpster program. Regular household waste belongs in the assigned household collection system. The rural dumpsters are intended for qualifying rural trash and bulky items under separate rules and are available only at specified locations and times.
Collection Day Preparation
The county's garbage preparation instructions state that residents should place waste curbside by 5:00 AM on the scheduled collection day. Waiting until later in the morning can create a missed-collection problem if the collection vehicle has already passed the property.
All household waste should be bagged and tied. The county explains that this helps during collection and helps prevent litter. Waste should also be contained inside the ADSI cart rather than placed loosely around it.
Cart Placement Requirements
The cart should be placed within five feet of the road and at least five feet away from other objects. The opening of the cart lid should face the road, while the handles should face the house. This positioning allows the collection equipment to approach the cart from the correct side.
The county also directs customers to place the quarterly colored sticker on the front of the cart facing the road. The sticker identifies a current active account. Residents should make sure that it remains visible when the cart is positioned for collection.
Waste Must Stay Secured
The waste producer is responsible for keeping garbage secured until it is collected. Bagging and tying household waste, placing it inside the cart, and positioning the cart as instructed can reduce loose trash around the road and help prevent litter before the collection vehicle arrives.
Hazardous materials are not allowed in the household collection system described by the county. Residents should not treat the household cart as a disposal option for materials that the county specifically excludes.
Moving and County Carts
Residents who move should not take the collection cart with them. The county's preparation instructions state that the cart is the property of Meridian Waste. Leaving it at the service location avoids moving vendor-owned equipment to a different address.
Rural Dumpster Service
The Autauga County Commission provides free public dumpsters for the collection of rural trash and bulky items for Autauga County residents. The program is intended to provide a disposal option for certain items that do not fit in a normal household trash cart.
The service operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Only one dumpster is provided per scheduled day. Once the dumpster is full, the truck leaves and does not return that day. The service period begins at 8:00 AM and ends when the dumpster is full or at noon, whichever comes first.
Residents planning to use the program should account for the capacity limitation. Arriving near noon does not guarantee that a dumpster will still be available because collection can end earlier when the container reaches capacity.
Monthly Dumpster Locations
The county currently identifies three recurring rural dumpster locations:
Pine Level: County Road 59 and Highway 31 North, on the second Saturday of each month, from 8:00 AM until the dumpster is full or noon at the latest.
Joffre: County Road 40 West and County Road 69, on the third Saturday of each month, from 8:00 AM until the dumpster is full or noon at the latest.
Milton: County Road 40 West and County Road 1 North, on the fourth Saturday of each month, from 8:00 AM until the dumpster is full or noon at the latest.
The county provides both a rural dumpster information flyer and a map of dumpster locations. Residents unfamiliar with the rural intersections can review the county map before traveling to a collection site.
Proof of County Residency
The rural dumpster program is limited to Autauga County residents. The county instructs users to bring a utility bill showing an Autauga County address. This requirement provides a straightforward way to document eligibility at the collection site.
Businesses, contractors, and out-of-county residents are excluded from the program. The dumpsters should therefore not be treated as a business disposal service, construction disposal option, or regional public dump open to anyone.
Accepted Bulky Items
The rural dumpster program accepts bulky household items that will not fit into a normal trash cart. Examples provided by Autauga County include:
Mattresses and box springs
Bed frames
Sofas
Furniture items
Small appliances
The size of an item alone does not determine whether it is acceptable. Residents should compare what they intend to bring with both the accepted examples and the county's exclusion list. Some large household or property-related items are specifically prohibited even though they would not fit in a normal cart.
Items Excluded From Dumpsters
Autauga County identifies several materials that will not be accepted through the rural dumpster service. Residents should separate these items before loading a vehicle because bringing an excluded material to a collection site does not make it eligible for disposal.
Garbage
Liquids
Chemicals
Pesticides
Dead animals
Motor oil
Scrap tires
Batteries
Yard waste
Lumber
Refrigerators
Freezers
This list also illustrates why the free dumpsters should not be confused with routine household collection. Ordinary garbage is specifically excluded from the rural bulky-item dumpsters even though household garbage is handled through the county's mandatory collection program.
Social Security Exemptions
Autauga County provides a solid waste collection exemption process for households whose entire household income comes only from Social Security payments or disability. The exemption is designed to cover the cost of collection for households that meet the county's stated income-source requirement.
A household is not eligible to request this exemption if it has any other type of income. The county's standard is therefore based on the income source of the entire household, not merely the income received by the person completing the application.
Annual Application Requirement
The Social Security exemption does not renew automatically. Residents must apply every year if they want to be considered for the exemption for another year.
Applications are accepted from September 1 through November 30 by the Autauga County Health Department. The county requires the application, questionnaire, and supporting documentation to be received by November 30. If those materials are not received by the deadline, the resident must wait until the following year's application period.
This makes the annual deadline particularly significant. Submitting only part of the required materials is not the same as completing the exemption request. Residents should prepare the required forms and supporting documentation with enough time to make sure the Health Department receives the complete submission by November 30.
Documents Used for Exemptions
The county's Solid Waste page provides three separate documents for the exemption process: exemption instructions, a Solid Waste Exemption questionnaire, and an application for the Solid Waste Exemption. Residents should treat these documents as separate parts of the process rather than assuming that completing one form satisfies all requirements.
The questionnaire is used to determine whether the household meets the county's stated eligibility condition. Supporting documentation is also required. Because the county specifies that the application, questionnaire, and supporting documentation all must be received by the deadline, applicants should review the complete exemption package before submitting it.
County and Vendor Responsibilities
Solid waste questions can involve more than one organization, and sending a request to the correct place can prevent unnecessary delays. Autauga County administers the county Solid Waste program and publishes the rules for household collection, rural bulky-item dumpsters, exemptions, and related county policies.
Meridian Waste serves as the collection vendor for household trash. Residents are directed to Meridian Waste when setting up new collection service and when asking questions about service or billing. The vendor relationship does not make the rural dumpster program a Meridian Waste customer-service function; the county separately manages the dumpster information provided on its Solid Waste page.
The Autauga County Health Department handles annual Social Security exemption applications during the September 1 through November 30 filing period. Residents seeking that exemption should not confuse the Health Department's role with Meridian Waste's role in setting up regular collection accounts.
Common Solid Waste Mistakes
Setting Trash Out Too Late
Household waste must be curbside by 5:00 AM on the scheduled collection day. Placing the cart out after the collection route has already passed can result in trash remaining at the property until another collection opportunity.
Incorrect Cart Positioning
A cart placed too far from the road, too close to another object, or facing in the wrong direction does not follow the county's preparation instructions. The cart should be within five feet of the road, five feet from surrounding objects, with the lid opening toward the road and the handles toward the house.
Leaving Waste Outside Cart
The county states that household waste should be bagged, tied, and contained inside the ADSI cart. Loose bags or unsecured trash around the cart do not follow the stated preparation requirements and can contribute to litter.
Using Dumpsters for Garbage
The free rural dumpsters are intended for qualifying rural trash and bulky items, including furniture and other listed items that do not fit in a normal cart. Regular garbage is specifically excluded from those dumpsters and should not be brought to the rural collection sites.
Bringing Prohibited Materials
Liquids, chemicals, pesticides, motor oil, batteries, tires, yard waste, lumber, refrigerators, freezers, and the other excluded materials should not be brought to the rural dumpsters. Reviewing the county flyer before loading a vehicle can prevent an unnecessary trip with materials that will not be accepted.
Arriving After Capacity Is Reached
The posted hours do not mean a dumpster will remain available until noon. The service ends as soon as the day's single dumpster is full. Residents using the program should understand that capacity, not just the clock, determines when service closes.
Applying Once for an Exemption
Receiving an exemption for one year does not create permanent exemption status. The county requires a new application each year and does not provide automatic renewal.
Missing the November Deadline
The full exemption package must be received by November 30. Residents who miss that deadline must wait until the following year's application period. Because the county requires the application, questionnaire, and supporting documentation, applicants should not wait until the deadline to determine whether part of the package is incomplete.
Program Planning Documents
Autauga County also publishes a 2024-2034 Solid Waste Management Plan. This document is separate from the day-to-day instructions residents use for household collection, dumpster schedules, and exemptions. Residents looking for immediate service instructions should use the county's Solid Waste service information, while the management plan serves as a county planning document.
The mandatory garbage collection resolution is likewise different from customer service instructions. It documents the County Commission's adoption of mandatory garbage collection and the geographic scope described in the resolution, while the current Solid Waste page provides the practical information residents use to interact with the program.
Departments and Offices
Autauga County Solid Waste
Phone: 334-850-7153
Autauga County Administrator Office
135 North Court Street, Suite B
Prattville, AL 36067
Phone: (334) 358-6700
Solid Waste FAQs
Does mandatory garbage collection apply to every address in Autauga County?
Not necessarily in exactly the same way. The county’s mandatory garbage collection resolution requires participation in unincorporated areas of Autauga County. It also covers incorporated areas that elected to participate through the procedure allowed by Alabama law. Residents inside a city or town should therefore avoid assuming that countywide mandatory collection automatically means every incorporated address follows identical arrangements. For current service information, check the county’s official Solid Waste page for the rules presently published for residents.
Where should I check for the latest county waste rules?
The official Autauga County Solid Waste page is the best starting point for current county information. It brings together household collection information, county documents, exemption forms, rural dumpster information, and other program notices. This is particularly important when using an older saved flyer or PDF, because schedules, forms, procedures, and published instructions can be revised over time.
Is the 2024–2034 management plan a pickup guide?
No. The 2024–2034 Solid Waste Management Plan is a county planning document rather than a day-to-day collection guide. Residents looking for immediate instructions, current program requirements, or operational notices should use the county’s current Solid Waste webpage instead of relying on the management plan for routine service decisions.
What does the 2007 county resolution actually establish?
The resolution documents the legal adoption of mandatory garbage collection following the November 7, 2006 county referendum. The Autauga County Commission adopted the resolution on March 20, 2007, and set January 1, 2008 as the effective date. It establishes the program’s legal framework and geographic scope, but it should not be treated as a substitute for current operational instructions published by the county.