Spring in East Cobb means fresh mulch, blooming gardens, and yard clippings that seem to multiply overnight. Fall brings a whole different category of yard debris: leaves, leaves, and more leaves. Either way — if you're a TrashTastic customer, yard waste pickup is already included with your service.

Cobb County Yard Waste Rules at a Glance

Paper yard waste bags only. No plastic.
Under 50 lbs per bag.
Up to 3 bags a week, included with your TrashTastic service.
At the curb on your regular service day, even if you have valet.
Branches bundled with twine, max 4 ft long.
Bigger than that? Tree trunks, large limbs and big cleanouts go to bulk pickup.

What's Included

We pick up up to three bags of yard waste per week, at no additional charge, as long as they're at the curb on your regular service day.

A few ground rules to keep things smooth:

Use paper yard waste bags — the kraft-paper kind you can get at any hardware store or big-box retailer. No plastic bags; they don't break down and the composter won't take them.
Under 50 lbs per bag. Yard waste gets heavy fast when it's wet. If you can't lift it comfortably with one hand, split it into two bags.
At the curb by your pickup time — same drop-off rules as your regular trash bin.

What Counts as Yard Waste

Grass clippings
Leaves
Small branches and sticks (bundled with twine is great)
Garden trimmings, pulled weeds, spent annuals
Pine straw and pine cones

What Doesn't Count

Tree trunks or large limbs (these need a bulk pickup — see below)
Dirt, rocks, or sod
Treated lumber or construction debris
Bagged waste mixed with household trash

A Heads-Up for Valet VIPs

If you have our valet service, we normally grab your bin from the side of the house and bring it back — that's the whole point. But yard waste bags have to come to the curb.

Why? Paper bags get wet. Wet paper bags tear. Torn paper bags full of grass clippings turn into a mushy mess in the middle of your driveway. We pinky-promise to take it from there — but the bags themselves need to make the trip to the curb.

Leaf Season in Cobb County

October through December is when the bags really pile up. A few things that keep leaf season manageable:

Bag a little each week. Three bags a week is included, so spreading the raking out over the season keeps you inside the allowance instead of facing twelve bags after the last big drop.
Keep leaves dry when you can. Wet leaves get heavy fast. Fill bags part-way if they've been rained on so each one stays under 50 lbs.
Mulch some in place. Running the mower over a thin layer of leaves returns them to the lawn and means fewer bags to haul.
Leaves only in yard waste bags. No trash, plastic or pet waste mixed in.
More than three bags? Give us a call before your service day and we'll tell you how to handle the extras.

What About Big Projects?

Did a storm drop a big branch in the yard? Pulling out hedges and replanting? That's past yard-waste scope and into bulk pickup territory. Bulk pickup is available to TrashTastic subscribers with a $250 minimum — see how bulk trash pickup works, then send us a photo for a quote.

Not a TrashTastic Customer?

Cobb County doesn't run curbside trash or yard waste collection itself — in unincorporated Cobb, it's handled by private haulers like us. If you'd rather haul it yourself, the county lists a vegetative waste drop-off site on its waste disposal page. Inside City of Marietta limits, the city's Sanitation Division collects yard waste (details). For the bigger picture, read our guide to trash pickup in Cobb County.

A Quick Prep Checklist

Paper bags only (no plastic).
Under 50 lbs each.
Three bags max per week (extras? call us).
At the curb on your regular service day.
Branches bundled with twine, max 4 ft long.

Why Yard Waste Matters

Keeping yard waste out of the landfill is one of the biggest wins in residential recycling. Yard clippings get composted and turned back into soil amendment — a real closed loop, unlike some recycling streams where the math gets murky. Cobb County has solid composting infrastructure, and TrashTastic routes your bags straight there.

Questions?

If you need help coordinating an extra pickup or you're not sure whether something counts as yard waste, reply to any of our emails or call us at 470-664-3100. We're happy to help — and we're local, so you'll actually reach a person.

Now go enjoy that beautiful yard. We'll handle the messy part.