FAQs

Garbage is basically food waste, paper products or most things that come out of the kitchen or bathroom. Trash can be lots of things including grass clippings, twigs, hedge clippings; or it can be junk or rubbish – generally, it’s anything that doesn’t come out of your kitchen or bathroom.

Huntsville Residents The Huntsville City Sanitation Dept. picks up your garbage AND your trash.
Madison Residents Your garbage is collected by the Madison County Waste Control Dept.. Your trash is collected by the city of Madison.
Madison County Residents The Madison County Waste Control Dept. picks up your garbage. Your trash is collected by your county commissioner’s office.

Once garbage trucks are loaded, the majority of them empty their trucks at the Huntsville Waste-to-Energy facility. One of the great advantages of this facility is that it reduces the volume of garbage by 90%. So, only 10% of the volume of garbage that we put on the curb is actually landfilled.

By the time our garbage goes through the combustion process at the facility, it becomes ash, which is transported to the landfill for disposal. However, we go one step further before disposing of the ash. We remove the ferrous and non-ferrous metals from the ash and send them to be recycled.

Another big advantage of the waste-to-energy facility is that the combustion process produces steam that Redstone Arsenal uses to heat its buildings and run some of its equipment. Also, the facility is equipped with state-of-the-art pollution control equipment, which monitors the round-the-clock combustion processes.

The Solid Waste Disposal Authority is responsible for garbage disposal, not garbage collection. Please call the following offices for assistance regarding your garbage collection:

City of Huntsville Residents
Huntsville City Sanitation Department  |  256-883-3964
For a holiday collection schedule go to the Public Works section of the City’s website.

City of Madison Residents
Madison County Waste Control Department  |  256-532-1513
Or go to the Madison County website, scroll to the bottom of the County Departments page.

Madison County Residents
Madison County Waste Control Department  | 256-532-1513
Or go to the Madison County website and scroll to the bottom of the County Departments page.

Bring these items to the Handle with Care household hazardous waste facility at 1055 A Cleaner Way in Huntsville on Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. No charge. Additional off‐site collection events will be held throughout the year. View the upcoming Community Collection Event (CCE) dates HERE. Special arrangements can be made for the handicapped and disabled by calling 256-882-0155. For a complete list of acceptable items, go to the Household Hazardous Waste Program page. 

Yes, both disposal facilities accept garbage from individuals and businesses. Disposal rates vary according to type of material and weight; so you may want to call ahead and get information, 256-880-6054. The Huntsville Landfill is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. The landfill is closed on weekends. The waste-to-energy facility is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, 7:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

Waste-to-Energy Facility	Landfill
Small burnable items	Furniture
Household garbage	Cabinets
Paper products	Construction and demolition debris
	Shingles
	Tree limbs, stumps, brush (“green” waste)
	Appliances
	Passenger & Large tires (truck/heavy equipment tires)

Items like paint/paint products, lawn and garden poisons, used motor oil, antifreeze, automotive fluids, cleaners, solvents, acids, batteries and fluorescent lights should be taken to the Handle With Care household hazardous waste facility, 1055 A Cleaner Way Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. For a complete list of acceptable items, go to the Household Hazardous Waste Program page. 

For information and to sign up for the new free curbside cart recycling program beginning August 1, 2019, please visit the Recycling Alliance of North Alabama (RANA) here

Aluminum Cans
Steel Cans

• Empty and rinse before placing them loose in the cart
• Lids and Labels can remain on

Newspapers and Inserts
Magazines and Catalogs
Junk Mail and Stationery
Shredded Paper (in bags)
Computer and Printer Paper
School and Office Paper
Paperback Books and Phone Books
Paper Bags
Cereal and Pasta Boxes
Tissue Boxes and Beverage Cartons

• Dry when placed in cart
• Shredded paper can be bagged in PAPER bags (not plastic)

• Broken down to fit in the cart
• Clean and dry

Water Bottles
Soft Drink Bottles
Condiment Bottles
Milk Jugs
Soap Containers
Shampoo Bottles
Laundry Detergent Bottles

• Empty and rinse before placing them in the cart
• Caps can remain on

Tissue Boxes
Cereal Boxes
Pasta Boxes
Cardboard Egg Crates

• Clean and dry

It is any product or material that can present an environmental hazard when used, stored, or disposed of improperly. Residents of Huntsville and Madison County can safely dispose of these items at the Handle With Care household hazardous waste facility, 1055 A Cleaner Way Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. For questions, please call 256-882-0155. 

Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Handle With Care household hazardous waste facility, 1055 A Cleaner Way. Additional off‐site collection events will be held throughout the year. View the upcoming Community Collection Event (CCE) dates HERE.  For more information, go to the Household Hazardous Waste Program page or call 256-882-0155. 

4100 Leeman Ferry Road
(just south of the Leeman Ferry and Johnson Road intersection)
Monday through Friday  7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday  Closed

*Minimum charges apply in all categories

Municipal Solid Waste (household garbage) at Landfill and Steam plant	$39.90 per ton
Construction and Demolition Waste, Yard Waste and certain other waste Examples include: Sheet rock, wallboard, panels, lumber, wood pallets, roofing, wiring, and non-hazardous electrical scrap, pipe, building construction metals, insulation (excluding asbestos), brick, concrete, asphalt, stone, soil, trees, limbs, shrubbery and grass trimmings.	$26.50 per ton
Tires	$200 per ton
Asbestos-bearing waste Accepted under specific guidelines. Call 256-881-8700 for instructions.	Call for details

Waste-to-energy facility:  256-882-1019

Landfill:  256-880-6054 

Tour groups are comprised of everyone from elementary school students to senior citizens. Reservations can be made by calling the above. Typical tours include a discussion about the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle), our community’s waste handling practices, and a tour of the waste-to-energy facility and/or a driving tour of the landfill. Come see if you can find the Cheerios box you threw away – among the 2,000 tons of garbage at the waste-to-energy facility. 

Ticket copies are available by calling 256-880-6054. Cost per copy is $10. 

Business accounts are available. Click here for more information. 

Please call 256-880-6054 for assistance.