Gadsden Free Dumpster Day Set for Saturday, Aug. 15

Gadsden’s next Free Dumpster Day is set for Saturday, Aug. 15. The city puts dumpsters at three locations for residents to drop off bulky household items at no cost, and the landfill opens for free dumping with a valid Gadsden ID. In past events the hours have run 7 a.m. to noon.

GADSDEN, AL – Residents with a garage to clear out or a pile of bulky trash they cannot fit in a rollcart have a free option this weekend. The City of Gadsden holds its next Free Dumpster Day on Saturday, Aug. 15.

The event runs roughly quarterly and follows a consistent format. Dumpsters go out at three sites across the city, the landfill opens for free dumping to residents who can show a Gadsden ID, and the recycling center takes materials that do not belong in a dumpster at all.

Where are the dumpsters?

Dumpsters are set up at three locations:

• Behind Emma Sansom Middle School, 2200 block of Sansom Avenue
• 346 South First Street, in the parking lot across from The Amp
• East Gadsden Community Center, 921 Wilson Ave.

At recent events, part of Sansom Avenue has been closed behind the middle school, with the city directing drivers to enter from Meighan Boulevard at the Alabama City Center and North 21st Street. Residents heading to that site should plan for the detour.

What time does Free Dumpster Day start?

The city’s recent Free Dumpster Days have run from 7 a.m. to noon, and the landfill has kept the same hours.

Arriving early matters. Dumpsters fill through the morning, and once a container is full at one site the remaining options are the other two locations or the landfill.

What items are not accepted?

The city’s standing list of materials turned away at dumpster sites includes liquids, household garbage, tires, batteries of any kind including car and cell phone batteries, glass, paint cans, and electronics such as old televisions.

The city also reserves the right to refuse any load brought to a dumpster location.

Metal and construction debris, including shingles, sheet rock and wood, are directed to the landfill rather than the neighborhood dumpsters.

Can residents use the landfill?

Yes. The landfill at 111 Burns Way Drive opens for free dumping during the same window, and residents need a valid Gadsden identification to use it.

That is the route for anything too heavy or too bulky for a dumpster site, and it is where construction debris and scrap metal are supposed to go.

What about recycling?

Gadsden Recycles at 306 Henry St. has opened alongside recent Free Dumpster Days, taking cardboard, newspaper, aluminum and electronics. Glass and plastic have not been accepted there.

For residents clearing out a house, that split matters. Old televisions and computers are turned away at the dumpsters but accepted at the recycling center.

A note on the heat

Saturday’s cleanup falls in the middle of a stretch of dangerous heat. Gadsden is under a Heat Advisory this week, with forecasters expecting the pattern to hold into the weekend. Hauling debris in the morning is the better call, and the 7 a.m. opening helps.

Frequently asked questions

When is Gadsden’s Free Dumpster Day?
Saturday, Aug. 15. Recent events have run 7 a.m. to noon.

Do I have to be a Gadsden resident?
The event is for city residents, and the landfill requires a valid Gadsden ID.

What does it cost?
Nothing. Both the dumpster sites and the landfill are free during the event.

Where do I take old paint, tires or a TV?
Not to the dumpsters. Electronics can go to Gadsden Recycles at 306 Henry St. Paint, tires and batteries need separate disposal through the city.

Where do I take construction debris?
Directly to the landfill at 111 Burns Way Drive, not to the neighborhood dumpster sites.

Residents with questions about a specific load can contact the City of Gadsden Public Works Department. GadsdenThrive will update this story if the city announces changes to the locations or hours.