Spring in West Georgia Means Storm Season

Winter passes, the windows open, and the yard shows what the weather did while you weren’t looking.

In West Georgia, spring also means tornado season. March through May is peak time in Dixie Alley — and heavy spring storms leave behind branches, debris, and yard waste that has to go somewhere.

Your 95-gallon red cart is for household trash. Here’s what belongs in it, and what belongs at the county convenience center instead.

What Your Cart Handles Just Fine

Your cart takes everyday household trash:

Bagged household trash and packaging
Paper and cardboard — break down boxes flat
Worn-out linens, pillows, and soft goods
Small broken plastic and metal household items
Spoiled food, packaging, and canned goods

If it fits in a bag and the lid closes completely, it can go in. Yard waste is the one exception — it never goes in the cart. See below.

Yard Waste and Storm Debris: Take It to the Convenience Center

Grass clippings, leaves, and branches never go inside your cart, even bagged, and they aren’t collected beside it. County convenience centers in Carroll, Haralson, and Heard counties accept yard debris — check your county’s hours.

Large limbs and tree sections — Too bulky for the residential cart. Cut them down significantly or haul them to the convenience center separately.

Leaves and small branches — Not for the cart. Haul them to the convenience center too.

Dirt and sod — Doesn’t go in the cart. Dirt is heavy and isn’t classified as household or yard waste.

What Doesn’t Go In — No Matter What

Common items that cannot go in your Bowdon Disposal cart:

Old electronics. That TV from the garage, outdated computers, old monitors. West Georgia counties have e-waste drop-off programs — check with your county for locations and hours.

Ceramic flower pots and planters. This one surprises people every spring. Ceramic, terra cotta, and clay planters are too heavy and shatter into sharp shards that can injure our crew. This applies to damaged planters and ones that are just old. Ceramic goes to the convenience center.

Old paint cans. Wet or liquid paint cannot go in the cart — it spills and contaminates. Let it dry completely first: leave the lid off until the paint hardens fully, then the dried can is fine for the cart.

Batteries. Old smoke detector batteries, flashlight batteries, whatever’s been sitting in the junk drawer. Batteries require separate disposal — hardware stores and many retailers accept them.

Large appliances. Old refrigerators, chest freezers from the garage, washing machines — these need a special arrangement. Call us at (470) 943-3355 to discuss options.

Construction debris. If a spring home improvement project is underway, the resulting waste (lumber, drywall, concrete, tiles, roofing material) needs a dumpster. That’s not residential trash.

Propane tanks. Old grill tanks or standalone tanks need to be properly emptied and disposed of through a propane supplier or retailer.

Spray paint cans. Pressurized cans can explode in a compactor. Empty cans may be okay, but when in doubt, leave them out.

Keep the Cart Rules Simple

Lid closes completely. Nothing sticking out. Cart out the night before your pickup day. That’s all it takes.

When in Doubt, Ask

Spring always surfaces the weird stuff. If you’re staring at something and genuinely aren’t sure whether it belongs in the cart, call us before putting it in.

(470) 943-3355 — Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Two minutes on the phone is better than a missed pickup or an unsafe item on the route.