About the Sanitation Department
The City of Gatlinburg's Sanitation Department strives to maintain the beauty and cleanliness of the City through daily business and residential trash pick-up. Due to Gatlinburg's sole industry of tourism, the volume of trash during peak visitation can present challenges, but sanitation crews work 364 days a year to maintain the City's standard of cleanliness. During the 2022 calendar year, the City disposed of over 13,000 tons of garbage.
CONTACT US
Phone: 865-436-5959
Disposal of Waste Process
After Sanitation Department crews collect trash throughout the day, it is taken to a Transfer Station located on Banner Road, adjacent to the Wastewater Treatment plant. This Transfer Station, which was upgraded in 2023, helps make the disposal of waste more efficient for the Sanitation Department.
Once arriving at the Transfer Station with garbage, crews dump it into a compactor, which is connected to a walking floor trailer. Garbage is then compacted in the trailer, which allows for approximately 45 tons of storage. Once the trailer is full, it is taken to Sevier Solid Waste. Before the 2023 upgrade, the City previously used a 15-ton capacity trailer to haul waste to Sevier Solid Waste's facility. The tripled capacity of the upgraded transfer station reduces trips that Gatlinburg crews make to Sevier Solid Waste by approximately 66.7%.
The process of collection, transfer, and dumping, mostly unseen by the public, is critical to Gatlinburg's standard of cleanliness.
The City of Gatlinburg hosts a Recycling Collection Center in cooperation with Sevier Solid Waste. The Recycling Collection Center is located at 1855 East Parkway and is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. More information on the recycling collection center can be found here.
Dumpsters
The Sanitation Department services 480 dumpsters within Gatlinburg and empties them from anywhere between a daily basis to once a week, depending on the customer's request. The Department also provides commercial curbside pickup of garbage as well.
The City recently began an Animal Resistant Dumpster Program. More information on this program is available here.
The City of Gatlinburg requires commercial and residential trash containers located in certain areas of the City limits to be animal resistant to protect wildlife from being habituated to human food. Click here for more information on the City's Black Bear Management Program, which outlines the areas of the City where these animal-resistant receptacles are required.
Residential Pickup
Residential crews work Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Pick-up for dumpsters occurs seven days a week from 3 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. If you have any questions about pick-up schedules or dumpsters, please call the Sanitation Department at
(865) 436-5959.
Residential containers that are in the areas of the City that require animal-resistant receptacles must be properly secured.
Commercial Curbside Pickup
There are two commercial curbside pick-ups each day for Parkway businesses. These pick-ups will occur at approximately 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. Placement of garbage on the sidewalk should occur no sooner than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled pick-up. If your business closes early, please hold your garbage inside your facility until the 11 a.m. pickup time.
If you have any questions about pick-up schedules, please call the Sanitation Department at (865) 436-5959.
Disposal of Different Types of Waste and County Convenience Centers
Use the below application, courtesy of Sevier Solid Waste, to determine how to dispose of certain materials and locations of convenience centers in Sevier County.
Disposal of Hazardous Household Wastes
In the Spring of 2022, in partnership with Sevier County and Sevier Solid Waste, Keep Sevier Beautiful opened a Hazardous Household Waste Collection Center, which is located at 943 Centerview Road, Sevierville, TN 37862.
This collection center accepts leftover household products that are considered flammable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic, except latex paint.
The Collection Site is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. and Saturday's from 7 a.m. until noon.
For more information on the Collection Site or accepted materials, please visit this link.