Cobb County haulers report fewer complaints, expanded service options; county reminds haulers to register

At a May 27, 2025 Cobb County work session, the county’s sustainability division and the Haulers Association briefed the Board on the state of residential garbage and recycling collection in unincorporated Cobb County and urged haulers to keep registrations current.

Tom Gibson (agency director for public services) told the Board the county has roughly 232,000 dwellings in unincorporated areas and 17 registered haulers as of May 21, 2025. He said renewal registration packets are sent in mid‑November and must be completed by the end of January to avoid penalties; new hauler applicants should call the solid waste division to request the registration packet.

Brian Warren, president of the Haulers Association of Cobb County, said the association now includes 10 member companies and that three to four new residential hauling companies have started service this year in zip codes that previously had limited options. Warren highlighted the county’s cobtrashhelp.com intake process as an accountability tool: the site forwards complaints to the registered hauler and tracks response and resolution. Warren reported that complaints through cobtrashhelp.com fell from five during the previous year’s comparable period to one this year; that single complaint was resolved the same day it was submitted.

Waste Connections, the company that purchased American Disposal, reported operational improvements. Dakota Kisic, the company’s local manager, told the Board calls to their call center fell from roughly 1,000 per day at a previous peak to about 250 per day and that the company had not experienced missed routes for more than seven months. Warren also described a pilot recycling collection program at the county building where the briefing occurred.

County staff and haulers reiterated how residents can request service or file complaints: the county website form (cobtrashhelp.com) and a department phone number handled by the sustainability, waste and beautification office. Dr. Gibson noted the department enforces registration and that the county asks anyone collecting waste in Cobb County to be registered.

Quotes (selected) - Tom Gibson, agency director for public services: "we have approximately about, 232,000 dwellings" in unincorporated Cobb and "we currently have 17 registered haulers in Cobb County." - Brian Warren, Haulers Association president: "This year to date, we've only received 1 complaint and the complaint was minor... the same day, the complaint was resolved." - Dakota Kisic, Waste Connections manager: "They used to receive about a thousand calls a day... They're down now to 250 a day, which is a 75% reduction. They haven't had to cancel or had any missed routes in over 7 months."

Ending County staff asked haulers to keep registrations current and encouraged residents to contact their provider first and then use cobtrashhelp.com if issues are not resolved. Warren and county staff said partnership among haulers and county departments has reduced service complaints and improved responsiveness.