Murfreesboro, TN guide
Tennessee debris disposal rules come from three different layers of government. Here's who regulates what, which items are off-limits in a rental dumpster, and where Rutherford County residents can legally take the rest.
Renting a dumpster in Rutherford County comes with a short list of rules that are easy to follow once you know them — and expensive to ignore if you don't. Some of those rules come from the State of Tennessee, some come from Rutherford County, and a few come from the City of Murfreesboro. This guide walks through who regulates what, which materials are off-limits in a roll-off dumpster, and where local residents and contractors can legally take the items a dumpster can't hold. As always, verify current details with the agency directly before your project — rules and hours can change, and your Big Dave's crew is happy to double-check anything specific to your job when you book.
It helps to understand that "debris disposal rules" in Rutherford County actually come from three different layers of government, each with a different job:
When you rent a roll-off dumpster from Big Dave's, we handle the trip to a permitted disposal facility for you. But a small number of materials can't legally go into any dumpster — ours or anyone else's — because state and federal law routes them to a different disposal path entirely. Knowing that list before you start loading saves you a redo, a fee, or worse, a fine.
Every reputable dumpster rental company in Middle Tennessee works from roughly the same prohibited-items list, because it's driven by state law and by what permitted landfills and C&D facilities are allowed to accept — not by company preference. Here's what to keep out of your Big Dave's dumpster and, in general terms, why:
| Item | Why it's restricted |
|---|---|
| Tires (any quantity) | Tennessee law bans whole, unshredded tires from landfills outright (Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-211-865). Tires must go to a permitted tire processor or a county tire collection point instead. |
| Household hazardous waste | Paint thinners, pesticides, pool chemicals, herbicides, automotive fluids, and similar flammable, corrosive, or reactive chemicals are handled through TDEC's dedicated Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) program, not through general solid waste disposal. |
| Electronics ("e-waste") | TVs, computers, monitors, and similar devices contain lead, cadmium, and other metals the state discourages landfilling. Rutherford County accepts residential e-waste free of charge at select convenience centers instead. |
| Batteries (household and vehicle) | Lead-acid batteries and rechargeable batteries are recyclable and are kept out of the general waste stream through separate collection. |
| Refrigerant-bearing appliances | Refrigerators, freezers, and window AC units contain refrigerant that federal law (Clean Air Act Section 608) requires to be professionally recovered before the appliance is scrapped or landfilled. |
| Wet or liquid paint | Liquid paint is treated as hazardous or special waste in most cases. Fully dried latex paint is often acceptable as regular trash — but check first rather than assuming. |
| Medical and biohazard waste | Regulated separately for public health reasons; never appropriate for any general dumpster. |
| Asbestos-containing material | A regulated special waste requiring specific handling, packaging, and a permitted disposal site — call us before you start any demolition where this is a possibility. |
| Contaminated soil or fuel tanks | Anything suspected of contamination requires special waste approval from TDEC before disposal, not a standard roll-off. |
If you're not sure whether something on your job site fits one of these categories, ask before you load it. It's a five-minute phone call to Big Dave's versus a dumpster that gets rejected at the facility, and rejected loads cost time and money either way.
The restricted list looks longer than it is in practice. The overwhelming majority of what actually fills a residential or construction dumpster is completely fine to load, including:
When you book with us, we'll confirm your project type and pick the right size from our dumpster size guide so your load matches what the destination facility is actually equipped to process.
Construction and demolition (C&D) debris — concrete, wood, drywall, roofing, and similar building materials — is regulated by TDEC as its own category of solid waste, separate from household garbage and separate from Class I municipal solid waste landfills. Tennessee permits dedicated C&D disposal facilities specifically for this material, and those facilities have their own acceptance criteria.
In practice, that means a couple of things worth knowing before a bigger renovation, teardown, or new-build project:
With Rutherford County and the wider Nashville metro area among the fastest-growing parts of Tennessee, new subdivisions, remodels, and commercial buildouts are a daily reality around Murfreesboro — and a predictable stream of legitimate C&D debris that's easy to dispose of correctly when you know the basics above.
Rutherford County and the City of Murfreesboro both maintain their own drop-off options for the materials listed above. A few starting points, current as of this writing (always confirm hours and current acceptance rules before you make the trip, since these do change):
When in doubt, it's always faster to call the county or city department directly — or ask us. We haul in and around Rutherford County every day and generally know the current lay of the land for the projects we serve.
Tennessee treats illegal dumping as a criminal offense, not just a code violation. Under the state's litter and illegal dumping statutes (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-502 et seq.), dumping waste on public or private property without authorization can carry real fines and, depending on the quantity and material involved, escalate well beyond a simple ticket. Rutherford County has also seen genuine local attention on solid waste capacity and siting in recent years, including public discussion at the County Commission level about future landfill needs — a reminder that where debris legally goes is an active, ongoing local issue, not settled once and forgotten.
The practical upshot for anyone with a pile of debris and a deadline: a legitimately permitted disposal path, whether that's a rented dumpster hauled to a licensed facility or a proper drop-off at a county convenience center, is almost always cheaper than the risk of a citation — and it's the only option that doesn't leave debris as somebody else's problem.
We've been hauling debris in and around Murfreesboro since 2016, and every dumpster we drop is headed to a permitted disposal facility. Part of our job, alongside picking the right size and getting it placed where you need it, is helping you sort out what belongs in the dumpster and what needs a different stop. A few ways we make that easy:
Have a specific material you're not sure about? Check our FAQ page or give us a call before you start loading — it's the fastest way to keep your project moving without a surprise at the disposal facility.
| Goes in a rented dumpster | Needs a separate drop-off |
|---|---|
| Furniture, general household junk | Household hazardous chemicals (paint thinner, pesticides, pool chemicals) |
| Drywall, lumber, flooring, roofing shingles | Tires (any quantity) |
| Concrete, brick, block, dirt (weight limits apply) | TVs, computers, and other electronics |
| Cardboard and packaging | Batteries (household and automotive) |
| Brush and yard debris (confirm with us first) | Refrigerators, freezers, window AC units (refrigerant) |
| Non-hazardous demolition debris | Wet paint, medical waste, asbestos, contaminated soil |
For more on planning your specific project, see our guides to choosing the right dumpster size, street placement and permits, and our companion piece on the local landfill and recycling system. Or browse all our guides on the Big Dave's blog.
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From this guide
No. The Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) sets statewide policy and permits landfills, transfer stations, and construction/demolition debris facilities under the Solid Waste Management Act of 1991. Day-to-day collection, convenience centers, and bulky-item pickup are handled locally by Rutherford County and the City of Murfreesboro, not by TDEC directly.
No. Tennessee law prohibits whole, unshredded tires from being landfilled anywhere in the state (Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-211-865), so they can't go in a roll-off dumpster. Every Tennessee county, including Rutherford County, is required to maintain at least one tire collection point for residents and businesses.
Tell us before the dumpster is hauled if you realize something shouldn't be in there — it's much easier to pull an item out at your property than to have a load rejected at the disposal facility. If you're ever unsure whether something is allowed, call us before you load it.
Through TDEC's Household Hazardous Waste program, which runs mobile collection events across Middle Tennessee counties, including Rutherford County, generally in spring and fall. These events accept items like paint thinners, pesticides, pool chemicals, and automotive fluids that can't go in general trash or a rental dumpster.
Yes. Illegal dumping is a criminal offense under Tennessee's litter and illegal dumping statutes (Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-14-502 et seq.), with penalties that scale with the quantity and type of material involved. A legally disposed load — through a permitted dumpster rental or a proper county drop-off — is almost always the cheaper and safer route.
Keep reading
Ever wonder what happens after your roll-off gets hauled away? Here's a straight answer on where construction debris, household junk, and recyclables actually end up in Rutherford County — and why the county opened a new transfer station in 2025.
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