Trash & Recycling in Whitfield County, GA (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Whitfield County, Georgia.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
In unincorporated Whitfield County, only a collector holding a valid permit under Code § 7-85 may pick up your household or business trash. The permit lasts one year from issuance and is a revocable privilege, not a property right. Waste collected in the county must ultimately go to a Dalton/Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Management Authority facility, not just any dump or transfer point a hauler prefers.
Whitfield County Trash Pickup Needs a Permitted Hauler
Some RestrictionsWhitfield County Code § 7-85(a)
All solid waste generated or otherwise found within unincorporated Whitfield County shall be collected by persons holding valid collector permits for such activity, granted in accordance with this article. Each such collector permit shall expire one year subsequent to the issuance date of the initial permit issued pursuant to this article. A collector permit issued pursuant to the provisions of...
Bulk Item Disposal
Large household items in unincorporated Whitfield County, think old washing machines, refrigerators, furniture, tree stumps and bundles of carpet waste, fall under Code § 7-82's definition of 'bulky waste.' Code § 7-91(e) says bulky waste, like asbestos, construction debris and scrap tires, can be accepted only at a facility operated by the Dalton/Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Management Authority or one the Authority specifically designates.
Bulky Waste Disposal Rules in Whitfield County
Some RestrictionsWhitfield County Code §§ 7-82, 7-91(e)
Bulky waste means such items as large household appliances (i.e., washing machines, clothes dryers, water heaters, stoves, refrigerators and dishwashers), furniture, tree stumps, large timber, car bodies, large bundles of carpet waste, large packing containers, tanks, and other items whose volumes are not significantly reduced through normal compaction methods. ... All other solid waste, includ...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping litter on public or private property or waters in unincorporated Whitfield County is banned under Sec. 7.5-52 unless it's at an authorized disposal site, in a proper receptacle, or with the owner's consent. Sec. 7.5-54 sets a mandatory minimum $100 fine for a first offense and a maximum of $1,000 or 60 days in jail.
Whitfield County Illegal Dumping Penalties
Some RestrictionsWhitfield County Code §§ 7.5-52, 7.5-54
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to dump, deposit, throw or leave, or to cause, or to permit the dumping, depositing, placing, throwing, or leaving of litter on any public or private property in Whitfield County, or any waters in Whitfield County unless: ... (b)Upon conviction of violation of subsection (a), the court shall cause to be published in the Dalton Daily Citizen the ...
Yard Waste Collection
In unincorporated Whitfield County, yard trimmings such as leaves, brush, grass clippings and tree prunings cannot be dumped just anywhere. Code § 7-91(d) accepts them only at a solid waste handling facility operated by the Dalton/Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Management Authority, under the Authority's own policies and Georgia's yard-trimmings statute, O.C.G.A. § 12-8-40.2.
Yard Waste Rules in Unincorporated Whitfield County
Some RestrictionsWhitfield County Code §§ 7-82, 7-91(d)
Yard trimmings means leaves, brush, grass clippings, shrub and tree prunings, discarded Christmas trees, nursery and greenhouse vegetative residuals, and vegetative matter resulting from landscaping development and maintenance other than mining, agricultural, and silvicultural operations. ... Yard trimmings will be accepted only at a solid waste handling facility operated by the authority and o...
Dumpster Rules
Commercial dumpsters and roll-off containers used to collect solid waste in unincorporated Whitfield County must meet construction and labeling standards set out in Code § 7-87. Every collection vehicle and each roll-off box needs its tare weight marked on it, and roll-off boxes must be welded, leak-proof, and fitted for a tight tarpaulin cover so contents cannot spill or blow out in transit.
Whitfield County Roll-Off Dumpster Construction Rules
Some RestrictionsWhitfield County Code § 7-87(a)(2), (b)(4)
A qualifying vehicle shall have the business name, business address, and/or telephone number, tare weight, and vehicle identification number painted or securely affixed to each side of the vehicle in letters and numbers at least three inches in height. When roll-offs are used, the tare weights of the collection vehicle must appear on the collection vehicle and the tare weight of each box must a...
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