Columbia County, GA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Section 70-7 governs every waste or litter container or receptacle in the unincorporated county, a definition that covers commercial dumpsters and roll-off boxes as much as household cans. Subsection (a) requires each container be kept 'in as sanitary a condition as is reasonably possible,' without creating 'strong, offensive or noxious odors,' serving as an insect or rodent feeding area or habitat, or otherwise becoming a nuisance. Subsection (b) requires that waste go directly into a container designed for that purpose, or straight to a landfill, transfer station, or other permitted facility, rather than being left loose nearby.

The section then lists specific prohibitions that apply to a dumpster's contents and condition: no burning or smoldering material may be deposited in it (subsection (c)); no one may set fire to its contents, scatter them, or vandalize, damage, or destroy the container itself (subsection (d)); no dead animals may go in it, since those must be handled under the state Dead Animal Disposal Act and Chapter 14 of the county code (subsection (e)); no large noncompatible articles, including stoves, refrigerators, other appliances, bed springs, mattresses, scrap tires, or air conditioning units, may be deposited in it (subsection (f)); no explosive material may be placed in it (subsection (g)); and no one may store litter or waste in the surrounding area if it is not itself inside the container (subsection (h)).

The 'responsible authority' for the chapter is the county's engineering and environmental services division, working alongside the sheriff's office, per the definitions in section 70-1.