Whitfield County, GA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Whitfield County Code § 7-80 makes the Dalton/Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Management Authority responsible for managing solid waste generated in unincorporated Whitfield County, and Code § 7-85(a) backs that up by requiring every collector, meaning any person or company that picks up and hauls trash from homes or businesses, to hold a valid collector permit before touching a single can. That permit is good for exactly one year from the date it is issued and, per the same section, is described as 'a mere grant or privilege to carry on the business,' not a vested right, so it can be conditioned or pulled.

Applicants have 45 days after the article's effective date to apply under Code § 7-86, and the application must list every collection vehicle by state registration number, chassis and body description, legal weight limit and cubic-yard capacity, plus proof of state-minimum insurance. 00 per collector, though the fee is waived for a municipality (Dalton, Varnell, Tunnel Hill and Cohutta each run their own collection inside their limits). Once collected, Code § 7-89(a) requires the waste to be delivered to a solid waste handling facility operated by the Authority, though source separation of recyclables before collection is allowed.

One narrow exception matters to homeowners: Code § 7-82's definition of 'collector' expressly excludes an individual who collects and transports waste from a single-family dwelling unit that individual owns or occupies, so residents may still haul their own trash themselves without a permit.