Dougherty County, GA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Rules (2026)

Sec. 2-14-95(k) requires that solid waste dropped at a county collection and recycling center be contained in a manner that it can be handled by the attendant and shall be deposited only during the official hours of operation. Subsection (l) then protects the recycling stream specifically, barring anyone from depositing solid waste, water or litter of any kind into county-owned receptacles designated for recovered materials, and limiting those bins to authorized materials such as glass, aluminum, newspaper, cardboard, plastic and tin. The companion section, Sec.

2-14-96, sets the centers' operating terms: pricing is set to cover the cost of running the solid waste and recycling program, hours are set to maximize convenience of residents of that area, and all recovered materials brought to collection centers are accepted free of charge provided the load is separated under current market specifications and uncontaminated. Scavenging recyclables out of the bins is barred without written Board of Commissioners consent, and moving, removing or crossing a center's fence, gate or sign is separately prohibited under Sec.

2-14-96(c) and (d). No landfill or collection and recycling center may operate in the county unless approved by the Board of Commissioners under the county's Solid Waste Management Plan and permitted by the state Environmental Protection Division.