Cherokee County, GA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances Sec. 46-124
- Definition source
- O.C.G.A. § 12-8-22
- Mixing with trash
- Prohibited
- Disposal at lined landfills
- Prohibited
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 fine and/or 60 days jail
Summary
Cherokee County bans mixing yard trimmings, leaves, brush, grass clippings and Christmas trees into household trash or lined municipal landfills, and requires them to be sorted for collection, composting or mulching instead. Violators face up to a $1,000 fine and 60 days in the magistrate's court.
Sec. 46-124. - Yard trimmings disposal restrictions. (a)Definition: Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 12-8-22, yard trimmings are defined as leaves, brush, grass clippings, shrub and tree prunings, discarded Christmas trees, nursery greenhouse vegetative residuals and vegetative matter resulting from landscaping development and maintenance other than mining, agricultural, and silvicultural operations.(b)Restrictions:(1)Yard trimmings may not be placed in or mixed with municipal solid waste.(2)Yard trimmings are prohibited at all municipal solid waste disposal facilities located within the county having liners and leachate collection systems or requiring vertical expansion within their jurisdiction.(3)Yard trimmings shall be sorted and stored for collection in such a manner as to facilitate collection, composting, or other handling...(4)Any person in violation of this section shall be subject to fine not exceeding $1,000.00 and/or imprisonment not exceeding 60 days in the magistrate's court of the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 39 | Zoning: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
Code of Ordinances Sec. § 12-8-22: leaves, brush, grass clippings, shrub and tree prunings, discarded Christmas trees, nursery greenhouse vegetative residuals and vegetative matter from landscaping and maintenance, excluding mining, agricultural and silvicultural byproducts. ' The provision was adopted by Ord. No. 96-13 on September 10, 1996, and sits in Chapter 46, Solid Waste, Article II, alongside the county's rules on domestic refuse (Sec. 46-121), industrial waste exclusions (Sec. 46-122) and building materials (Sec. 46-123). Scrap tire operators face a companion rule at Sec. 46-125 requiring compliance with the state Environmental Protection Division's solid waste management rules.
Because yard trimmings are diverted from lined landfills, the county's practical answer for residents is curbside collection, composting or mulching through whichever hauler or drop-off program the county's solid waste division operates, rather than bagging trimmings with household garbage.
Violations & Fines
Any person who violates Sec. 46-124, including mixing yard trimmings with municipal solid waste or dumping them at a facility where they are barred, is subject to a fine not exceeding $1,000.00 and/or imprisonment not exceeding 60 days, with the case heard in the magistrate's court of the county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put grass clippings in my regular trash bag?
Where can yard trimmings be taken for disposal in Cherokee County?
What is the penalty for violating the yard trimmings rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cherokee County
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