Newton County, GA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Newton County's solid waste article treats yard debris differently from household trash. Sec. 42-66(e), (f) and (g) direct that yard trimmings, tree and shrubbery branches cut by landscape or tree service contractors, and leaves must each be composted on the owner's premises in conformity with the article and applicable state law, or removed by the property owner (or, for contractor-generated debris, by the contractor or the person who hired the work) and disposed of in a manner the article approves. The code carves out an exception for firewood: it does not require removal of wood cut and stored for later use, so long as the cut firewood is stacked compactly with pieces touching and kept in the side or rear yard.

Composting itself is separately regulated under Sec. 42-66(q), which requires it to be performed so as to minimize offensive odors, prevent wind-blown litter from escaping the compost site, and avoid becoming a nuisance to neighbors. Sec. 42-69, a standalone section on yard trimmings disposal, adds two hard prohibitions: it is unlawful to place or mix yard trimmings with municipal solid waste anywhere in the county, and yard trimmings cannot be disposed of at any municipal solid waste disposal facility in the county that has a liner and leachate collection system or that requires vertical expansion.

These landfill-design restrictions exist because decomposing yard waste in a lined cell generates excess leachate and consumes capacity meant for other municipal solid waste. Violations of Sec. 42-69 are punished the same way as other solid waste violations, under the penalty schedule in Sec. 42-68(c).