Whitfield County, GA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)
Key Facts
- Defined material
- Leaves, brush, grass clippings, tree prunings
- Acceptance point
- Authority-operated solid waste facility only
- Governing state statute
- O.C.G.A. § 12-8-40.2 yard trimmings
- Excluded sources
- Mining, agricultural, silvicultural operation waste
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine and/or 60 days jail
Summary
In unincorporated Whitfield County, yard trimmings such as leaves, brush, grass clippings and tree prunings cannot be dumped just anywhere. Code § 7-91(d) accepts them only at a solid waste handling facility operated by the Dalton/Whitfield Regional Solid Waste Management Authority, under the Authority's own policies and Georgia's yard-trimmings statute, O.C.G.A. § 12-8-40.2.
Yard trimmings means leaves, brush, grass clippings, shrub and tree prunings, discarded Christmas trees, nursery and greenhouse vegetative residuals, and vegetative matter resulting from landscaping development and maintenance other than mining, agricultural, and silvicultural operations. ... Yard trimmings will be accepted only at a solid waste handling facility operated by the authority and only in compliance with any policies and procedures of the authority, O.C.G.A. § 12-8-40.2, any successor statute, and the rules and regulations promulgated by the environmental protection division, under the authority of that statute.
Full Breakdown
Code § 7-82 defines 'yard trimmings' broadly to include leaves, brush, grass clippings, shrub and tree prunings, discarded Christmas trees, nursery and greenhouse vegetative residuals, and other landscaping-related vegetative matter, but specifically excludes material from mining, agricultural, or silvicultural operations. 2, plus any rules the state Environmental Protection Division issues under it. That means residents and landscapers cannot pile yard debris at an unauthorized dump site or hand it to a hauler who is not delivering to an Authority-designated facility. The same Code § 7-80 purpose section that created the Authority gives it power to manage all waste, including yard trimmings, generated in unincorporated Whitfield County and disposed of there, and Code § 7-91(f) lets the Authority's board of directors set additional acceptance policies and procedures for its facilities beyond what the ordinance spells out directly.
Violations & Fines
Yard trimmings brought to an unauthorized site or handled outside Authority policy fall under the same Code § 7-94 enforcement as any other article violation: up to a $1,000.00 fine, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both, under O.C.G.A. § 36-1-20(b), with each day of continued violation charged separately. County code enforcement, law enforcement, and the Authority's executive director all have authority to enforce it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I burn or dump yard trimmings on my own property in unincorporated Whitfield County?
What counts as 'yard trimmings' under Whitfield County's ordinance?
Who can pick up yard waste in unincorporated Whitfield County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Whitfield County
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