Residential
Do You Believe In Recycling?
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Video: Made in Georgia
What happens to the things you recycle? They get used by local manufactures to make new products! The "Made in Georgia" video highlights just a handful of the manufactures in our state that depend on getting your recyclables.
Recycling 101
Welcome to Recycling 101. Recycling recycling is a simple way that you can help our environment, preserve natural resources, create a market for recycled goods, and even help create jobs right here in Georgia!
What to Recycle in Whitfield County
For Whitfield County residents there are a variety of recycling opportunities for the following traditional and non-traditional recyclable items. The majority can be recycled by county residents at no charge, but fees apply for certain items as noted below:
Mixed Paper, Cardboard Boxes, Paperboard Boxes, Junk Mail, Newspaper, Magazines, Books
Glass Bottles, and Jars (clear, brown, blue, green)
Plastic Bottles, Jugs, and Jars (neck is smaller than the base)
Aluminum Beverage Cans
Bi-Metal Food Cans
Scrap Metal and Appliances
Scrap Tires (fees apply - see attendant)
Used Motor Oil
Lead Acid Batteries (vehicle batteries)
Rechargeable Batteries
Yard Trimmings (Leaf and Limb Debris) (**not available at M.L. King Blvd. location)
Electronics (only at Old Dixie Hwy. location) (fees apply - see attendant)
Download the PDF version of the recycling guide for three programs below. Each site has is own requirements and a specific list of materials accepted. Please review careful so you can drop off the right items at the right place. If you have questions call 706-278-5001.
“Recycling is the process of taking a product at the end of its useful life and using all or part of it to make a new product.”
Hazardous items like paint and swimming pool chemicals should be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility.
Household garbage should be properly disposed of in a trash cart or dropped off at a trash compactor at a convenience center. Please do not mix garbage and recyclables.
Electronics Recycling Guide
Drop-off electronic devices for recycling year round at the Old Dixie Hwy. Landfill & Convenience Center in Dalton. A drop-off box is available during regular business hours (M-F 7a-6p; St. 7a-3p). Below is a list of devices accepted from Whitfield County residents. Please note that there is a $10.00 fee for television sets and computer monitors with a tube or CRT (cathode ray tube). All other items can be dropped off for free.
Items Accepted: Desktops, Laptops, Servers, Mainframes, Network Hubs, Network Switches, Cell Phones, Desktop Phone and Systems, Keyboard, Mouse, Check Processing, Gaming Consoles, LCD Monitors, CD-ROMs, Floppy Drives, Circuit Boards, Power Supplies, Hard Drives, UPS and UPS Batteries, Ni-MH/Ni-CAD Batteries, Lithium Batteries, Blu-Ray Players, Cable/Wire, Gaming Controllers, Printers, Fax Machines, Copiers, Scanners, Electric Typewriters, Modems, Stereos, VCR, Radios, DVD Players, CD Players, Dock Stations, Smart Phones, Tablets, MP3 Players, Video Gaming Consoles, eBook readers.
NOT Accepted: Radioactive material, liquid containing devices.
Don't see your item on the list? It may belong in another drop off area like scrap metal, tires, car batteries, or bulky waste. See the attendant for assistance or call the recycling center at 706-278-5001.
Did you know:
A recycled aluminum can may be back on store shelves in 60 days using 95% less energy to manufacture.
A ton of paper made from recycled fibers conserves 7,000 gallons of water.
Where to Recycle in Whitfield County
Residents of Whitfield County, in the state of Georgia, can take their recyclables to any of our four Convenience Centers managed by the DWSWA. Each location has a Recycling Area with containers where you can drop off your recyclables. Locations include the Old Dixie Landfill and Convenience Center in the south end of the county near the Tilton community, Westside Convenience Center on the westside of Dalton, Georgia near Rocky Face, Georgia, M.L. King Convenience Center just outside the City of Dalton, and the McGaughey Chapel Convenience Center in Cohutta, Georgia at the north end of the county.
If you live in the City of Dalton you can participate in the Curbside Recycling Program managed by the City of Dalton Public Works Department for single family homes. Visit the City's website for recycling instructions and videos or call 706-278-7077 to learn more. Please note that the city manages and provides bins for this program, the DWSWA only accepts the materials from the city at the recycling center after the items have been collected.
If you live in the City of Varnell, Georgia there is a Recycling Drop-off area with two large containers near the city's administration office at the corner of Kinnamon and Main Street. One container is only for cardboard products, while the second one has a compartment for aluminum beverage cans and another for plastic bottles and jugs. If you want to recycle even more items or have household trash to dispose of, please visit the Westside Convenience Center.
34 public schools, and 2 private schools in Whitfield County participate in our program called Target Recycling at School. Each school has a recycling container for Mixed Paper, and some have additional containers for Cardboard, and Plastic/Aluminum. Please check with the school near you to find out if students are allowed to bring recyclables from home.
Several businesses, stores, and restaurants in Whitfield County participate in our recycling collection program called Target Recycling at Work. Usually a business location will have a container for recycling Cardboard, and some also have a container for Mixed Paper, and Plastic/Aluminum. A few locations allow employees to recycle items from home, while others have the containers in a corral for private use. These are not open to the public.
A limited number of apartment complexes in Whitfield County participate in our program Target Recycling at Home. These locations have containers for apartment residents to drop-off Mixed Paper, Cardboard, and Plastic/Aluminum. See the property manager for recycling instructions.
Unstaffed recycling drop-off areas open to the public in our community are limited, and collect only a few recyclables. One is a Cardboard Only box in Downtown Dalton under the Waugh St. bridge.
Did you know:
Mining & transporting raw materials for glass produces about 385 lbs. of waste for every ton of glass made; using recycled glass for just ½ of the raw materials cuts waste by 75%.
Georgia’s paper industry includes 16 paper mills using recycled content, 9 relying exclusively on recycled fiber.
Proud Members of the
Georgia Recycling Coalition