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Recycling Services in Whitfield County managed by the Dalton Whitfield Solid Waste Authority (DWSWA) include four Convenience Centers with Recycling Drop-off Areas, the Target Recycling program for local businesses and schools, and Carpet Recycling at the Materials Recovery Facility. Whitfield County is located in the Northwest portion of the state of Georgia and includes the City of Dalton, Varnell, Cohutta, and Tunnel Hill.
Below are some Frequently Asked Questions about our programs and recycling in general. If you have a question, please submit it by e-mail to:
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or call the Materials Recovery Facility at 706-278-5001. Download the recycling guide, "Stop Treating Us Like Garbage" to see a list of items accepted at the Convenience Centers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I recycle?
Residents of Whitfield County can take their recyclables to any of our four Convenience Centers listed on the left side of the screen. These include the Old Dixie Landfill and Convenience Center in the south end of the county, Westside Convenience Center on the westside of Dalton near Rocky Face, M.L. King Convenience Center just outside the City of Dalton, and the McGaughey Chapel Convenience Center in Cohutta at the north end of the county. Each location has a Recycling Area with containers where you can drop off your recyclables.
If you live in the City of Dalton you can participate in the Curbside Recycling Program managed by the the City of Dalton Public Works Department for single family homes. Call 706-278-7077 to learn more.
If you live in the City of Varnell there is a Recycling Drop-off area with two large containers near the city's administration office.
What can I recycle?
The Convenience Centers and the City of Dalton program both aceept the following recyclables: Cardboard, Newspaper, Mixed Paper, All Plastic Bottles and Jugs (NO plastic bags), Clear, Brown and Green Glass Bottles and Jars, Aluminum Cans, and Bi-Metal or Tin Cans.
The City of Varnell accpets only Mixed Paper, Newspaper, Cardboard, All Plastic Bottles and Jugs and Aluminum Beverage Cans.
Download the recycling guide, "Stop Treating Us Like Garbage" for a list of accepted items and suggested preparation.
Do you provide Curbside Recycling for the City of Dalton?
Curbside Recycling for the City of Dalton is provided by the City of Dalton Public Works Department to single family homes. Call 706-278-7077 to see if you qualify for this service or to request a blue recycling bin. The DWSWA accepts and processes the recyclables from the city but does not manage the collection program.
Can my school take a tour of the Materials Recovery Facility?
Yes! The Materials Recover Facility or Recycling Center is open to the public and provides free tours by appointment only. The Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority also provides tours of the Old Dixie Landfill & Convenience Center, the Wetlands Mitigation Bank, Household Hazardous Waste Facility, and Landfill Gas to Energy project which are located on the same property. Please fill out this Tour Request Form online to schedule a tour for your group.
Can I have a Target Recycling container at my place of business?
Please call the Materials Recover Facility at 706-278-5001 to discuss Target Recycling for your business location. Not all businesses are a good fit for this free service. There are three types of containers with specific collection goals: Cardboard Only, Mixed Paper, and Plastic Bottles and Aluminum Cans. Please consider the amount of space needed on your property for the large container and for the truck that collects the recyclables.
I saw a Target Recycling container at my kid's school. Can my family use it too?
Most of the green and yellow Target Recycling containers at local schools are also open to the public. The majority of the schools are collecting only Mixed Paper with a handful also collecting Plastic Bottles and Aluminum Cans. Click on the Target Recycling button above to see a map with some of the public locations. Some schools have officially given permission to parents to bring recyclables from home. If you're not sure about using a container located at a school, please call the school's main office to confirm.
Do you provide recycling for special events?
Yes! The DWSWA provides a Special Event Recycling service using an Away From Home trailer and Clear Stream recycling containers. It's all part of a state wide campaign called Recycle 4 Georgia. Recyclables collected are plastic bottles (plastic bottles with the recycling symbol #1 or #2) and aluminum beverage cans. To request recycling containers, instructions for container setup, and pickup of supplies and recyclables after your event fill out our Special Event Recycling Request Form or call the Materials Recovery Facility at 706-278-5001.
What type of Mixed Paper products can you recycle?
Mixed Paper includes: office paper, computer paper, telephone books, books, magazines, junk mail, paper envelopes, cardboard boxes, paperboard boxes like cereal boxes, posters, paper shopping bags, and newspaper. In general, if it tears it's ok to add to the Mixed Paper bin. Please break down and flatten cardboard boxes to save space. Cardboard boxes for fruit and vegetables that have a wax coating on them are not accepted. Plastic film or packaging items like peanuts are not accepted.
What type of plastics can you recycle?
All plastic bottles and jugs are accepted for recycling. These include items like water and soda bottles, milk jugs, and laundry detergent containers. For a complete list download the flyer called "All Plastic Bottles" and click here to watch the related video.
Please rinse out the container. Flatten if possible to save space. A bottle is a container with a neck smaller than it's base. No tubs, cups, or bowls please. Plastic bags are not accepted at this time. It's ok to leave the caps and labels on the bottles. Do not recycle plastic bottles that contained oil or pesticides.
What can I do with the lids from plastic bottles?
Most lids or caps from plastic bottles and jugs are made from plastic #5 and are sometimes not accepted by certain recycling programs. In Dalton-Whitfield you can leave the caps on the bottles and include them in your recycling bin. Another option is to collect the lids separately and take them to Terrasana Salon & Spa in Dalton which is participating in the Recycle Caps with Aveda program. Once the caps are collected and recycled they are turned into new packaging for Aveda products.
What about the other plastics?
The Materials Recovery Facility is currently accepting plastic bottles and jugs. Plastic bags, trays, and other containers like tubs, cups, and bowls are more difficult to work with because of their odd shape and weight and provide additional challenges for collection, processing, and recycling. It's estimated that 95% of plastic containers on the market today are bottles and jugs. However, as more people recycle and the demand for the plastics increases more avenues for recycling additional products will be made available. To learn more about Plastic visit Earth911. If you have plastic bags, please reuse them or recycle them at your local grocery store.
I have an old computer. Do you recycle electronics?
The DWSWA does accept electronics for recycling at the Old Dixie Landfill and Convenience Center location. There is a large box at the Household Hazardous Waste facility where the public can drop off their electronics. Items accepted range from old computers, monitors, printers, scanners, cell phones, video game equipment, and televisions. Electronics are simply collected and periodically sent to an electronics recycling company in Georgia. For more details please call the Materials Recovery Facility at 706-278-5001.
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Recycling
