Dalton Recycles 891,780 Pounds in 2024

Recycling in Dalton is easier than you might think. Every week, thousands of blue bins are picked up, sorted by hand, and loaded onto trucks. Last year, the city collected over 891,000 pounds of recyclables, which is about the same weight as 2,123 lions!

The blue bins are picked up once a week by the curbside recycling team. They sort and separate each item in the blue bins by hand and deposit into various compartments in the collection truck. The drivers handle more than 4,300 blue bins each week.

The curbside recycling program began in 1991 and continues today thanks to the City of Dalton Public Works Department. The program is entirely free for residents of Dalton. To receive a blue bin for recycling pickup, call public works at (706) 278-7077. They will deliver your bins to your home promptly. You may request up to three recycling bins for free depending on the size of your household.

The benefits of recycling extend far beyond keeping items out of the trash. By participating in the program, residents helped save nearly 743 cubic yards of landfill space in 2024. That is roughly equal to stacking up 743 dishwashers! Every bit of waste that is diverted from the landfill helps extend its lifespan, reducing the need for more land to be used for waste storage.

Recycling is about more than just reducing waste. It plays a role in conserving natural resources and lowering energy and water consumption. When manufacturers use recycled materials, they do not have to extract as many raw materials from the earth. This process requires less energy and often results in fewer emissions.

The impact of recycling small items adds up to a big impact over time. Four percent of Dalton’s total waste was recycled last year, and those materials were transformed into items like books, carpet, and cereal boxes. If all of the recycling had been just paper, the amount collected would have saved more than 7,580 trees.

To help make a difference and help Dalton recycle more in 2025, you just have to make good use of your recycling bin. Inside the blue bins, multiple types of items can be recycled. You can recycle paper, cardboard, aluminum, bi-metal cans and plastic jugs and bottles. It is fine to leave the labels and lids on containers inside the bin, in fact your plastic bottle caps are turned into toothbrush handles!

There are some important rules to make sure that your item ends up at the recycling center and not in the “wish-cycling” pile. Items that cannot be accepted for recycling include any soiled items or waxed paper and cardboard. Make sure that any materials put into your recycling bin are clean and contain no food residue. When the materials are mixed together for the process of recycling, food waste from one container can contaminate the other materials and cause problems such as mold or bacteria as they are stored before recycling.

There is no need to separate recyclables before placing them in the bin, but the way items are packed can make a difference. Paper should go on the bottom with heavier containers placed on top. Overfilling the bin can cause litter, especially on windy days, so breaking down boxes and crushing cans or bottles helps create more space. Cardboard must fit inside the bin to be collected. If it is too large, it can be taken to a convenience center for free drop off. Dalton has multiple locations where oversized cardboard can be recycled. You can find the location closest to you at https://www.dwswa.org/conveniencecenters.

Recycling instructions are available online at the City of Dalton website at www.cityofdalton-ga.gov. Click on Departments, then Public Works and Recycling Instructions to watch instructional videos and download the one-page recycling guide. Through this program, you get to help save the world just by putting out that blue bin every week!

Recycling is one of the simplest ways to make a positive impact on the environment. By setting out a blue bin (or three!) on the curb each week, you are helping reduce landfill waste, conserve natural resources, and taking care of our community and planet.

     Amy Hartline is the recycling and education program coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. Have a recycling question? Contact her at (706) 278-5001 or ahartline@dwswa.org.