The Department of Solid Waste

The Department of Solid Waste employs approximately 65 people. Of these 39 are part-time employees who staff the 11 Collection Centers throughout the County. The rest are full-time employees who work at the Landfill, Recycling Center, and Scale House. We have a fleet of nine roll-off trucks which are used to empty the containers at the Collection Centers. We have accrued over 2,000,000 miles on County roads with the current fleet of trucks. We also own and operate several landfill trash compactors and earthmoving vehicles which include a track-hoe, articulating dump trucks, and bulldozers. The landfill is the home of the Keep Bartow Beautiful office and the Environmental Code Enforcement Officer.

The landfill itself comprises approximately 300 acres and is located off of Allatoona Dam Road between Georgia Highway 41 and State Route 293. There are three landfills in operation at our facility. The first is the “Subtitle D” Municipal Solid Waste Landfill. This landfill is lined with a protective liner which protects the environment from the chemicals which are typically found in household, commercial, and industrial wastes. We are currently using Step I of the Phase III portion of the landfill. This area was constructed at a cost of $ 7,000,000 and was opened September 14, 2001. We have a remaining capacity of approximately 7 years in this first Step of Phase III. This may be extended to 10 years once we get approval for a small expansion from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. Nevertheless, this portion of the Bartow County Landfill has a total life capacity of 35 to 40 years subsequent to future cell construction.

We also have a Construction and Demolition (C&D) Landfill where we accept construction and demolition waste which typically does not produce harmful byproducts which get into our environment. We also operate an Inert Landfill for tree trimmings and lawn refuse. These two landfills combined, allow us to retain as much space as possible in our Subtitle D landfill to extend its capacity.

As mentioned above, we operate 11 Collection Centers. These facilities are intended to accept solid waste from Bartow County citizens that is generated on a daily or weekly basis at their homes. We do not accept out-of-county waste or waste generated by businesses at these facilities. We understand that occasionally citizens may have large or bulky loads which are a direct result of various projects at your home. To this end, we ask that while this project is underway, you bring the solid waste directly to the landfill. Remember, the first ton per trip is free. Anything over a ton will be charged at the normal landfill tipping rate.

The Bartow County Landfill is recognized by State agencies as one of the best municipal landfills in the State of Georgia. This is not only because of its Design and Operation, but also because of the professionalism and dedication of its employees. If your group or civic organization would like to tour our facilities please call the landfill office at (770) 387-5145 for further information.