Georgia

Established in 1732, last of the original 13 colonies, Georgia was also one of the original Confederate states and the last state to be restored to the Union. The ninth most populous state, in 2007–08, Georgia had 14 of the nation's 100 fastest-growing counties. The capital, Atlanta, is the largest city and metropolitan area, and it is a major center in both the state and the southeastern United States as a hub of communications, industry, transport, tourism, and government. The agricultural and industrial economy of Georgia is diverse; many corporations (including Coca-Cola, Home Depot, and UPS) have their headquarters in Georgia, including 15 Fortune 500 companies and 26 Fortune 100 companies.

Georgia has one of the nation's highest electricity generation and consumption rates, the industrial sector being the chief energy consumer. While industry is a heavy consumer of electricity due to energy-intensive wood and paper product manufacturing, Georgia is also one of the nation's top producers of power from wood and wood waste.

The 16th Nationwide Survey of MSW Management in the United States found that, in 2005, Georgia had an estimated 11,549,889 tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) generation, placing it 13th in a survey of the 50 states and the capital district. Based on a population of 9,342,080, an estimated 1.24 tons of MSW were generated per person per year (ranking 26th). The state landfilled 7,195,075 tons (ranking 12th) in the state's 56 landfills, a figure that includes 1,738,964 imported tons. The state sent 81,535 tons (ranking 23rd) to its waste-to-energy (WTE) facility and was the only state to not report its recycled MSW tonnage.

In 2006, Georgia had 429,202,431 cubic yards of landfill remaining and was increasing its capacity; it was ranked seventh out of 44 respondent states for number of landfills. Whole tires, used oil, and lead-acid batteries were reported as banned from Georgia landfills, with yard waste banned from landfills built to Subtitle D specifications. Georgia is ranked seventh in the United States for number of landfills.