Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Macon-Bibb County
Georgia municipal collections typically run weekly. Your exact service day is determined by your local county or city zoning schedule.
State Mandate
EPD laws restrict yard trimmings from being mixed with general household garbage.
Red Cart Bin (Trash)
All household garbage must be bagged before being placed in the red cart to prevent litter. Carts must be at the curb by 6:00 AM on your scheduled collection day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable plastics
- ✓Styrofoam
Blue Cart Bin (Recycling)
Do not bag recyclables. Place them completely loose in the blue cart. Recycling is collected every other week on an alternating schedule with bulk/yard waste.
Accepted Items
- ✓Flattened cardboard
- ✓Clean paper (newspaper, magazines, mail)
- ✓Plastic bottles and jugs
- ✓Aluminum and steel cans
Do NOT Include
- ✕Glass of any kind
- ✕Plastic grocery bags
- ✕Pizza boxes (grease-stained)
- ✕Styrofoam
- ✕Tanglers (hoses, cords)
Yard Waste Bin
Place at the curb by 6:00 AM on your designated yard waste week. Must use biodegradable paper bags or create a neat unbagged pile. No plastic bags or personal cans.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Grass clippings
- ✓Small brush
- ✓Tree limbs (cut to manageable lengths and stacked neatly)
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
During your scheduled alternating Yard/Bulk week.
Placement
Place your 2 scheduled bulk items 3-5 feet from the roadway and away from your red/blue carts, mailboxes, and parked cars by 6:00 AM on your collection day.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (sofas, chairs, dressers)
- ✓ Mattresses and box springs
- ✓ Large appliances (white goods)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Construction and demolition debris (roofing, lumber)
- ✕ Hazardous waste and paint
- ✕ Excess bags of normal household garbage
- ✕ Concrete or rocks
The pickup of 2 standard bulk items per designated week is included in your mandatory residential solid waste fee. Eviction cleanouts or excessive debris require a private dumpster rental.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
If a holiday falls on a weekday, Ryland Environmental delays collections for the remainder of the week by one day. For example, if a holiday is on a Thursday, Thursday routes are serviced on Friday, and Friday routes on Saturday.
Yard Waste Exception
Yard waste and bulk collections observe the same one-day delay during holiday weeks as the standard trash and recycling routes.
County Convenience Centers generally modify their hours or close entirely on these observed holidays. Always verify via the Macon-Bibb website before making a trip.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Glass is Banned from the Blue Cart
Glass bottles and jars are strictly prohibited in Macon-Bibb's curbside blue recycling carts. Glass fragments destroy sorting machinery and ruin batches of clean paper. Throw glass in your red trash cart.
Ditch the Plastic Film
Never put stretchy plastic grocery bags or plastic film wrapping in your blue cart. Take them back to local grocery stores that feature specialized plastic bag recycling drop-offs.
Keep it Clean and Dry
A single half-full soda bottle or greasy pizza box can contaminate an entire recycling bin. Always ensure your cans, bottles, and cardboard are clean, empty, and dry.
Seasonal Information
Summer
June to AugustGeorgia heat can quickly cause your red trash cart to smell and attract pests. Securely double-bag all food waste and occasionally rinse out your cart with a hose and mild detergent.
Fall
October to DecemberDuring heavy leaf-drop months, remember that leaves must be in biodegradable paper bags or neat piles. Do not rake leaves directly into the street gutters or storm drains.
Winter
Late December to JanuaryAfter the holidays, remove all lights, ornaments, and tinsel from your live Christmas trees before placing them at the curb during your designated yard/bulk waste collection week.
About Macon-Bibb County Waste Management
The Transition to Ryland Environmental: Red and Blue Carts
In early 2022, Macon-Bibb County transitioned its comprehensive solid waste collection services to Ryland Environmental to streamline and improve curbside pickups. Every covered household is issued a distinct red rolling cart for regular household garbage and a blue cart for recyclables. These carts belong to the property and must be placed 3 to 5 feet from the roadway with the handles facing your house and the lid arrows pointing toward the street.
Understanding the Alternating Service Weeks
While standard household garbage inside the red cart is collected every single week, your other services run on a staggered schedule. Ryland Environmental alternates weeks for recycling and yard/bulk waste. This means you will put out your blue recycling cart one week, and the following week will be your designated time for yard debris and scheduled bulk item removal, keeping neighborhood routes highly efficient.
Strict 'No Plastic Bags' Rule for Yard Debris
When preparing yard waste for your designated collection week, leave the plastic bags in the pantry. Macon-Bibb County mandates that all leaves, small twigs, and grass clippings must be either placed in biodegradable paper lawn bags or piled neatly at the curb. Loose yard debris stuffed into personal garbage cans or wrapped in plastic bags will be left behind by the collection crews.
Macon-Bibb's Specialized Convenience Centers
Sometimes you generate more waste than your standard curbside carts can handle, especially during a move or spring cleaning. Macon-Bibb County operates three Convenience Centers for residents to drop off excess household trash and bulk items. While all three accept standard waste, only the 11th Street Convenience Center is authorized to take specific hard-to-dispose materials such as wet paint, batteries, and concrete.
Drop-off Facilities
11th Street Convenience Center
1010 11th Street, Macon, GA 31201
Materials Accepted
Fulton Mill Road Convenience Center
4214 Fulton Mill Road, Macon, GA 31216
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What colors are the Macon-Bibb County trash and recycling carts?
Since the 2022 transition to Ryland Environmental, standard household garbage must go into the red rolling cart, while all clean, unbagged recyclables belong in the blue rolling cart.
How often is recycling picked up in Macon-Bibb?
Recycling is collected every other week. Ryland Environmental operates on an alternating schedule, where you put out the blue recycling cart one week, and the following week is dedicated to your yard and bulk waste collection.
Can I put my yard clippings in plastic bags?
No. Macon-Bibb County strictly prohibits plastic bags for yard waste. All leaves, grass, and small debris must be placed in biodegradable paper lawn bags or piled neatly at the curb.
Where can I safely dispose of old paint and batteries?
While most bulky household items can be scheduled for curbside pickup, hazardous materials like paint and batteries are strictly banned from your carts. You must take them to the 11th Street Convenience Center, the only county facility authorized to accept them.