Weekly Collection Schedule
Official municipal pickup timing for Perry
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.
City-issued Cart Bin (Trash)
All household waste must be securely bagged before being placed inside the cart. The cart should be placed at the curb the night before collection or by 6:00 AM on your scheduled pickup day.
Accepted Items
- ✓Bagged household garbage
- ✓Food waste
- ✓Non-recyclable packaging
- ✓Previously recycled plastics, glass, and paper
N/A (Program Suspended) Bin (Recycling)
The 35-gallon green recycling carts have been removed. Residents must dispose of all items as municipal solid waste in their regular trash cart or seek private/county drop-off alternatives.
Accepted Items
Do NOT Include
- ✕Curbside recycling program suspended as of May 2024
Yard Waste Bin
Debris must not be mixed with household garbage. Place within 2 feet of the curb and at least 3 feet away from your trash cart, mailboxes, and bulk items.
Accepted Items
- ✓Leaves
- ✓Branches and twigs
- ✓Shrubbery trimmings
- ✓Pine needles and straw
- ✓Christmas trees
Bulky Item Pickup
Frequency
Weekly (Same day as household trash)
Placement
Items must be neatly stacked within 2 feet of the curb and at least 3 feet away from your garbage cart, yard debris, vehicles, and mailboxes.
Accepted
- ✓ Furniture (couches, chairs, tables)
- ✓ Mattresses
- ✓ Rolled and tied carpet (max 3-foot sections, 40 lbs)
- ✓ Appliances (doors removed, freon certified)
Not Accepted
- ✕ Tires
- ✕ Contractor-generated waste
- ✕ Uncertified refrigerators with freon
- ✕ Hazardous waste
Up to 6 cubic yards per week is collected for free. If your pile is larger than this, the city will still collect it, but an additional fee will be applied to your utility bill.
Holiday Schedule
General Rule
Household garbage collection may operate on a normal schedule on minor holidays, but routes are usually delayed by one day following major observed holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Yard Waste Exception
During holiday weeks, bulk and yard debris collection are often suspended on the actual holiday and pushed to a makeup day (often the following Friday).
Ryland Environmental and the City of Perry maintain a specific 'Trash Schedule Updates' webpage. Always check this page or call (478) 988-2729 for real-time holiday route modifications.
Observed Holidays
!Contamination Tips
Securely Bag All Trash
Since the suspension of the recycling program, all waste must go into your primary garbage cart. It is critical to securely bag everything to prevent loose litter from blowing down the street during the automated truck lifting process.
Keep Dirt and Rocks Out of Yard Debris
Yard debris collections are strictly for organic plant matter. Mixing dirt, gravel, or rocks into your leaf piles will contaminate the load, damage the city's grinding equipment, and result in a rejected pickup.
Tape Your Glass for Bulk Pickup
If you are setting out a broken window, mirror, or glass-top table for bulk collection, you must extensively apply tape in a cross-hatch pattern over the glass. This simple step prevents hazardous shattering during transport.
Seasonal Information
Spring
March to MaySpring cleaning often means more yard work. Remember that the city will collect your personal trimmings, but if you hire a contractor to clear a lot or cut down trees, the contractor must haul the waste away themselves.
Summer
June to AugustWith kids home and frequent summer cookouts, you may find your single garbage cart filling up quickly. If you consistently exceed your cart's capacity, you can call Public Works to request an additional cart for a small monthly fee.
Winter
December to JanuaryLive Christmas trees are accepted as part of the weekly yard debris program. Remove all lights, ornaments, stands, and tinsel before placing the bare tree at the curb on your unified collection day.
About Perry Waste Management
Unified Same-Day Services with Ryland Environmental
Starting in October 2025, the City of Perry transitioned its solid waste services to a new partnership with Ryland Environmental. This transition brought a major convenience for residents: all waste streams, including household garbage, bulk waste, and yard debris, are now collected on the exact same day of the week. This streamlined approach minimizes neighborhood street traffic and makes remembering your collection day easier than ever.
Understanding the Suspension of Curbside Recycling
As of May 2024, the City of Perry officially suspended its green cart curbside recycling program. This difficult decision was driven by rising processing costs and strict market demands that penalized contaminated loads containing items like plastic bags and unwashed food containers. Because there is currently no municipal curbside recycling, residents must securely bag all of their household waste, including former recyclables, and place it directly into their city-issued trash cart.
Generous Bulk Waste Allowances and Safety Rules
Perry residents enjoy a weekly bulk waste allowance of up to 6 cubic yards at no additional cost—perfect for disposing of old furniture, mattresses, or rolled carpet. However, safety rules are strictly enforced. Appliances like refrigerators must have doors removed and require a certification sticker proving freon was professionally reclaimed. Additionally, if you are disposing of anything containing glass, such as a mirror, you must extensively tape and cross-tape the glass to prevent it from shattering.
Strict Guidelines for Yard Debris and Contractors
Yard debris—such as leaves, twigs, and pine needles—is collected weekly on your regular trash day. However, the City of Perry strictly prohibits the collection of yard waste generated by hired contractors. If you hire a professional landscaping or tree service, they are legally responsible for hauling away the debris. City crews will only collect organic waste that was generated by the homeowner's personal landscaping efforts.
Drop-off Facilities
Houston County Solid Waste Disposal Facility
2080 Hwy 247, Kathleen, GA 31047
Materials Accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is my garbage collected in Perry?
With the transition to Ryland Environmental, your household trash, bulk waste, and yard debris are all collected on the same day. You can verify your specific zone and day by calling Public Works at (478) 988-2729.
Why did the City of Perry stop curbside recycling?
The city suspended its curbside recycling program in May 2024 due to escalating processing costs and strict market requirements. High contamination rates from items like plastic bags and dirty food containers made the program financially unsustainable.
What are the rules for throwing away a refrigerator?
To dispose of a refrigerator or freezer in Perry, federal law requires you to hire a licensed specialist to reclaim the freon and place a certification sticker on the appliance. You must also remove the doors for child safety before placing it at the curb.
Will the city pick up branches cut down by a tree service?
No. The City of Perry strictly requires that any private contractors performing tree removal or landscaping must haul away their own debris. The city only collects yard waste generated by homeowners performing their own yard maintenance.