On Monday, April 27, 2020, Macon-Bibb County’s Solid Waste Department will begin picking up yard and bulk waste on its regular schedule. To find the week you can expect yard waste collection and the day of the week you can expect garbage and recycling collection, visit www.sw.maconbibb.us and enter your address.

Yard waste needs to be put out by Sunday evening and crews will collect piles between Monday and Thursday. Regular pickup of one appliance and piece of furniture is allowed; anything more than that or yard waste over two cubic yards requires a special collection and fee. To schedule a collection, call the Solid Waste Department at 478-803-0499. See below image for more details about what can be collected and how.

“We are working to make sure the most immediate needs of our community are met, and for several weeks, we wanted to help address the public health issues that could arise from the additional garbage,” says Solid Waste Director Pat Raines. “Now, though, we need to get caught up on the yard and bulk waste collections as people spend time working in their yard, especially as we enter the growing season and following the severe weather we’ve had recently.”

In early March, the Department altered services to assist with the collection of increased household garbage being put on the curb due to people sheltering in place in response to the spread of COVID-19. The amount put on the curb became so much that all crews need to be reassigned, and yard waste and bulk waste collections were temporarily suspended on April 8. From March 30-April 22, the Department collected 416.81 tons of additional garbage. (This total is above what ADS collected on its normal routes.)

Following the EF-1 Tornado that caused damage around Zebulon Road on April 13, the Solid Waste Department and Public Works Department worked together to clear major storm damage. They collected 446 cubic yards of material. Even though that was the area where the tornado hit, many areas in the county had limbs and other material in their yards that needed to be cleaned.

“I want to thank our crews and all departments for pulling together during this challenging and unprecedented time to prioritize our services to make sure we’re meeting the community’s most immediate needs,” says County Manager Dr. Keith Moffett. “We’ve had to alter schedules, office hours, and services as we work to protect public safety, take care of our employees and community, and support our employees as they take care of their families.

All Macon-Bibb County departments began reviewing their operations in early March in order to respond to the spread of the COVID-19. That means limited or no access to public facilities, cancelation of event rentals, alternating work schedules for crews, and remote Commission Meetings broadcast online. For a full list of changes to public services, click here. This list will be updated should further changes be made.