Macon-Bibb County, GA Trash & Recycling: Recycling Requirements (2026)

Macon-Bibb County defines single-stream recycling in § 22-2 as a system in which all recyclable materials are placed in a single bin or container, meaning residents do not have to separate paper from plastic or glass before setting the bin out. Section 22-11(a) turns that definition into a service guarantee: every residential and commercial user of the county's solid waste collection service is entitled to at least one single-stream recycling pickup every two weeks, running on the same biweekly cycle as yard waste. The recycling pickup rides alongside, but on a different schedule from, the weekly garbage collection guaranteed in the same subsection.

Because recycling is framed as an entitlement tied to enrollment in county solid waste service rather than a standalone mandate with its own penalty clause, the ordinance does not spell out a fine for putting recyclables in the trash cart or for skipping the recycling bin altogether; the enforcement hooks in Chapter 22 (§ 22-6's preparation requirement, § 22-9's placement rules) apply to solid waste receptacles generally, including the recycling container. The director of solid waste can also change the frequency or method of collection, including recycling, in a specified area for up to 90 days under § 22-11(c) when circumstances require it.