Trash and recycling pickup in Columbus: schedule, holidays, bulk

Last checked Oct. 6, 2026. Facts on this page come from the Columbus Consolidated Government’s Public Works Integrated Waste Division and its 2026-27 holiday schedule.

The Columbus Consolidated Government collects household garbage, recycling, yard waste and bulk items once a week, all on the same day. Routes run Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; Wednesday is kept free as the holiday make-up day. Carts must be at the curb before 7 a.m. Questions and missed pickups go to 311, at 706-653-4000.

Who to call

• Missed pickup, new cart, bulk pickup, reduced fee: 311 Citizen Services, dial 3-1-1 or 706-653-4000, or report it online
• Waste Collections office: 602 11th Ave., Building E; division manager 706-225-4680; wastecollections@columbusga.org
• Tree for Fee pickup: 706-225-4661
• Pine Grove Landfill: 706-225-4516, 7900 Pine Grove Way
• Recycling and Sustainability Center: 706-225-4505, 8001 Pine Grove Way
• Your collection day: the city’s waste collection map

What day is my pickup?

Find your address on the city’s waste collection map, or call 311. Since Sept. 9, 2024, every service comes on one day, according to the city’s collection information page: if your black garbage cart is emptied on Tuesday, your recycling, yard waste cart and bulk pickup also come Tuesday.

The rules for the garbage cart:

• Put the cart at the curb before 7 a.m. The city says crews may come earlier than usual and will not go back for a cart put out after the truck has passed.
• All household garbage must be inside a city-issued black or brown cart. Bags or boxes left beside the cart are not collected.
• Keep carts at least 3 feet from your recycling cart, cars and mailboxes.
• A second (brown) garbage cart costs $55 from 311, with no extra charge to empty it.

Holiday schedule

When a city holiday falls on a collection day, those routes are collected on the Wednesday of that week. The city’s 2026-27 holiday schedule:

The schedule lists Thursday, Dec. 24 and Friday, Dec. 25 as city holidays but gives no make-up day for them. Check with 311 before Christmas week.

Recycling

Recycling is collected weekly from the blue 65-gallon cart, which the city delivers free: call 311 to order one. Put recyclables in loose, with no bags, wheels at the curb and handles toward the house. From the city’s recycling page:

Yes: plastics #1 to #7 (rinsed), flattened cardboard, all paper including envelopes, magazines and junk mail, aluminum cans and foil, and steel cans.

No: glass, plastic bags, Styrofoam, batteries of any kind, needles, anything that tangles (hoses, cords, Christmas lights), plastic toys, car parts, tires, wax-coated containers and wrapping paper.

Drop-off recycling trailers are open to residents at:

• Georgia Welcome Center, 1751 Williams Road
• Cooper Creek Park, 4816 Milgen Road
• Recycling and Sustainability Center, 8001 Pine Grove Way
• Victory Drive site, 25 22nd Ave., across from Carl Gregory, behind the Summit

Yard waste and bulk items

• Yard waste cart: leaves, grass clippings and pine needles go in the green cart, with no bags or garbage, on your collection day.
• Large yard piles and bulk items: furniture, appliances and big piles of yard debris need a scheduled pickup. Call 311. Mixed piles are not collected.
• Limbs: no longer than 4 feet and no wider than 6 inches across.
• Trees cut on private property: not part of regular service. Call 706-225-4661 for a “Tree for Fee” pickup, which costs $50 a load plus a $76.50-a-ton tipping fee.
• Tires: up to five passenger or light-truck tires per household at a time, off the rim.
• Paint: cans must be empty or the paint solidified with sand, dirt or cat litter.
• Construction debris: carpet, lumber, shingles, toilets, sinks, concrete and dirt are never picked up at the curb. Take them to Pine Grove Landfill.

Contractors and landscapers must haul away the waste from their own work, under city ordinance 13-167.2(8).

Household hazardous waste day

The city holds one collection day a year. The next is Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at the Recycling and Sustainability Center, 8001 Pine Grove Way, according to the household hazardous waste page. It takes antifreeze, paints, solvents, pesticides, herbicides, cleaners, acids, mercury, rechargeable batteries and fluorescent light bulbs.

The landfills

Both take waste only from Muscogee County residents, with a valid ID or water bill, and loads must be one type of material. Details from the city’s landfill page:

Pine Grove’s remaining Saturday openings this year are Nov. 7 and Dec. 5. The city asks drivers to arrive at least 30 minutes before closing, and 90 minutes before closing with a large load. Household garbage and construction waste cost $85 a ton; yard waste and land-clearing debris $76.50 a ton.

What it costs

The low-income rate is a 25% reduction, with eligibility set each year from federal guidelines. Apply through 311.

What this means for you

• Everything goes out on one day; Wednesday is only for holiday make-ups.
• Columbus Day moves Monday routes to Wednesday, Oct. 14.
• Bring paint, chemicals and old bulbs to the hazardous waste day on Saturday, Oct. 10.
• Glass does not go in the blue cart.

More city services: who to call at City Hall and moving to Columbus.

Frequently asked questions

What day is trash pickup in Columbus, Georgia?

Each home has one collection day, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday, shown on the city’s waste collection map. Garbage, recycling, yard waste and bulk items are all collected on that same day. Call 311 at 706-653-4000 if you do not know your day.

Is there trash pickup on Wednesday in Columbus?

No regular routes run on Wednesday. The city uses Wednesday as the make-up day when a holiday falls on a collection day, so the Monday Columbus Day routes are collected Wednesday, Oct. 14.

How do I get bulk trash picked up in Columbus?

Call 311 at 706-653-4000 to schedule it. Bulk furniture, appliances and large yard waste piles need a request, and mixed piles are not collected. Construction debris goes to Pine Grove Landfill.

How much is garbage pickup in Columbus?

The residential fee is $24 a month. Low-income households can apply for a reduced fee of $18 a month.

Can I recycle glass in Columbus?

No. Glass is on the city’s list of items it cannot accept in the blue recycling cart, along with plastic bags, Styrofoam and batteries.