HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Recycling options are few to come by, and soon, that service won't be available in Perry starting May 1.
The city is suspending the program because people weren't properly recycling items, and their vendors were taking fewer products.
Folks who used to recycle will see a $2 reduction to their monthly bill.
You can listen to the city's podcast explanation here.
Folks still have options to take their recycling goods to the Centerville Recycling Center. They take almost everything. You can drop off glass, aluminum cans, cardboard, paper, newspaper, used oil containers and more.
The center is open from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. That's where you can find Jose Balli.
He likes to extend a helping hand to visitors and to the Earth.
"My wife one day said, it's too bad we can't do something more than put trash out by the side of the road," Balli shared.
That led to him stopping by the center and then becoming a volunteer. He even drops off some of his own goods.
"If others did the same thing. There would be less landfill and more of this and more re-purposing," he said.
Balli says recycling cut down his waste by over a bag full.
Perry City Manager Lee Gilmour says the city put a lot of thought into the decision.
"I certainly grew up recycling, so I can appreciate it, but you have to be realistic and be the best stewards of public money," Gilmour said.
If you don't want to continue recycling, you could get another trash bin, if you feel it's necessary.
"We already have that service, if that's what they need to do, and that will be provided to them. Now there is an additional cost for that but its not as much as the first totter cost," he said.
Gilmour says this could be temporary.
"If the markets improve and we can get back into then we will," Gilmour said.
Centerville hopes to expand and move its center in the near future to accommodate growth and be a resource to more people.
You can also take your items to Happy Hour in Warner Robins, and you can drop aluminum cans off to the Friends of Perry Animal Shelter.
The last week of April, you can leave out your recycling and a vendor will come pick up your bin for the last time.