After a short-lived dispute between residents and city officials, Albany, GA, is headed toward finally debuting its own voluntary curbside recycling program. The discussion began in June 2013, when Waste Pro, a waste management services company operating in several states including Georgia, sent flyers to Albany residents about the possibility of a new curbside recycling program. This plan was promptly rejected by city officials, who said they were caught off guard by the proposal. However, as several weeks passed, City of Albany Public Works Director Phil Roberson and his staff put a plan together for a curbside recycling service regulated by the city that would cost around $5 to $6 per month. It was presented in early August to the Albany City Commission, which unanimously agreed to move forward with the plan. With the new plan, Albany residents are offered the convenient opportunity to have their waste and recyclables collected at the curb rather than them having to deliver them to one of the three recycling centers in town. The city will also save money, as it is charged a fee every time waste is dropped off at the county landfill. With the new recycling service in place, the city expects to have less waste heading to the Dougherty County landfill, which is situated on rural county land east of Albany proper. The city commissioners have recently started taking applications from recycling companies that would like to take on the job. Curbside recycling service will begin once a hauler is chosen. With a population of more than 77,000, Albany is the ninth largest out of 536 municipalities in Georgia. The creation of a curbside recycling program in Albany can be an important addition to the state’s recycling infrastructure — by hopefully influencing its residents and other municipalities in recycling-starved southern Georgia to focus on recycling programs.