Perry County lists trash tags, recycling sites and accepted drop-offs

Perry County’s trash system runs on orange tags, separate drop-offs and a recycling center that accepts far more than bottles and cans. The county’s main recycling location sits at 508 N. 2nd St. in Cannelton, but not every load belongs there, and not every site takes trash. For anyone cleaning out a garage, replacing electronics or hauling a full truck bed after a home project, the difference between the right site and the wrong one can mean a second trip, an extra fee or a load that gets turned away.

Where recycling goes

The county’s Solid Waste page lists the Cannelton center as the primary recycling location and ties it to a broader network that includes the Branchville Drop-off Center and the Derby Drop-off site. Cannelton is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., which makes it the most flexible stop for weekday drop-offs and weekend cleanouts. Perry County also identifies Cannelton as the county’s main option for larger items and special drop-offs, so bulky waste is meant to go there rather than to a standard recycling stop.

The county spells out the materials residents can bring. The accepted service categories include plastics, glass and metals; cardboard and papers; electronics, batteries and lightbulbs; oil and antifreeze; and chemical and hazardous material drop-off. That mix matters because it is broader than a simple cans-and-bottles recycling run. It gives residents a place for common household problem items that often end up stored in sheds, basements and barns long after they should have been removed.

What each site accepts

Not every Perry County drop-off works the same way, and that is where people can waste time if they assume all sites are interchangeable. The Derby Drop-off site is recycling-only and does not accept trash. That makes Derby useful for sorted recycling loads, but it is the wrong destination for garbage, bagged household trash or large-item disposal.

Branchville and Cannelton are the more practical stops for people managing both recyclables and household waste, but the tasks are still split between categories. The county’s facilities document says the Recycling Management District once operated four recycling drop-off sites, with two also providing trash and large-item disposal for county residents. That history helps explain why Perry County now uses a system of specialized stops instead of one catchall dump.

Here is the fastest way to think about the county’s categories:

• Plastics, glass and metals belong in the recycling stream.

• Cardboard and papers belong in the recycling stream.

• Electronics, batteries and lightbulbs belong at the county’s designated recycling locations, not in household trash.

• Oil and antifreeze belong with the county’s accepted recycling or special drop-off categories.

• Chemical and hazardous material drop-off is separate and should not be mixed with regular trash.

• Derby takes recycling only, not trash.

That structure helps keep loads from being rejected on arrival, especially when a trip includes a mix of items from a home cleanup.

Trash tags are required

Household trash in Perry County comes with a separate rule: each bag needs an orange county trash tag. The county says each tag costs $1.50 and is not sold on site, so the tag has to be bought before the trash is hauled. Sales locations are listed in Tell City, Cannelton and Branchville, which spreads access across the county but also means residents need to plan ahead before heading to a disposal point.

That tag system matters for ordinary household decisions. If you are bagging kitchen trash, a basement cleanout or debris from a weekend project, the tag is not optional and it is not something you can pick up after you arrive. A truckload of bags without tags can become a wasted run, and the same is true if you show up assuming every site sells them at the gate.

Special waste and hazardous material

Perry County’s listing for oil, antifreeze and chemical or hazardous material drop-off is especially important for households that store motor fluids, lawn equipment supplies or leftover household chemicals. Indiana Department of Environmental Management guidance says household hazardous waste collection programs and recycling collection sites may also accept used oil, oil filters and antifreeze from the public. Perry County’s own categories line up with that state guidance by naming oil and antifreeze as accepted items.

That means residents should treat these materials differently from regular trash. Used oil, antifreeze and similar items can go to the county’s designated drop-off categories instead of ending up in a garbage bag. The practical result is less confusion at the curb and less risk of mixing materials that belong in different waste streams.

How the county system is organized now

Perry County’s Solid Waste services now operate as a county department after the Solid Waste District was scheduled to cease operating on Jan. 1, 2025. A dissolution plan transferred the district’s assets, obligations and duties to the Perry County Board of Commissioners and placed administration under Perry County Solid Waste, a new department within county government. That shift changed who runs the system, but it did not simplify the rules residents have to follow at the curb or at the drop-off sites.

The county’s setup also fits Indiana’s broader solid-waste structure. IDEM says a solid waste management district is the local county authority for recycling, yard waste and household hazardous waste services, and the state’s recycling program aims to help Indiana reach and sustain a 50% recycling rate. IDEM’s 2022 Recycling Index put Indiana’s overall recycling rate at 19.5%, which shows why local systems like Perry County’s still matter even when they feel cumbersome. The county’s separate sites, tags and accepted-item lists are the practical mechanics behind that statewide goal.

What to remember before you load the truck

Perry County’s system rewards planning. Cannelton is the main recycling and special-drop-off site, Branchville and Derby are part of the county network, and Derby does not take trash. Trash bags need orange tags, each tag costs $1.50, and the tags are not sold at the disposal site. If you sort the load before you leave home, the county’s rules are clear enough to keep a cleanup from turning into a second errand.