TIFTON – Earlier this month, the Tifton City Council decided to go separate ways with Golden Environmental and go in a new direction with a different company for solid-waste disposal. 

Ryland Environmental is the new company taking over solid-waste disposal for city residents. The contract for Golden Environmental will expire in December. 

Golden Environmental had been contracted to manage trash pickup and solid waste in Tifton since 2014. After the initial five-year contract, the city decided to only extend the solid-waste disposal contract for one year based on complaints from city residents about a lack of customer service, delayed pick up of yard debris and leaking trash trucks driving through town. 

Pete Pyrzenski, Tifton city manager, said the transition to a new solid-waste disposal provider is on a tight time frame. James Lanier from Ryland Environmental is already making sure the company is ready to meet the demands of Tifton, he said. 

Lanier said he has recently hired a manager who will oversee trash collection in the city and the manager starts at the end of the month. Lanier and Todd Yates own Ryland, and according to them, they have 100 years of experience in the garbage industry. 

“We are committed as a company to have the best product available and give you the service that Tifton deserves,” Lanier said. 

Ryland has ordered new equipment to service Tifton. Lanier promised the trucks won’t leak or spill and they will be maintained. New dumpsters have been ordered and will be equipped with lids and plugs, Lanier said. 

“We think that the presence and the difference it will make in the appearance will be huge,” Lanier said. “We don’t come up here and just sell you a bill of goods and leave you. We are here every day.”

According to Lanier, Ryland will contact each Tifton business to establish a relationship. He said the company is in the process of establishing an office for customers to visit. 

“We really look forward to your partnership,” Tifton Mayor Julie Smith said during the Tifton City Council meeting. “We are going to hold your feet to the fire but we expect good results and we know you will provide that.”