SANITATION POLICY
 

The Public Works Department receives many calls regarding household waste, yard waste, bulky items and recyclable collections.  These calls result from either the Town's new policy regarding yard waste and bulky items or improperly placed or unacceptable curbside waste.  While town employees are always glad to help with any questions you may have, time on the phone means time lost on routes.  Thank you for bearing with us while we implement our new, and most importantly, fuel efficient system.  Read on for collections schedules, PinPoint system information and proper procedures for disposal.

The Schedule

First, remember that household waste and recyclables are collected once per week.  Watch the newspaper, quarterly newsletter and website for holiday schedules.  Make sure household waste or recyclables have been contained properly and that the contents are acceptable for collection before calling the Public Works Department.

Yard Waste - is picked up during the first and third full week of the month.  If your household waste is collected on Tuesdays, for instance, your yard waste will not be collected September 1st.  It will be picked up the following week, which is a full week.  2012 Pickup Schedule

Bulky Items - are picked up during the second and fourth full week of the month.  It is important to make sure that you place all waste (household, yard, bulky items and recyclables) at curbside on your scheduled day for household waste collection in order for the PinPoint System to work.  2012 Pickup Schedule.

The System - The Town has implemented the PinPoint system for use by the Sanitation Department.  When the Town garbage truck comes by your residence or place of business on your waste collection day, the driver of the truck can pinpoint electronically through a tracking device, yard waste, bulky items or recyclables that need to be collected.  A list is then printed for the driver of the appropriate truck so that an employee can go directly to the locations identified, rather than waste fuel and manpower driving on every street in town, many of which have no items to be picked up.  In order for this system to work, yard waste and bulky items must be at curbside no later than 7:00 a.m. on your household waste pickup day.  Failure to do so will result in your items being left at curbside.

The Procedures -

Household Waste - Place bagged household waste inside containers with tight-fitting lids, with forty-five (45) gallon maximum.  Please use lids on cans to prevent access by animals and birds.  They spill trash and it becomes litter.  DO NOT put animal or human waste, ashes, oil, flammables, toxic materials, or building materials in your garbage containers.

Blue Bag Recyclables - Place recyclables in blue bags only.  Acceptable items include newspapers, magazines, bulk mail and other paper, small amounts of cardboard, aluminum beverage cans, tin cans, and glass and plastic food and beverage containers.  Items for recycling must be empty and rinsed.  Caps and lids must be removed and placed with regular garbage.  It is not necessary to remove labels from cans, bottles and jars.  Create extra space in your blue bags by crushing bottles and cans.  DO NOT put aerosol cans, aluminum foil or scrap metal, motor oil containers, mirrors or ceramics in your blue bags.  Blue Bags can be purchased at most grocery and retail stores.

Beginning October 1, 2009, North Carolina becomes one of the first states to ban the disposal of plastic bottle waste in traditional trash bins.  Rigid plastic containers such as soda and water bottles, milk jugs and laundry detergent can no longer be discarded in nonrecycling waste bins.  Recycling these items protects the environment and extends the life of the Haywood County Landfill.

Cardboard - small amounts of residential cardboard will be picked up by the blue bag truck if the cardboard is broken down and free of food residue.  Large amounts of cardboard should be taken directly to the county convenience center.  NO COMMERCIAL CARDBOARD WILL BE PICKED UP!

Bulky Items - appliances, furniture and bulky household items may be placed at curbside for collection.  Items cannot be heavier than two men can lift.  DO NOT place carpet, tires, bulding materials, shingles, commercial trash or heavy auto parts at curbside.  You may call the Haywood County Recovery Facility at 627-8042 for disposal information.

Yard Waste - brush, hedge trimmings, grass and vines are acceptable for collection by town crews.  Tree limbs should be no more than 3 inches in diameter or 6 feet in length and be free of dirt, wire or anything hindering the chipping equipment.  Place butt ends toward the curb.  Yard trimmings should be free of trash and placed for handling with a pitchfork.  Grass clippings or loose materials that cannot be handled easily with a pitchfork must be bagged (30 pound maximum limit per bag).  Please keep yard waste off the streets and sidewalks and out of drainage ditches.  DO NOT put logs, stumps, root balls, land cleared, machine piled or contract tree trimming materials at the curb.

Leaves - are collected by vacuum machine from mid-October until mid-January.  Leaves must be free of sticks and other debris and raked to the curb but not in the drainage areas or the street.  The balance of the year, leaves must be placed in plastic bags for collection.  Burning leaves inside Town limits is prohibited. 

Remember, it is highly unlikely that you will see a Town truck "miss' your curbside items.  Trucks are designated to carry particular items - if one truck passes your house and does not pick up an item, another truck may be needed to pick it up.  If you have followed the procedures outlined above, you can be certain town employees are working according to schedule, utilizing the PinPoint system, and making every effort to collect your curbside items in the most efficient manner possible.  We need your help to make it work for your town!

--------------Sanitation Department--------------
Telephone 456-3706 (7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday - Friday)