How will the new plan work?
- Unincorporated Gwinnett County has been divided into five service areas.
- Residents will begin receiving service from their new waste hauler starting July 1, 2010.
- Residents will have once-per-week pick-up of household waste, recyclables, and larger items like appliances and old furniture.
- The initial monthly service fee for the first 18 months will be $17.86 per household, to be paid to Gwinnett County on the property tax statement.
- Yard waste pickup will continue to be an elective service provided by the waste hauler in each district. Monthly service fee will be $10.00, to be paid semi-annually to the waste hauler.
What are the benefits of the new plan?
- Cleaner neighborhoods: Under the new plan, homeowners will have the opportunity to recycle 35 different items as part of their regular solid waste pick-up service. Additionally, there are approximately 20,000 homes that don't have waste collection services currently that will now have weekly garbage pick-up.
- Environmental sustainability: With only one hauler providing service throughout a neighborhood, there will be less traffic and pollution. The new system also complies with state law that requires the County to update its solid waste management plan every 10 years.
- More efficient and cost-effective: One hauler per district is more efficient, cost effective, and better for the roads than having multiple trucks crisscrossing neighborhoods and areas on any given day. Homeowners in each district will pay a standard service fee for waste collection.
Until the new service starts in July, you may continue to choose a solid waste provider from the approved list for residential and commercial service. Service under the old plan will be provided through June 30, 2010.
Gwinnett County's Solid Waste Information Center at 770.822.7141 is open for callers Monday through Friday between 7:30am and 5:30pm.
Let me give you a bit of history before starting. I have been very involved in the Gwinnett County Trash Plan since January 2009. I served on the Citizens committee that held 6 meetings throughout the county from mid January to the end of March.
There needs to be some corrections that need to be made to your Gwinnett County Trash Pick Up Article.
1. We have been able to recycle these 35 items all along. The problem was that Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful was not able to take them but haulers who used other recycle companies did.
2. The County was in compliance with the State Solid Waste Management plan.
3.The new system is not, I repeat is not more cost effective. My hauler did not change yet my fees are going up almost $3.50 per month. You have obviously been drinking the Charles Bannister Kool Aid.
As Judge Clarke stated in his December 2008 ruling, this entire fiasco is about money. The county commissioners have finally succeeded in raising taxes without having a tax increase. Take an in depth look at the money involved. It was going to go to Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful but now will be going to Gwinnett County. There are millions of additional dollars that will be going into the county coffers not including the value of the Carbon Credits.