City residents, make sure to have your 'handles toward the house'

STAFF REPORT

With the City of Sumter's focus on keeping the area free of litter and recently changing its collection trucks, all residents' trash pickup service has changed a bit, and the city is continuing to get the word out about the changes.

Last August, Sumter City Council approved the purchase of two side-loading garbage trucks, which were launched around the end of the year. According to previous Item reporting, these trucks only need one person to drive them, as the loading itself is done automatically.

The new side-loading garbage trucks work differently, and "proper bin placement is more important than ever!" according to the city's Facebook page in early June. "When in doubt, remember 'Handles Toward The House.'"

The complete new rules are:

1. Garbage bins should be placed 3 feet from all obstructions, including mailboxes and trees.

2. The arrows on the garbage bin should be placed to be pointing toward the street. Stickers will be placed on bins to remind residents of this as the trucks are replaced.

3. Garbage bins should be placed no more than 2 feet from the edge of the street so the automatic arms can properly grab them.

4. The lid of the garbage bin must be closed, otherwise the lid may be damaged.

5. The trucks will get one side of a neighborhood at a time, so the time at which a resident's trash is picked up may differ depending on the amount of time it will take the side-loader to reverse the route.

According to the city earlier this year, residents whose trash wasn't able to be collected may be left a notice explaining the reason, but there won't be a fine.

All bins should be placed by 7 a.m. on pickup days and left out until 7 p.m.

For those who live outside city limits, they "must contract with a private vendor for curbside pick-up of household garbage. County residents can call Allied Waste at (803) 428-2400. There is a monthly fee for this service."

Sumter County has nine recycling centers open to Sumter County residents only. No waste is accepted from private industries or commercial entities. The centers are closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays; they are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and from 1:30 to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Sumter also has one landfill at 2185 E. Brewington Road that is open Monday to Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Recycling center locations:

- 4620 Cane Savannah Road, Wedgefield

- 1135 Rainaire Blvd., Sumter

- 3995 Pinewood Road, Sumter

- 815 Bethel Church Road, Sumter

- 2860 Queen Chapel Road, Sumter

- 60 Alligator Branch Road

- 3665 Spencer Road, Sumter

- 1980 Stamey Livestock Road, Sumter

- 800 Pleasant Grove Road, Lynchburg

If you need a new trash bin, they can be purchased from the City of Sumter Utility Billing Office by calling (803) 436-2541.

For more information, call the Public Services Department at (803) 436-2558.

Item reporter Deirdre Currin contributed to this article.