LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Limestone County is changing the way trash is collected in unincorporated parts of the county.

This week, Limestone County announced the establishment of the Limestone County Solid Waste Department which will take on residential trash collection.

Image credit: Limestone County Ala. Commission Facebook.

“Huntsville, Madison, Athens, Lauderdale County, Morgan County, we’re kind of the last holdout doing it the way that it’s being done,” County Engineer Marc Massey said.

The new system will be automated.

Massey said he thinks the new system will reduce clutter on the side of the road.

“Hopefully it allows us to have some cleaner roadways, sides of the roads, instead of just bags being set out at the end of the road, we’ll have a designated container,” Massey said.

In anticipation of the new services starting on April 3rd, Limestone County is starting to distribute the new trash bins to residences now.

“We’re putting out 96-gallon cans which is much larger than the household cans that people have been using,” Massey said.

Each household will receive one bin.

The Facebook post that announced the new system received a lot of comments. Many people had questions about why Limestone County was switching to a new system, rather than stay with the same contractor.

Massey told News 19 the existing contractor will no longer be available after March.

“We were notified in November by the current contract hauler that he was retiring,” Massey said. “His current contract ends March 31st. The [County Commission] chairman looked at me and said ‘we’ve got to come up with a plan’.”

Massey told News 19 that residents should receive their new bin in time for the first collection on April 3rd. However, if they don’t receive their bin before then, to give them a call.

The Solid Waste Department can be reached at 256-233-6407.

Residents are asked to not start putting out their new bins for trash collection until the new automated system goes into effect.

Collection days will be based on where in the county you live. You can find your pick up day by using this interactive map.

Massey said people will also be able to tell which day their trash will be collected, “when the cans are delivered, there will be a paper map included, showing the days and showing the routes.”