By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – No longer will Alabaster residents have to remember if it’s their week for recycling or not, as the city’s new garbage company will begin offering recycling pickup every week beginning on Jan. 7.

During its Nov. 24 meeting, the Alabaster City Council voted to award the city’s residential recycling bid to Advanced Disposal, which will charge $11.23 per month to collect residential garbage and recycling each week.

The company also will collect garbage and recycling at Alabaster City School System facilities for $2,500 per month.

This will mark the first time Alabaster residents will have weekly curbside recycling, as the city’s current garbage provider collects recycling every other week on a staggered basis.

“I have heard a couple of people say that they have trouble remembering if it’s their week for recycling,” Alabaster Mayor Marty Handlon said during a Dec. 23 phone interview. “Now, they can put their recycling out every Wednesday and it will get picked up.”

Advanced Disposal will begin collecting garbage on Jan. 2, and will begin collecting recycling each Wednesday on Jan. 7. Alabaster City Manager George Henry said the city has already mailed out flyers to all city residents detailing their garbage collection day and instructions for garbage pickup.

Residents are encouraged to place their garbage and recycling containers on the curb by 6:30 a.m. on their collection days.

Advanced will accept the following types of recyclables: Corrugated cardboard boxes cut to fit in the 95-gallon bin, office paper, newspaper, paperboard, aseptic cartons, junk mail, telephone books, aluminum cans, aluminum foil, steel and tin cans, plastics No. 1-5 and 7 and plastic bottle caps left on the bottle.

Allied Waste, the city’s current provider, will begin collecting its bins on Dec. 29, and is asking residents to place their old bins by the curb for collection.

For issues dealing with garbage or recycling, you may contact the City of Alabaster at 205-664-6800 or by using the “Report a concern” form on Cityofalabaster.com.

To view maps of new garbage service days, visit Cityofalabaster.com/departments/public-works/garbage-service-day-maps.