Let's Talk Trash! 

Why the change?

Mayor Montgomery poses behind the wheel of the new trash truck.

The Town of Jamestown has found it necessary to move to a new garbage collection method.  The coming need for this change has been discussed by staff and elected officials for over 12 years.  There are several reasons why the Town has decided to make this change now.  First, crows and other critters often tear open bags at the curb, leaving unsightly litter that can wash into storm drains that drain into lakes and streams.  Second, collecting solid waste with staff members riding the back of trucks is the sixth most dangerous job in America!  In order to help protect staff members, we have elected to move to an automated collection system using cans and trucks which can lift them.  Third, running solid waste trucks twice a week to collect the same volumes of waste creates unnecessary wear on the equipment, roadways, and staff members.  It also uses twice the fuel necessary to complete the same amount of work.  Finally, our Town is currently at a capacity where staff has a difficult time finishing the garbage routes and providing service to all households twice a week. Preparing for future growth now is imperative to running our Town in an efficient and equitable manner.

The Town looked at every option and moving to an automated collection service allows the Town to provide a high level of service at a reasonable cost.  The answer is to move to an automated collection service using trash cans (aka "Toters") and to provide collection once weekly.  A can is a storage option that will allow residents to easily store waste until their pickup day.  Cans are easier to wheel larger quantities of waste to the street and provide an inaccessible container to prevent critters from creating litter on the streets.  And, residents are already using cans for recycling collection.

 

When will this happen?

The Town will begin delivering cans to residents near the end of March with an anticipated start date for garbage collection using the new methods on the week of April 10, 2023.

 

How will it work?

Once residents receive their garbage cans, they can begin using them immediately.  Pickup days will change!!  See the next question for information on new pickup days.

 

What day of the week will pickup be?

The Town will be split into two separate pickup days.  Those residents living on the "East" side of the service area will be collected on Tuesdays.  Those living on the "West" side of the service area will be collected on Wednesdays.  The general guides for East and West will be Guilford Rd. and Oakdale Rd.  Residents along both sides of Oakdale Road will be serviced on Tuesdays.  Residents on the East side of Guilford Rd. will be serviced on Tuesdays, while residents on the West side of Guilford Rd. will be serviced on Wednesdays. Both garbage and recycling will be collected on the SAME day of the week.  This will only require that residents remember one service day and will result in cans being at the curb on only one day of the week.  Both cans should be at the curb before 7 AM on the day of collection to ensure service.  

 

View our video about how our new service will benefit our Town.

How should I place my carts at the curb?

Carts should be placed at the curb with handles toward the curb.  Please separate the carts by 3-4 feet to allow the equipment ample space to pickup the carts.  

Updated Solid Waste Ordinance - 07/18/2023

You can find a copy of the latest Solid Waste Ordinance here.

Service Map

You can download a copy of our service area map here.  This map also shows which day of the week you can expect garbage and recycling services.  

Frequently Asked Questions

A list of frequently asked questions can be found here.

Downloadable Postcard

A postcard will be sent to every current solid waste customer and copies can be found at Town Hall or downloaded here.  This postcard serves as a quick guide to what can be recycled, holiday schedules for collections, what to do with bulky items which do not fit in the can, how to place your cans on the street, and other information. 

Bulky Item and Yard Waste

A postcard will be sent to every current solid waste customer and copies can be found at Town Hall or downloaded here.

 

Holiday Schedule

A copy of our latest holiday calendar can be found here.  On affected dates, your garbage and recycling pickup day will move forward one day.  For example, if your normal pickup is on Tuesday, your pickup on a week affected by a holiday will be on Wednesday.  

 

What do I do with E-Waste, Tires, Paints, etc.

Specialty items like electronics, tires, paints, pharmaceuticals, construction and demolition wastes, etc. are generally handled at special locations throughout the County.  For more information on where these items can be taken, please see Guilford County's Interactive Waste Disposal Guide here.

 

Contact Us

Have a question that isn't answered here?  Contact Town Hall during normal business hours (8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, M-F) at 336-454-1138 and our staff will be happy to assist you.

 

Thanks for keeping Jamestown clean and green!