By: Claire Tribble
Let’s talk about trash. Specifically bulk trash. First off, there is NO BULK TRASH PICKUP for Limestone County residents at this time. Hopefully sometime in the near future this will be an option though. Residents of the City of Athens do have this service. As with everything, you give an inch, and they take a mile.
While the county residents do not have a bulk trash service, the Limestone County Commission provides free “Dump Days” for ALL Limestone County residents twice a year. The first Saturday of each April and the first Saturday of each October are designated as Trash Attack Days for Limestone County. You will be able to dump debris for FREE for spring cleaning and fall cleanup. Limestone County residents may take a trailer or pickup truck load of debris to the Republic Services Transfer Station, 16100 BFI Lane (off Hwy. 72, just east of 7 Mile Post Rd.). Times will be 7 a.m. – noon. This is a fantastic service that is provided to Limestone County residents!
So back to the Athens City bulk trash pickup. There seems to be a misunderstanding about how the bulk trash service works. The following is copied exactly from the City Ordinance — “This service is for collecting large household items such as furniture, appliances, and yard waste. The amount picked up is limited to 4 cubic yards per week. This is approximately 12 feet long by 3 feet wide by 3 feet high [per 2009 Code of Ordinances, § 46-97(c)].” “In the event that a contractor/landscaper performs work for a resident and that work generates any trash, scrap, or refuse. The removal of that waste is the responsibility of the contractor/landscaper [per 2009 Code of Ordinances, § 46-95(c)].” This trash is supposed to be stacked on YOUR property, if you are (hopefully) neatly piling this on your property, otherwise it becomes DUMPING.
Dumping is a whole other issue. Like littering, dumping is illegal and comes with fines and punishments if you are caught. As of March of 2023, Alabama State Law allows a fine up to $3,000 and 100 hours of community service for a misdemeanor littering offense. And just remember, everyone has doorbell cameras and smart phones these days…
As with most things, there are also common-sense/courtesy guidelines for the Bulk Trash Service:
· Please don’t put the bulk trash out 6 days before pickup — it gets strewn or rummaged through, has the potential to create a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and it can be an eyesore for your neighbors.
· If you have smaller, loose items, please bag or box them. These pieces not only travel, but the claw can’t always get all of them, and they can fly out of the back of the truck.
· Please think when you are stacking, keep things as orderly as you can, there’s no need to create a pile that looks like a mini landfill.
So, in short, don’t be trashy. Think about who, what, when, and where when you are disposing of your trash. Be considerate of everyone, it’s your job alone to make sure that you are following the guidelines. We all must live here, so let’s make it the best we can, you never can tell when dozens of 8×10 color glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one are going to come back to bite you!
By: Claire Tribble – Executive Director, Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful
October 4, 2024
