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CONCORD Concord officials hope to be able to use GPS technology to create a better yard waste collection system.
Starting Monday, the city will begin a pilot program to test a more efficient way of scheduling yard waste pickups, according to city officials.
“Right now we drive trucks up and down the street looking for yard waste,” said Peter Franzese, spokesman for the city.
In the new program, Waste Pro, the city’s garbage and recycling contractor, sends collection workers out with wireless technology to locate yard waste and mark it using GPS technology.
“Instead of the trucks going up and down the street looking for it, then our yard crews would have a list of addresses every day that we would go to,” Franzese said. “We’re just constantly looking for ways to let us use technology that will help us be more efficient.”
Customers should continue to set their yard waste out following the same procedures, city officials said.
Officials said it’s important that all customers follow the following guidelines to ensure collection:
• All yard waste must be placed at the curb by or before 7 a.m. on your regular garbage collection day.
• Some customers’ yard waste may be collected on a one-day delay. Customers must still place yard waste at the curb by or before 7 a.m. on their garbage collection day.
• If your yard waste is not collected by 5 p.m. the day after your regular collection day, call 704-920-5555 to report the missed collection.
• Friday customers’ yard waste will be collected by Friday evening. There will be no Saturday collection.
Labor Day falls during the pilot study. For the week of Labor Day, all customers must place all yard waste at the curb by 7 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4. Collection will begin Tuesday and be completed by Friday.
The pilot study will end Oct. 19, and the results will be presented to Concord City Council for consideration, Franzese said.
The city has mailed information about the program to all yard waste customers.
