NEW NEW: Garbage Pickup Makeup Days due to Memorial Day
The City of Birmingham will be closed Monday, May 29, 2023 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. There will be no household garbage pickup on the holiday. Residents with once-a-week household garbage pickup through the uniform cart system will have a makeup day on Wednesday, May 31. Residents who receive twice-a-week service will have their household garbage pickup on the next scheduled day of Thursday, June 1.
NEW: Residents with City-issued Uniform Garbage Cart Can Purchase Additional Cart Starting May 30, 2023
Changes to the City of Birmingham’s “Solid Waste Collection and Disposal” ordinance will allow residents currently participating in the uniform garbage cart program to apply for an additional cart.
Nearly 45,000 single-family residential properties in the city are part of the new once-a-week household garbage collection. Each of those properties must use a 96-gallon-complimentary cart provided by the city. That is the only garbage receptacle which may be used in the new program. Residents in the program wishing to have a second cart may apply starting Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Residents must pay $120 for an additional cart. Single family residences will be limited to only two carts.
Read more about the updated ordinance here.
DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT THE NEW UNIFORM GARBAGE CART PROGRAM? Email pickup@birminghamal.gov
City Launches Phase 2 Cart Delivery Complete and In Service
The City of Birmingham completed phase 2 delivery of the new uniform garbage carts on March 22. More than 20,000 carts were delivered to residences over the next few weeks. The carts were distributed equally among the four waste management districts (north, south, east, west). More than 40,000 uniform garbage carts are currently in use in the city. The next and final delivery phase will take place later in 2023.
Residents who are not currently part of the uniform garbage cart program should continue to place household garbage for pickup as always.
An Important Reminder about the City’s Uniform Garbage Cart System
Households using the new uniform garbage carts, please remember that garbage must be bagged and placed inside the complimentary 96-gallon cart. If placed on the ground beside the cart or on top of the cart, it will not be picked up. Residents using the new carts should place their carts in front of their home. Any household garbage placed on the ground in alleys or on the ground in front of the residence will not be picked up.
The new cart system is serviced by automated trucks that use a mechanical lift to empty the contents of the carts in the truck. The process and schedule for the bulk trash and brush pick-up will not change based on the uniform garbage cart system.
Thank you for your patience as the city continues to educate residents on the new system. We encourage you to help inform your neighbors about using the new system and how to properly set out their household garbage in the new uniform carts.
“HOW TO” Video: Click here to view a video about the proper way to use your new uniform garbage cart.
About Birmingham’s New Uniform Garbage Cart System
The city has purchased 100,000 garbage carts to create a more efficient and effective household garbage pickup system. The complimentary 96-gallon industrial garbage cart protects garbage bags from animals and weather.
The carts are equipped with a smart chip that associates it with a specific address, like a serial number. The chip also allows for the collection of data such as when the carts are lifted and emptied.
The New System Will Launch in Phases
Delivery of the complimentary 96-gallon garbage carts will move in phases. Phase 1 deliveries arrived at more than 20,000 households between October 17, 2022 and November 18, 2022. The delivery of the carts covered the city’s four waste management districts.
Phase 2 delivery included another 20,000 households between March 22, 2023 and April 28, 2023.
Phase 1 and phase 2 properties are now on a new pickup schedule. Phase 3 deliveries will take place later this year.
The new garbage cart system will not change your bulk trash and brush or recycle pick up schedules. The new trash carts cannot be used for bulk trash collection days. To see the monthly bulk trash and brush collection schedule, please visit www.birminghamal.gov/bulktrash.
Additional Delivery and Implementation Phases
Phase 3 cart delivery will take place later in 2023. Check back on this website, www.birminghamal.gov/pickup, for future updates or text BHAMREADY to 888-777 for updates about service or other important announcements from the City of Birmingham.
If you have questions about your complimentary 96-gallon cart or the new system, please email pickup@birminghamal.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions about the City of Birmingham’s Uniform Garbage Cart System
I recently received my trash cart. When can I start using it?
Phase 1 cart service began on November 28, 2022. Phase 2 cart service began on May 1, 2023. Garbage should be bagged when it is placed into the cart. Residents should NOT put trash bags on top of the trash cart or beside it. Those bags will not be collected.
My neighbors received a cart, but I didn’t. When will I get mine?
The garbage carts will be delivered citywide in phases. The carts are placed based on garbage pickup routes and not neighborhoods, communities, or council district boundaries. If someone one street over from you received a cart and you have not yet received one, for example, it’s possible that you are not part of the current phase of this new system.
My next door neighbor received a cart, and I did not. Can we share her cart?
No. If your next door neighbor received a cart and you did not, you should not share. Please send an email to pickup@birminghamal.gov. . Provide your address and include what happened. Someone will investigate to determine if you should have received a cart.
Can I just toss my trash into the cart without bagging it?
No, all residents must bag the garbage before putting it in the cart. If it is not bagged, the trash could blow out onto the street while the truck is dumping it.. By bagging your trash, you will help cut down on litter.
I don’t want to use the new cart. Will the city still pick up my trash if I put bags out on the ground or in a different trash can?
No. If you were given one of the new carts and the city has started collection service with the automated trucks on your route, the city will be UNABLE TO HAVE THE AUTOMATED TRUCKS collect bagged trash from the curb or pick up a trash can that is not one of the cans that were distributed.
Will the truck collect my trash if I put the cart in the alley because that’s where I used to put my trash?
No, the truck will be unable to get to the cart if it is in the alley. Residents should put their carts in the front of their home at the curb. If there is an issue, please send an email to pickup@birminghamal.gov.
How do we report broken carts?
Send an email to pickup@birminghamal.gov. Be sure to provide your address.
What addresses are currently receiving carts?
Carts were delivered to an equal number of households in each of the four waste management districts of the city: north, south, east, west. Residents scheduled to receive a cart will receive a letter detailing next steps. Residents who receive a cart will also receive a letter providing details on a new pickup schedule.
I have received my new cart, but I also have a trash cart similar to the one the city just gave me. Can I use both carts for pickup when you start using the automated trucks?
No. Residents should ONLY be using the uniform household garbage cart that was dropped off at their home.
My new cart was stolen. What do I do?
Residents are responsible for their carts. If the cart is lost or stolen, the resident will have to replace it and buy one from the city. Residents should send an email to pickup@birminghamal.gov to report a stolen cart.
My new cart was damaged. What do I do?
If the cart was damaged, the resident should send an email to pickup@birminghamal.gov to report a damaged cart. Please provide the address.
Will apartments receive one trash cart for each resident or just one for the complex?
Multifamily residences containing no more than four units and currently using the uniform garbage cart may purchase additional carts at $120 each. No more than four carts will be provided for those multifamily residences.
Multifamily residences with more than four units will not be provided the city’s garbage carts. Those properties must provide a special garbage container for the premises and provide service to empty the container.
The city has already given me one cart. Can I buy a second cart from the city for my home?
Residents wishing to have a second cart may apply starting Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Residents must pay $120 for an additional cart. Single family residences will be limited to only two carts. Check www.birminghamal.gov/pickup for details to apply for a second cart beginning Tuesday, May 30, 2023. Only properties currently using the uniform garbage carts will be able to purchase an additional cart. Those who will receive a cart in the phase 3 delivery must wait until that process has started.
Check this site often for updates on garbage pick-up schedules and future cart delivery dates.
Text BHAMREADY to 888-777 to receive service updates and other important information
