Trash collection changes coming soon to Manatee County. Here’s the breakdown
Waste collection will soon change for nearly 187,000 residences and businesses in unincorporated Manatee County.
Starting Oct. 6, household garbage collection will change from twice per week to once per week. County officials say the changes are necessary to respond to the changing methods of waste companies and rising costs. The changes affect only residents living in unincorporated Manatee County.
Government Relations Director for Manatee County Government Stephanie Garrison said the collection method will condense residents’ waste collection days. Garrison explained it as, “one simple day for everything.”
This means what used to be separate collection days for garbage, recycling and yard waste will now be one collection day. The day will vary by location, and residents can check their collection day on Manatee County’s “Big Bin Advantage” website.
In addition to the change in collection frequency, yard waste will now need to be tied in bundles or placed in paper bags rather than in plastic bags. Additionally, bulk trash — like couches, mattresses and other furniture — can no longer randomly be placed on the curb to be collected. Residents will need to schedule a bulk pickup collection through the county or take the bulk trash to a landfill.
Despite the changes, residents won’t see any changes to their monthly waste collection fee, which is $23.65 per month.
Big changes coming to trash pickup
Residents will start receiving new, 96-gallon trash bins from August through September before the new system goes into effect on Oct. 6. Garrison said the new bins are designed to be more durable and odor-proof than the current bins.
Once residents receive their new, larger trash bin, they should start using it for trash pickup immediately.
The county encourages residents to find ways to repurpose old trash bins, whether that’s for yard waste or other uses.
“We strongly encourage, if you can, repurpose that,” Garrison said. “We’ve got a ton of ideas on our website of what you might be able to use that for.”
But, residents can also request that the old bin be picked up and taken to a landfill within the first 30 days of the change by either clearly marking the bin or printing a sign from the county’s website to be placed on the bin.
If one 96-gallon bin is not enough to collect a week’s worth of garbage, such as for a large household, residents can request a second bin for an additional $13 per month.
Recycling pickup will not change for residents. Garrison said the new trash collection cycle could also help prevent waste.
“We’re not getting rid of recycling at all. In fact, we’re hoping this helps folks be more responsible with their trash and more thoughtful, because it is everything one day and everything’s got to stay in the bin,” Garrison said.
Why the changes?
In 2023, Manatee County faced pressure from its waste collection providers — Waste Management and Waste Pro — to raise rates or change collection methods, according to Garrison.
“It was going to raise up to something like $50-60 a month,” Garrison said. “It was going to be a really significant charge to continue the current service.”
Following those discussions, Garrison said county officials delayed the rate increases as much as possible.
“We waited and delayed as long as we could with the current contract,” Garrison said. “But part of that deal was that we have to either raise rates or we would have to figure out a way to reduce to once a week pick up.”
According to Garrison, the waste collection providers are downsizing from two operators per truck to one. The newer trucks have an enhanced arm to dump the trash into the truck.
Garrison said the new method saves time for operators, results in fewer trucks on the road and promotes safer work conditions for the collectors.
Manatee County is one of the last holdouts of these changes in waste collection, according to Garrison. Sarasota County switched to a similar system earlier this year.
