Service Area 3, which includes The Acreage and is served by Coastal Waste & Recycling, accounted for more than half the notifications, with 3,102. Service Area 1 followed with 1,178.<\/p>\n
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Trash cans are sitting at the curb longer than expected in parts of unincorporated Palm Beach County, where new garbage collection contracts have left some residents wondering when their trash will actually be picked up. Since the contracts took effect Oct. 1, the Solid Waste Authority (SWA) has received 5,543 customer notification forms through Oct. 13, nearly double its normal volume. The agency says approximately 2,700 of those contacts would be expected under normal conditions, leaving roughly 2,800 above the usual volume. (SWA)<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, residents are deciding whether to leave full cans outside until a truck arrives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel like just leaving it out there all the time, which I don’t want to do that because that looks tacky,\u201d Lamberson said. \u201cBut you know, you do what you have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
That can create another concern in communities with homeowners association rules restricting how long cans can remain outside. CBS12 News has not received reports of residents being fined because of these collection delays. Whether associations are making exceptions during the transition remains unclear.<\/p>\n
What’s causing the delays?<\/p>\n
An SWA spokesperson told CBS12 News that new haulers and redrawn collection district boundaries have created an adjustment period as crews learn their routes. That includes identifying homes receiving at-door service for seniors and people with disabilities.<\/p>\n
Belsito said instructions about positioning the cans have also caused frustration.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow all of a sudden, they\u2019re saying people are putting it out backwards, and the machine can’t pick it up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The seven-year contracts cover nearly 213,000 curbside residences. Garbage is collected twice weekly, while recycling, yard waste and bulk items are each collected once a week.<\/p>\n
Some residents are willing to give the haulers time.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust the timing has been a little weird, but again, it’s only been two weeks,\u201d Jack Ross said.<\/p>\n
The SWA says haulers are improving and expects a quick return to normal service. It also says call volume is 18% lower than during the previous collection contract transition in 2019.<\/p>\n
When is your trash supposed to be picked up?<\/p>\n
Residential collection runs from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the SWA. All garbage, recycling, yard waste and bulk items must be curbside before 6 a.m. on the scheduled collection day.<\/p>\n
Some residents received notices about the collection changes, but Lamberson said she did not.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish we had been notified. We were not notified,\u201d she said. \u201cWe just have to get this resolved. I think that’s not too much to ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
See also: Early voting begins in Palm Beach County, Treasure Coast ahead of 2026 general election<\/a><\/p>\n