For months, we've reported problems with trash pick-up in Bibb County.
RELATED: Bibb Co.'s trash troubles
One issue you've been talking to us about is broken trash carts. Some people point to the new automated trash trucks launched by Advanced Disposal.
We set out to investigate if automated side load garbage trucks are causing the problem.
Wanda McNair says her old trash can has a crack in it.
“The arm tends to bend the garbage can and make it split down the sides,” said McNair.
She's frustrated, saying the trash company doesn't always come when it's supposed to.
When it does come, McNair says it's her can that gets trashed.
“The city doesn't care about doing their job,” said McNair.
As of December, there are more than 1,000 open requests still not filled for new trash carts in Bibb County, but that number has grown over the years.
Before the automated arm trucks started at the end of 2016, the city of Macon received 2,244 requests in 2015.
In 2016, they received 2,760 requests.
After the full fleet was changed out, the county received even more requests.
The county reports 2,880 requests in 2017. In 2018, they had 3,713.
Jordan Scott with Advanced Disposal, the county’s garbage handler, says the garbage trucks are more effective and more efficient.
Scott says the old trucks with two employees on them averaged 600-700 cans a day. Now, the ASL trucks with only one person on board can collect closer to 1,100.
Scott says there's another advantage you can't put a price on.
“Trucks and cars zooming by you, there are thousands of deaths each year from cars running up the back of garbage trucks,” said Scott.
The Occupational Safety and Health Association says 25 trash truck drivers were hurt or killed on the job in 2017. One of those workers was killed right here in Macon.
Scott says the safety of his workers is more important than a $50 can.
Advanced Disposal is now taking over cart replacement, and Scott says once they take care of all the county's backlogged requests, they will be able to replace carts they break within a week.
McNair hopes the change of service will bring more reliable picks-ups and no longer having to spend months dealing with broken cans.
Scott says they have been replacing 20 or 30 carts each day since they took over cart replacement responsibility in November.
Scott says if you have a broken cart, you can report it using the See Click Fix App. Click here to use it.