By PHOEBE DONALD ROBINSON/For the Reporter

South Shelby County resident will have the option of recycling pickup for the first time beginning in October.

Waste Pro has been awarded a contract to begin curbside garbage and recycling pickup Oct. 1 to all areas of unincorporated Shelby County, Westover, Harpersville and Indian Springs, Shelby County Development Services Manager Chad Scroggins. Waste Pro has also been awarded a separate, similar contract for Montevallo, Wilsonville and Wilton.

This is the first time that recycling has been offered to these Shelby County residents. Recycled items include: newspapers, magazines, junk mail; aluminum, metal cans; cardboard, clipboard (i.e. cereal boxes); plastics 1-7 (i.e. drink bottles, milk, bleach, detergent jugs). The recycled containers will be picked up every other week and curbside garbage will be picked up once a week. Montevallo’s materials recycle facility (MRF) offers glass recycling at 1361 Spring Creek Road.

“We are excited about curbside recycling service, which extends landfill cell life,” Scroggins said. “We think this a responsible management of materials. The contract was awarded to Waste Pro for a price to consumer less than Waste Management’s 2003 price, which includes recycling as no additional cost. It is a very good value for the service.”

Residents in the contract territories should have received post cards about the change of garbage service from Waste Management to Waste Pro. The post cards give residents the opportunity to select the day and type of service requested.

Waste Pro is the fastest growing privately owned solid waste company in the Southeast serving more than 1.8 million customers in seven states. Waste Pro has a 90,000 square foot MRF in Tarrant processing 2000/month of various commodities, the largest recycling center in Birmingham. In addition, Waste Pro has built a truck terminal on Highway 87 near the Shelby County airport to dispatch trucks to service Shelby County.

“We are so excited to have been awarded this contract by Shelby County,” said George Nicholson, Division Manager of Waste Pro of Alabama. “We are a quality oriented corporation which has achieved significant growth by extending service.”

For information, contact Discovershelby@wasteprousa.com, call Waste Pro at 205-432-0878 or Shelby County Environment Services at 205-669-3737. Every resident in contract areas must contact Waste Pro before Oct. 1 to set up garbage service.