ORLANDO, Fla. – Starting Monday, residents in Orange County may have to change when they take out the trash.
Orange County Utilities is changing curbside collection days for its customers starting Dec. 29, and it will affect garbage, recycling, yard waste, and large item pickup.
With the new schedules, recycling and yard waste will be collected first during the week, and on the same day.
Garbage and large items will be collected later in the week, also on the same day.
Orange County Utilities says the collection will be more efficient as a result, preventing or reducing the number of wrong items ending up in its recycling loads. Items that do not belong in recycling loads can taint the collection.
[WATCH: Stinky situation leaves Orange County residents with nowhere to dump trash]
A spokesperson for Orange County Utilities says splitting up cart collection days gives residents more space to set items out at the curb correctly, especially in tight spaces like cul-de-sacs. The automated collection trucks need three feet of clearance to pick up the carts. This will help reduce the chances of damage.
Orange County Utilities said it sent out five mailers between October and December to notify customers about the changes.
To see your new collection days, you can go to www.ocfl.net/CollectionSchedule and put your address in.
Residents who miss their new collection days will have to wait for service the following week to take out the trash. Orange County Utilities is asking people not to call 3-1-1 or the solid waste hotline to try and get Orange County to come back out.