Carrollton’s garbage collectors have been doing double duty since Aug. 31, when the city made its recycling collection an in-house operation, and on Mondays and Tuesdays they are emptying recycling bins along with garbage bins.

“For a given route, we are running one garbage truck to pick up regular garbage and supposed to be right behind it a garbage truck to pick up recycling,” said Tim Grizzard, Carrollton assistant city manager.

Running the two trucks together saves on manpower because the same men can empty the garbage cans in one truck and the recycling bins into the other trucks. But on some routes the two trucks have to separate, giving passers by the impression that the recycling is being dumped in with the trash, but the recyclable material is still being recycled.

“It’s being recycled. I can assure you that,” Grizzard said. “It’s just we clean out a truck and we pick up recycling with it then and it goes to the recycle center.”

The city had originally hired Avery, a Villa Rica company, to pick up the recycling, but in March, after a large number of complaints, it began considering making a switch. After plans were solidified, the city notified Avery on July 1, that it would be taking over the recycling collection as of Aug. 31.

“I have heard no complaints since we took it over, not a single one,” Grizzard said.

The city has also had to make a change in where it takes the recyclable materials. It used to take the material to a small company in Villa Rica, but it closed. The city now delivers the recyclable materials to Waste Industries in Douglasville.

Moving the collection to an in-house operation is saving the city money. The city was paying close to $17,000 a month for the pick-up service, but by using its own equipment and employees, the cost is about $5,000 a month, Grizzard said.

It hasn’t added any employees, but the employees are working overtime.

“When you add more people, you need more trucks,” Grizzard said. “So, in the long run, you’re just better off to work the people you’ve got longer hours.”

The city will continue to charge its customers for the service each month, because eventually it would like to invest in new trucks to haul the recycling. It will also allow the city to purchase some larger bins for those who want them. The bins are expensive, somewhere around $70 each, but the current bins are too small for many people who recycle a lot of material.

Despite the complaints with the former contractor, the program has been popular with residents and the city would like to improve it.

“There seems to be a desire to enhance the program,” Grizzard said. “People in this town like to recycle. Most towns get about 15 to 20 percent participation. We’ve got nearly 50 percent here.”