Holiday trash pickup schedule causes confusion; city leaders pledge to do better

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The mayor of Charleston is promising better communication about the Capital City’s altered trash schedule ahead of the December holiday weeks for Christmas and New Year’s Day.

A move up for last week’s Thanksgiving, shifting trash pickups a day earlier for normal Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday collection days, created confusion since, in years past, collections have been delayed, in some cases, by a day.

This year, the plan was to eliminate the Saturday shifts for refuse workers that came during those previous holiday weeks.

Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin talked about the issues on Monday’s “580-LIVE.”

She said reviews were already underway.

“I know that our team is looking at how do we do better? How do we let people know?”

Joining her on the show was Brent Webster, Charleston’s public works director.

“We don’t change except for Christmas, New Year’s and Thanksgiving,” Webster said of garbage collections.

Several trucks were out on Saturday to pick up missed trash and again on Monday.

Those who put their trash out on the wrong day can contact the Public Works Department at 304-348-6831 to request trash collections.

For the week of Christmas, all trash pickups will be a day earlier — regular Tuesday pickups on Monday, regular Wednesday pickups on Tuesday, regular Thursday pickups on Wednesday, etc.

That would also be the case for the following week leading up to New Year’s Day.

Both Christmas and New Year’s Day are on Fridays.

Last week on the day after Thanksgiving, refuse workers continued with regular Friday pickups after getting days off on Thursday for the holiday.