The City Council heard a lot of trash talk from Field Operations Director Dale Wyrick at the Tuesday, Dec. 1 work session.

The more proper term would be a household solid waste talk from Wyrick, who gave the City Council an update on solid waste, recycling and yard waste collection as well as other operations of the Field Operations Department.

In that report, Wyrick said that in March, Field Operations planned to make some residential route modifications, which will involve changing the collection day for 10,458 residences in Greensboro.

Wyrick said, “The last time we did a route modification was in 2010. Since then we have added over 5,000 new collection points.” He said that the plan was to change the pickup day for over 10,000 of the 76,000 residences the city serves with its garbage, recycling and yard waste pick up.

Each route picks up from between 900 and 1,000 collection points a day and each day the city runs 20 collection routes. Currently the city collects residential garbage on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and that won’t change. What will change for some people is the day the city picks up from them.

Wyrick said that with the data the city now has, the routes can be made much more efficient with the changes.

Wyrick also recommended that the city begin charging people a fine or a fee if they leave their garbage and recycling carts out on the street past 7 p.m. on the day of collection. Wyrick’s recommendation was that first violation would result in a warning and the second violation would result in a $25 fee added to their water bill.

The City Council seemed to be in favor of charging a fee for leaving the carts out on the street, but there was some discussion about whether $25 was the right amount.

According to the report, Charlotte charges $150 for leaving the cart at the curb after midnight on collection day. Durham charges $50 after two warnings and High Point issues three warnings and then charges up to $500. Cary by contrast charges $15 after one warning and Kernersville offers one warning and then removes the cart.