Trash pickup changes for South Bend residents

South Bend residents will no longer be able to have their trashed picked up in alleyways starting on December 5th. 

To clarify, the city announced Wednesday the process of transitioning from manual rear trash pickup to automated curbside collection is being done for greater efficiency, cost savings, safety, and consistency of service during inclement weather. 

Therefore, residents will now have to bring trashcans to the curb.

"If it's too difficult for us to get it curbside or the alley still works, then we're okay with staying in the alley. The goal here is to make sure we're preventing injuries and not having an extra guy on the back of the truck picking up trash and be able to go 100% automated," said Eric Horvath, director of South Bend Public Works.

Come December and January, East Angela Boulevard to East Jefferson Boulevard, North Michigan to North Eddy Street, Orange to West Sample Street, and Dundee to South Walnut Streets will be impacted. 

"Our trucks were getting stuck nonstop. We had to put all kinds of extra folks on it from our street crews to actually help with trash collection, because we couldn't keep up, because every time we'd go down an alley, the truck would get stuck, and then we'd have to get a tow truck and pull it out and try to get going again, and then they'd go another 20 feet and get stuck again," added Horvath.

According to the city, all residents who will be impacted will receive a letter in the mail two weeks prior to the switch.