Public Works outlines switch to reservation-based bulk and yard debris collection, four‑day regular routes

Public Works presented a plan on Sept. 8 to change Harrisonburg’s solid-waste collection operation from a two‑Wednesday bulk/yard schedule to an on‑demand reservation system tied to each household’s regular collection day.

Tom Hartman, Public Works, said staff will move regular residential collection to Monday–Thursday (with downtown remaining Monday–Friday) and will require residents to reserve bulk or yard‑debris pickups through the city’s ReCollect online system or by phone by noon the day before service. Crews will then serve only addresses that requested collection that day instead of driving every street looking for bulk setouts, Hartman said. He reported that during the high season the city finds bulk at only about 13% of addresses on a given bulk‑day drive; in the low season that share falls to 3–4%.

Separating yard debris from bulk material is a key cost strategy: bulk goes to the landfill at a tipping rate (about $75/ton), while separated yard debris can be ground at the city convenience center and used as daily cover at no landfill charge. Hartman said the switch also allows Public Works to change crews from five 8‑hour days to four 9‑hour days, providing Friday afternoons for equipment maintenance and giving crews a predictable weekly schedule.

Operational details: residents will reserve a pickup for the same weekday as their normal trash collection; a separate bulk crew will follow a targeted route based on reservations; reservations may be made by phone for residents without internet access. Staff plan four evening open‑house events in late September and early October to train residents on the reservation platform and to distribute maps showing the new weekday assignments. ReCollect will automatically show the next available collection date based on the address and the selected item type (cardboard remains a Friday collection slot).

Hartman said the program will roll out with community education and an initial transition period in which crews will provide extra customer support, tagging unreserved setouts and giving notices to residents. He emphasized enforcement will start cautiously after a learning period; repeat noncompliance may prompt warnings and then enforcement. Hartman said the department will run special collections after major storm events.

Council members asked about language access, cancellation procedures, expected learning curve and whether the city will revert to seasonal service changes if needed; Hartman said browsers can translate the portal, staff can make reservations for callers and the department has tracked a steady decline in phone assistance requests since starting the ReCollect cardboard program. He estimated full public adoption would likely take several months and that staff expected to evaluate performance through spring 2026.

No council vote was required; the item was an update. Hartman said staff will begin public outreach immediately and implement the new schedule in early 2026, with continued customer support and targeted enforcement beginning later in the spring.