Snellville plans code changes to match waste-hauler contract; branded 'blue bag' program to end

At a May 27 work session, Snellville City staff recommended first-reading amendments to the municipal solid-waste code to align the city code with an upcoming Waste Management contract that begins July 1.

Staff said the draft code changes remove references to the city's branded 'blue bag' program and the branded yard-waste bag because the new contract uses standard, larger carts. The proposed changes would also update language about residential pickup times (staff said collection sometimes begins at 6:00 a.m.) and clarify which holiday pickups will be observed.

Councilors asked whether residents who previously purchased the branded blue bags would be able to keep using them after July 1. Staff said they have asked the hauler to honor existing bags through Dec. 31 as a courtesy but cautioned that the arrangement is informal and not written into the contract. "I don't want to punish people who bought them," a staff presenter said, while noting the city cannot legally compel the hauler to continue a program that will not be part of the new contract.

The council also discussed a transition from 65-gallon to 95-gallon carts. Staff said an operational allowance was given earlier to accommodate residents who had trouble moving cans, but the new contract standard is 95 gallons and vendors are phasing out 65-gallon bins. Staff warned that when a 65-gallon cart reaches the end of its useful life it will be replaced with a 95-gallon cart; as staff put it, "The policy is 95 gallons." Officials said they would continue outreach and provide more details before the contract starts.

No formal vote on the code changes was recorded at the session; the item was presented as a first reading and staff offered to answer follow-up questions before the June meeting.