Ruston to begin garbage pickup Thursday

Ruston garbage and recycling customers who live inside the city limits should put both of their cans as close to the road as possible by 10 a.m. Thursday if they want them emptied this week.

But customers outside the city limits will have to wait for pickup until regular schedules resume next week.

“We will pick up as much trash as we can according to the condition of the roads,” Mayor Ronny Walker said today. “We will not be able to pick up outside the city limits.”

What doesn’t get picked up Thursday should get picked up Friday. But the schedule continues to be weather-dependent, Walker said.

The city knows some customers will get missed because trucks can’t get down still-icy roads, especially in cul de sacs and shady areas, the mayor said.

“We’re actually going to have a pickup truck running in front of our garbage trucks to see if they can actually get down the road,” Walker said. “Trucks won’t be able to back track. We realize this is going to be a hit and miss, but it’s the only way we can start getting control of our situation.”

Areas that are missed will be noted. Residents don’t have to notify the city but should leave their cans at the road.

Recycling and garbage will not be separated this week, meaning recycling will go into the regular garbage stream.

Walker said the city’s just trying to collect as much refuse as it can, given three days of being iced in.

Residents who want to keep their recycling separate should wait until next week to take their blue cans to the curb.

Garbage and recycling pickup is expected to resume its regular schedule next week for residents both inside and outside the city limits.