Foley, Ala. – (OBA) – The City of Foley is asking residents to be patient as spring-cleaning and yard work increase the need for limb collection services, according to the City of Foley website.

The Foley Sanitation Department collects tree limbs weekly from homes across the city. However, officials said temporary high demand may delay collections on some routes by about one day.

Crews are still collecting limbs and yard waste from all city routes, but heavier loads are taking longer to manage. City officials recommend that residents plan accordingly during this busy season.

Wynter Metz, Foley’s public work's administrator, said the Sanitation Department currently runs four limb collection trucks each week on different city routes.

Metz also said the department hopes to add a fifth truck in the next city budget. This addition would allow for an extra route and help improve collection times.

Residents can put out up to six cubic yards of limbs and yard debris for collection each week, which is about the size of a pickup truck bed. If the pile is more than six cubic yards, the remainder of the pile will be picked up the following week.

Anyone with more material than six cubic yards wanting it picked up in one load can contact the Public Works Department and ask about additional collection fees.

The collection service is for yard debris generated by Foley residents. Contractors who cut trees or perform landscaping services are required to remove the waste generated by their activities and haul the material to a disposal site.

The Foley Sanitation Department also collects recyclable materials from customers each week. The city collects cardboard, paper, plastic and aluminum. Other items, such as glass, cannot be processed at the Baldwin County Materials Recovery Facility and will not be collected.

Metz said other contaminants, such as yard waste, are also being placed in the blue city recyclable containers. Those containers will also not be collected.

Collection trucks have cameras on the arms used to pick up the cans. If unacceptable materials are seen during the collection process, the container will be left.

“We can’t take it,” she said. “If that goes into the truck, the entire truckload is considered contaminated and they won’t accept it.”

Contaminated truckloads must be taken to the county’s Magnolia Landfill and dumped at a more expensive cost.

Recyclable materials left outside the blue containers will also not be collected. The recycling trucks have one operator who uses the collection arm to pick up the cans. 

Anyone wanting additional information about the collection of yard waste, recyclables or garbage in Foley can contact the Public Works Department at 251-943-8897.