Jefferson County once again relies on Amwaste with GPS tracking to solve waste problems

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ala. (WBMA) – Despite previous problems with trash collection throughout Jefferson County, lawmakers approved another contract with Amwaste, set to begin in April 2025.

Amwaste was the lowest bidder in the county's search for a company to provide residential trash, trash collection and disposal for single-family homes in unincorporated Jefferson County.

In Alabama, competition law requires counties to award contracts for purchases and contracts valued at $15,000 or more to the lowest responsible bidder.

According to the Jefferson County website, Amwaste was also the sole bidder. In August, Jefferson County tendered its residential waste disposal contract. Bids were due on September 27th.

Jefferson County Manager Cal Markert says they have restructured their contract due to recent issues.

Residential trash pickup costs will decrease by approximately $3 per customer per month.

There are also increased Amwaste penalties for missed pickups.
$250 for any complaint or request not acted upon within 24 hours of receipt of complaint notification.
If more than two complaints are received at the same residence within the same month, the county doubles the fine to $500. Penalties are imposed at least once per quarter.

Citizens can also report missed pickups via the MyJeffCo app. Markert says this allows residents to communicate directly with the seller, in this case Amwaste.

Markert added that a feature that will allow residents to track garbage trucks is also in the works.

Amwaste needs to provide better customer service and improved quality control reporting.

One of the biggest changes is that each bidder will be required to have a GPS map of their garbage collection vehicles, which can be monitored to track missed pickups in real time.

Current numbers as of the end of June 2024 show that 24,229 households in Jefferson County currently use Amwaste for trash collection.

This contract comes into force in April 2025 and runs until March 2028.