Columbia County, Florida

When the calendar flips to October in two weeks, Assistant Columbia County Manager Kevin Kirby hopes it is just another day for residents and business owners.

That’s because county staff and representatives from Ecowaste Solutions, the new solid waste collection contractor for the county, have spent months behind the scenes preparing to make the transition from Waste Pro a smooth one.

“Other than the truck and the color of those cans, our constituents should see no change,” Kirby said Friday morning in Ellisville as two semi trucks of commercial cans were being unloaded on the county’s property around its wastewater treatment plant next to Interstate 75. “That is my goal. Walking into this, we want to make this as easy and friendly as can be.”

Those commercial cans, or dumpsters, are being swapped in to replace the cans that commercial customers had been using with Waste Pro. Multiple cans were being dropped back off at the staging area Friday morning while the Reporter was on site talking with Kirby.

Kirby said of the approximate 700 commercial cans used around the county, around 150 have been swapped out already.“The intention is to have all approximately 700 cans swapped out by (Friday, Sept. 25),” Kirby said. “The goal is to have all that buttoned up for a smooth transition as of Oct. 1.”

That same smooth transition is desired for the home pickup for residents as well. For the residential pickup there will be no change in cans or anything else. According to a mailer sent out by Ecowaste, which is opening a location on Baya Avenue and also can be reached at 386-300-0303 or welcomecolumbia@ecowastesol.com, earlier in the week, county residents will continue to have their garbage collected on the same day and on the same route as they are already used to. The collection routes run from 7 a.m. until sunset.

“Have your cart out by 7 a.m. for service,” the mailer states, adding that residents can continue using the trash cans they already are for pickup. “Nothing to swap out, nothing to order. The cart at your curb right now is the cart you’ll use on October 1 and every week after.”

The company will not run routes on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Those pickups will occur the following day just like has already been happening.

Additionally, residents are allowed two free “white goods” pickups each year. White goods are larger furniture items such as a fridge, washer, dryer, water heater or living room furniture. After those first two, Ecowaste will pick them up at a $10 per item charge.

The company also will pick up yard waste in bags or bundles that are lighter than 40 pounds each week. No dirt or rocks are allowed.

“Nothing changes,” Kirby added. “If you want to put limbs out, they’ve got to not exceed 40 pounds and be bundled. “When I say nothing has changed but the color of that can and the color of that truck, I mean nothing.”

This article was copied from the Lake City Reporter and written by JAMIE WACHTER on Friday, September 18, 2026

The original article may be found here: 

Garbage pickup: Residents ‘should see no change’ | Lake City Reporter