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<p><strong>From staff reports</strong></p>
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<p>The City of Beaufort will have a new vendor providing waste management services beginning on July 1.</p>
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<p>On Tuesday, June 8, City Council approved a recommendation that Capital Waste Services be contracted for five years to provide residential and commercial trash pickup, yard debris pickup, and recycling services.</p>
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<p>Waste Pro, the city’s current vendor, will stop services June 30. It has been the city’s waste pickup vendor for almost 12 years.</p>
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<p>Capital Waste Services, which is based in Columbia, currently serves the Midlands, Pee Dee and Lowcountry regions. In December 2020, Capital bought May River Disposal, which provided waste services to 5,000 customers in neighborhoods throughout Beaufort County.</p>
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<p>Capital Waste management said it is prepared for the transition, and that residential customers can expect new 96-gallon waste and 96-gallon recycling bins by July 1. It also promises an extensive communications and education campaign as it launches its services, as well as robust customer service.</p>
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<p>The company said that current customers can expect that service routes and pickup days will stay the same for the immediate future. Recycling services will be provided every other week but will be on the same service day as the customer’s garbage and yard debris pickup.</p>
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<p>The company was one of four that responded to the City’s Request for Proposals advertised in February. Waste Management, Waste Pro and Ryland Environmental also responded.</p>
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<p>Capital Waste says its technology will help ensure good customer service. This includes the 3rd Eye GPS Tracking System, which allows management to see where each truck is at all times. It also records the truck’s speed, idle time, and whether a stop has been completed.</p>
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<p>In addition, the company has a proprietary customer support software program called Zendesk that has a service app notifying various managers of any customer complaint. Capital Waste says that it expects managers to get back to the customer within 30 minutes of making the complaint.</p>
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<p>The City of Beaufort will put out more information on this transition on social media, its website, and in its newsletter in the coming weeks.</p>
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