It’s about to become a lot simpler for Beaufort residents to dispose of garbage, recycling items and yard debris.

Starting in early January, city residents will have all their disposables collected by Waste Pro on the same day — eliminating a sometimes confusing schedule that had separate pickup days for household garbage, recycled materials and yard debris.

The change comes at no added cost to residents or to the city, Beaufort City Manager Scott Dadson said.

“This is an effort to make it easier for our residents to properly dispose of their garbage and recycled bottles, plastics and newspapers, and at the same time it helps us by not having the Waste Pro trucks crisscrossing all over town five days a week,” he said.

Although details remain to be ironed out, the anticipated start for the new schedule is Jan. 6, 2014 — the first full week of the new year. Residents should place their recycle bins and any yard debris alongside their Waste Pro garbage cans at the roadside, all on the day they typically had their garbage collected.

Since August 2009, Waste Pro has provided trash collection services to Beaufort. The contract runs through July 31, 2014, with the city’s option to extend the contract for three additional one-year terms.

“We have a great partnership with Waste Pro,” said Isiah Smalls, director of public works and facilities management for Beaufort. “In recent years they’ve helped us haul away 400 tons of junk from vacant lots that volunteers and our neighborhood associations picked up, and they’ve always been ready to help. Working out this easier collection schedule for garbage and recycling is a big deal.”

Residents are reminded that bagged debris cannot exceed 50 pounds and that limbs and other items should be bundled in four-foot or shorter lengths.