Next Phase Of 'Grid' Garbage Collections Begins Next Week

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Four Chicago alderman spent a few minutes at a Southwest Side CTA L station this morning, reminding riders that their home's garbage pick-up day may change next week.

Next week marks the start of the city phasing in the second half of its grid garbage-collection system.

Instead of garbage trucks being assigned by wards, they're assigned by what routes make sense regardless of ward boundaries.

Ald. Ed Burke said, "The rollout of this grid system to the Southwest Side will officially begin the week of December 10th, and it will affect more than 56,000 households."

Streets and Sanitation commissioner Charles Williams says the new grid system is already in effect for 300,000 households and has only had a few glitches.

He says stickers have already been put on garbage containers to remind residents about their new garbage pick-up day.

Grid system garbage collection should be citywide by next spring.

The system was implemented as a way to save money tens of millions of dollars a year though more efficient collection, the city says.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya Reports