Under the new system, Recology plans to distribute customers more evenly throughout the service week and group routes more closely by geographic area. Photo designed by Magnific

YUBA-SUTTER, CA (MPG) - About 35,000 Recology Yuba-Sutter customers could see changes to their garbage collection days beginning the week of Oct. 12 as the company restructures routes across Yuba and Sutter counties.

The change marks the first substantial rerouting of the company's collection system in about 25 years. Recology said residential growth and uneven workloads across existing routes prompted the adjustment.

Customers who use plastic carts could be affected. Commercial customers who receive service through metal bins will not see changes under the rerouting.

Residents can check their address at http://recology.com/rysreroute to determine whether their collection day will change.

Residential growth in communities including Linda, Plumas Lake and Yuba City has added customers to routes that have largely remained unchanged. Recology said some collection days now carry significantly heavier workloads for drivers, trucks and equipment.

"Yuba-Sutter has grown significantly, but our collection routes have largely remained the same," Recology Yuba-Sutter General Manager Rigo Diaz said. "This reroute will allow us to better serve the community we have today while preparing for the continued growth we know is coming."

Under the new system, Recology plans to distribute customers more evenly throughout the service week and group routes more closely by geographic area.

The company said the changes should also make it easier to respond to missed collections and requests for additional service. Under the current system, drivers may need to travel across the service area or cross county lines to address a service problem.

More centralized routes should reduce that travel and improve response times, according to Recology.

Driver safety also factored into the restructuring. The company said balancing the number of customers assigned to each collection day should help drivers complete routes within operating and work-hour limits. The change could also provide additional flexibility when traffic, weather, equipment problems or other circumstances disrupt daily operations.

Recology plans to notify affected customers before the new schedules take effect. The company will use postcards, text messages, automated phone calls, social media and online notices.

Customers do not need to wait for a notification to check their schedule. Address-specific information is available at http://recology.com/rysreroute.