The City of Picayune released a new trash program in January designed to take scrap metal and old tires off the streets.

After a month, Public Works Director Eric Morris said the public response hasn’t been strong.

“We expected it was going to take a while for the program to start off,” Morris said.  “But there’s not been a lot of productivity yet.”

In December, the Item reported that the trash program was implemented after the city saw large amounts of scrap metal and tires being left on cul-de-sacs and dead-end roads.

“Our goal is to clean up the city and provide services to do that,” Morris said.

Sue Pullens, owner of Pullens Recycling in Carriere, said the low response could be attributed to the fact that residents aren’t receiving reimbursement for their items.

“I think it’s a good thing if the city is getting money for the items, but I know people would rather have the money for themselves,” Pullens said.

When her customers bring scrap metal to the business, Pullens said those items are weighed and depending on the market and weight of the item, the customers receive monetary compensation.

“But there are some people that come to us and aren’t aware they can get paid for their items. We let them know that they will be getting compensated,” she said.

While Morris encourages people to go to place like Pullens, he said the city’s program offers convenience.

“We want to provide this service so that these items aren’t in our streets. Our service is meant to make it more convenient for people by offering curbside pick-up service,” Morris said.

He also said local residents have two options to get rid of scrap. The city is offering curbside pick-up, which will be offered every Thursday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Residents can call “311” or 601-799-0602 to have their items picked up.

The second option is a drop-off location, where residents can leave their scrap metal or old tires in black bins located at 1010 Witthauer Lane at the intersection of Martin Luther King Boulevard and Witthauer Lane.

The following items are being collected; scrap metal including iron, steel, aluminum, copper, brass, metal furniture and white goods, old motors, metal roofing, pipe, wire and other metal materials.

Morris hopes by spreading the word about the program, more residents will start using the program in the near future.