Manatee County’s new trash collection system officially rolled out this week — and not everyone’s on board with the changes. “I’m not really into this,” resident Jamie Housel said. Housel has lived in her neighborhood for about a year and says she’s always been impressed with how trash pickup was handled, until now. “They would take the cans up to the garage after they dumped it. It was very personable,” she said. “Now, this one time a week... I don’t know what’s going to happen.” Under the new system, residents will only have their garbage picked up once a week, and it must all fit inside a 96-gallon county-issued bin. The system replaces the small residential garbage cans that were picked up twice a week. For smaller households, the switch doesn’t make much sense. “For me, it’s too big. There’s only two people in the house, and we’ll fill this once every month,” Housel said. Manatee County says change keeps costs down Manatee County leaders say the decision came down to costs and growth. “Our county has been growing at unprecedented rates — twice-a-week collection at some point was going to cost the county,” Stephanie Garrison, the director of government relations for Manatee County, said. Officials say they looked at neighboring counties like Sarasota that already use the same method. The new garbage trucks use a mechanical claw to lift and empty bins, cutting down on the need for manual labor. But with the new system comes new rules: no bulk pickup unless residents are willing to pay extra. “I do not like it. Everyone I’ve spoken to is very upset. Knowing it’s $59 or even more to pick up a reclining chair or anything that doesn’t fit in this bin,” one resident said. County officials say they understand why some residents are frustrated, but point out that keeping twice-a-week pickup would have cost everyone more. “The Board of County Commissioners want people to know they had two choices — keep it the way it was and maybe pay $30 or $40 extra, or switch to this,” Garrison said. “People on fixed incomes can’t afford that extra, and we recognized this as the best option for the entire community.” Smaller bins coming soon For those who don’t need a 96-gallon container, the county says a smaller 64-gallon bin option will be available starting in December. Those smaller bins are expected to be distributed beginning in January. If you haven’t received your new bin yet or aren’t sure about your updated pickup day, you can check by typing your address into MyManatee.org/BIGBIN. County officials say the goal is to keep rates steady while improving efficiency, but for many residents, it may take some time to adjust to the new routine.