Addie McCluskey
Elmore Autauga News
AUTAUGA COUNTY, Ala. – The Autauga County Commission called local Meridian Waste leaders to their meeting, Aug. 12, 2025, to address growing community concerns over missed trash pickups and delays in replacing damaged or missing cans.
Commissioners explained that multiple residents have reported ongoing issues. Meridian Waste representatives outlined the causes of the recent issues and shared their plans to get service back on track.
They explained that one contributing factor was an employee who had difficulty mastering route operations, leading to missed collections.
“We had an employee who could not grasp running their route, so we had to let them go,” said Gentry Shows, General Manager of Meridian Waste for Autauga County. “We have a new guy who we have been training for the last couple of weeks.”
The new driver was put on a solo route for the first time this week, a step the company says will help restore regular pickup schedules.
Another setback occurred about two weeks ago when two of the company’s garbage trucks caught fire. They had to borrow a truck from another location and bring in drivers after hours to catch up on collections.
“The good news is that we’ve got all our trucks back as of today, and we’ve got that third man in a truck, so we’ve got all the routes covered,” said Shows.
To improve efficiency, Meridian Waste is rolling out new tablets for drivers that will display each home along their route and allow them to check off completed pickups. The technology is currently being configured and is expected to be ready within the next two months.
“It’s hard to get all the maps and coordinates downloaded, but we will push it and try to get that done as quickly as we can,” said Shows.
Additionally, a shipment of new trash cans has arrived, and distribution to residents will begin soon.
“I just ask, if you will, to continue being patient,” said Shows. “We’re going to do our best to get it right.”
For more information about Meridian Waste, visit https://www.meridianwaste.com.
