Gainesville's trash pickup changes start Jan. 1, and officials are putting out doorhangers to remind everyone of the new rules.

After working on a new solid waste plan for months, Gainesville City Council members approved a plan in September that will encourage recycling, limit pickup to 96 gallons and increase monthly fees by $7 to $32.10.

"We're trying to spread the word to make sure everyone is aware of all the changes, and we'll work with people to help ease the transition," said Catiel Felts, the city's director of communication and tourism. "Around the third week of January, we'll put sticky notes on the garbage we don't pick up, marking the reasons why as people learn the changes."

The 96-gallon limit is per pickup. Residents can continue to use their own garbage cans, as long as it equals about 96 gallons - one container of 96, two containers of 48 or three containers of 33.

"We plan to go easy for the first week, and we understand that holiday celebrations will bring in more trash after the new year starts," said David Dockery, director of public works.

Garbage should be in securely tied plastic bags, and all garbage must be in cans, according to the new ordinance. The can must be placed 10 feet from the house, visible from the driveway, or at the curb. It also must be placed in an area where solid waste employees can access the can without entering enclosures such as fences and garages, and containers must be ready for collection no later than 7 a.m. on collection day.

Collection of curbside refuse, such as leaves and yard remnants, will continue once a week, as well as the weekly recycling collection. Special service fees apply to pickup of large items such as furniture. Pickup beyond the 96 gallons will cost residents an additional $25 per month, and Dockery hopes it'll encourage them to recycle.

The city will take on the recycling program that is currently outsourced, and officials are applying for a grant that will fund larger 32- to 35-gallon containers, doubling the current size given to residents. For now, residents who use more than the 18-gallon container can request a rollable cart.

For the holidays, trash pickup will start again Monday. The routes are still running behind from equipment failure and icy roads earlier in the month, but workers will be back on schedule by Jan. 1, Dockery said.

"We encourage people to recycle Christmas packages as much as possible, and they can put their trees on the curb for debris pickup," he said. "Call street maintenance before you put leaves on the curb, however, so we can schedule a pickup time. It's advantageous for us and advantageous for you if you don't want leaves to pile up."

The day after Christmas each year, the Hall County Solid Waste Division accepts 220 tons of trash at the landfill and compactor sites. That's more than three times the usual daily amount of 70 tons. The increased volume doesn't die down until Martin Luther King Jr. Day, said Cary Lawler, Hall County's solid waste director.

"To handle these volumes, we organize 20 additional staff to work with the Solid Waste department on that day," including road maintenance, traffic engineering and fleet maintenance employees, Lawler said. "It is a bit challenging, but I must say, the past few years have been highly successful mostly because the departments within Hall County go out of their way to support each other during these times."

The landfill and compactor sites are closed today and will reopen at 8 a.m. on Sunday. Leaving trash at the gates could cost a $200 per bag mail citation.

"If you leave your trash outside the compactor site or at a park, you will receive an after-Christmas gift that is very expensive," said Andre Niles, director of the Hall County Marshals Office.