The Birmingham City Council today approved a pilot project to change the way trash and garbage pick up are handled in the city.

Walt Gibbons, director the public works department, said the goal for starting a pilot program is April 1, and it is set to last for six months. The program will involve two of the current 36 garbage pickup routes, which touch council District 1, District 2, a portion of District 3 and portions of Districts 5 and 6.

Mayor Randall Woodfin said the pilot program is the start of making the city more efficient and more intentional about recycling and how the city handles its refuse.

“The council has been very adamant that they want to see a more robust recycling program in terms of how the city of Birmingham negates waste,” the mayor said. “Some residents are mad and they’re mad because they’re not participating in the pilot, which tells me more people actually want to participate in this.

“Once we get past this pilot, we look to add additional routes to eventually get to 36, over our entire city.”

Currently, refuse is picked up from houses twice a week and recycling once a week. Under the pilot program, garbage and recycling would be picked up once a week.

“Over the next few months, we’ll have to be very intentional about communicating with the residents on these two routes … to make sure those residents know they are part of this pilot program,” Woodfin said. “We’re excited as a city and many of our residents are excited as well.”