PETERSBURG, Va. -- One street at a time, a big cleanup effort is underway in Petersburg as city crews haul away old appliances and mattresses.
After one day, it has made a ton of difference.
More than 16 tons to be exact.
"At the end of the day, they brought in a little bit over 16 tons, as we calculate that at four roll off trucks full of material, that probably got properly discarded into the landfill or separated through metal separation versus being out in the street," Robert Guidry, president of Container First Services.
The city helping homeowners who can't properly dispose of items including appliances, mattresses, sofas, and chairs.
"To be honest with you, it's a little bit more tonnage than what we expected to be coming into the landfill," said Guidry.
"You drive through Petersburg and you see things all over the place, just sitting around, just making the town look terrible. So, I'm thrilled they're picking these up,” said resident Mary Rudisill.
Last year nearly 23 tons of trash was removed.
This effort has one simple goal.
"The point is to have a clean city," said deputy city manager Darnetta Tyus.
That includes getting rid of all the large items that residents no longer want but can’t afford to dispose of.
"When residents see that we care about the city and its cleanliness, they are willing to join us in participating and making sure that is true," said Tyus.
