Hart County Signs Agreement to Install “Gumpster” at Convenience Site

Hart County Commissioners have signed an agreement with the inventor of what is essentially a trash vending machine – not where you get trash out, but where you put it in.

At their meeting last week, the Board voted to allow a Gumpster to be placed at a county convenience center.

Board Chair Marshal Sayer said he thinks the idea is well worth a try.

Invented by Kim Herron of Martin, the Gumpster is a patented solid waste management technology that was designed for local governments and other entities charged with collecting and aggregating household solid waste.

Many rural counties in Georgia don’t have a countywide waste disposal company picking up trash curbside in neighborhoods and they rely on localized convenience centers where people pay a fee to dump their trash.

Those centers are typically not open 24×7.

Sayer said the County hopes the Gumpster will provide a way for citizens to dispose of their trash after hours when the convenience sites are closed.

“We’re going to try it and see how it goes. He’s been in this business for about four or five years. I thought it was a pretty good idea. People have access to it after hours. You don’t have to have an orange bag. You can use any bag of up to 30 gallons. Just drive by there, put in, pay your money, mash the button and it does away with it,” Sayer said.

Herron first brought the idea before the Hart County Commission last year.

He said the Gumpster can hold up to 20,000 pounds of compacted trash before it is picked up and moved to a county transfer station.

Additionally, the system is sealed to keep out rodents and prevent seepage.

Finally, the system will have surveillance cameras and lighting for security.

Sayer said he’s not sure how much it will cost citizens to use the Gumpster but the County will see a percentage of the revenue.

“He’s going to give the County $1.50 per cycle,” he said.

Sayer said he’s not sure what Herron is going to charge yet.

The Gumpster will be located at the convenience center on Reed Creek Highway.