Gwinnett’s new garbage plan takes effect today, after years of study, several court cases and plenty of preparation. Here are the top 10 questions about the new plan and how it will affect homeowners in the unincorporated parts of the county.

Q: What will I notice as different when the new trash plan takes effect?

While some residents aren’t happy about switching from a garbage hauler of their own choosing to one picked by the county, officials say the benefit of the plan is that only one garbage truck will rumble through a neighborhood each week, cutting down on the noise and wear and tear of the roads.

Officials also believe the plan could create a cleaner Gwinnett because with mandatory pick-up at every address there could be less illegal dumping.

Q: How were the companies chosen?

The first time the county planned to impose a new trash plan, vendors were chosen based on a competitive bidding process. But when only two haulers were chosen for several districts in a process driven by Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, a judge threw out the plan in late 2008.

The new haulers were determined as part of a settlement to several lawsuits over that earlier plan, but officials noted that all had previous experience serving the county.

“These haulers demonstrated they are capable of providing great service to our citizens,” a statement from the county said.

Q: Why do I have to pay for service at a vacant property?

This is one of the most frequent complaints about the new trash plan. Officials said the county’s solid waste ordinance was made mandatory for every home in unincorporated areas of the county to avoid illegal dumping, but in a statement, officials said this may not always be the case.

“At the time the plan was adopted, no provision existed for unoccupied homes to be exempt from the billing process,” the statement reads. “The county is currently exploring opportunities to implement such a provision in the next version of the ordinance. Until that time, all of the residential service units will be subject to the $17.86 monthly fee.”

Q: What is the cost? How was it reached?

The base fee for garbage was set at $17.86 a month to include weekly trash pickup of household waste, bulky items (such as furniture and mattresses), white goods (appliances such as stoves and refrigerators) and 35 kinds of recyclables. Additional fees would be charged for extra trash carts, yard waste collection and other optional services.

According to a study conducted by the firm R.W. Beck, rates in many Georgia counties range from $14 to $28.83 per month and outside of Georgia the rates are as high as $42.25, based on deliverables such as service, frequency and population.

“It is important to point out that most of the haulers who were providing service under the previous plan charged more than $17.86 per month for base service,” the county’s statement said. “Consequently, the majority of residents in unincorporated Gwinnett County will now be paying less than they did under the previous plan.”

Q: Why is it going to be on my tax bill? And why is it for 18 months in advance?

The bill slated to appear in upcoming tax notices is one of the most controversial aspects of the trash plan, but officials said the method was the best option to keep down the cost of administration such as postage, supplies and staffing.

“Our goal was to minimize costs that would be passed along to customers whenever possible,” the statement said. “The fee for the first 18 months of service (July 2010 through December 2011) will appear on the 2010 property tax bill because the service starts mid-year. Subsequent billings will be for 12 months of service.”

Q: How does this affect people who live in apartments, condos, townhouses or duplexes?

The new residential solid waste management plan applies to all residential homes, which includes homes, mobile homes, duplexes and townhouses. Most apartment complexes, officials note, are considered commercial properties and are not affected.

Q: What if my previous trash pickup day was Thursday or Friday and my new one is earlier in the week? Will my trash be picked up this week?

During the transition from the county’s old trash plan to its new one, some people may have to wait more than seven days for trash pickup, although officials said, “it is the top priority of both Gwinnett County and the solid waste service providers to avoid service interruptions during the transition.”

After this week, the trash schedule will be stable on the same day each week, and even holidays, such as the upcoming Fourth of July holiday, will do little to affect that. The only holidays that will disrupt the weekly service are New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Q: What do I do if I want to have an old couch picked up or tree limbs that I cleaned from the yard?

Bulky items such as mattresses (anything larger than three feet in dimension and/or more than 50 pounds) can be picked up at no extra charge. Simply call your hauler to arrange pickup.

Yard waste, however, is an extra charge — $60 for six months of service, either January through June or July through December. Again, contact your hauler to subscribe.

Q: What can I recycle? What about plastic food containers or styrofoam?

The new recycling plan increases recycling options from seven to 35. Recyclable items include newspapers, cardboard boxes (including pizza boxes), kraft paper, paper grocery bags, paperboard, cereal boxes, tissue boxes, paper towel cores, tissue paper cores, soda and beer cartons, shoe boxes, magazines, catalogs, discarded mail, greeting cards, envelopes, calendars, school papers, computer paper, old phone directories, paperback books, aluminum cans, aluminum baking tins, aluminum food containers, steel food containers, empty aerosol cans, glass bottles and jars, plastic soda and water bottles (#1), milk jugs (#2), plastic detergent bottles (#2) and plastic bottles (#3-7).

“We will continue to explore new ways to encourage recycling and to expand the list of recyclables in the future,” the statement said.

Q: Who do I contact with questions or complaints?

County officials recommend people with specific questions or concerns first contact their hauler. For general questions or if a complaint has not been resolved within 24 hours, call the Gwinnett County Solid Waste and Recycling Division at 770-822-7141

The call center is open 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.