Metro Detroiters expect garbage pickup after weeks of delays from Priority Waste

After nearly three weeks of scarce trash pickup, metro Detroit can finally expect the smell of garbage to ease up soon.

GFL Environmental lime green garbage trucks were a frequent sight all over southeast Michigan since 2016. Now, the trash hauler's residential arm has been sold to Clinton Township-based Priority Waste, and as Priority works to get fully up and running, the switch has left lots of trash sitting on metro Detroiters' curbs.

The deal, which encompasses an estimated 700,000 customers across Oakland, Washtenaw, Livingston, Macomb, Genesee and Wayne counties, was made official on July 1, leaving many homeowners stuck with their trash for weeks.

Besides the sight and smell of stinking garbage in the roasting heat of July, the piling bins have attracted pests, ranging from flies and maggots to raccoons that scatter the litter.

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Priority said that the delays have been because many of the trash-hauling trucks inherited from GFL were in need of repair, on top of the typical backlog that occurs when switching companies to provide for hundreds of thousands of customers across 73 municipalities.

Now that the garbage trucks are getting back on the streets, Priority has assured that trash pickup is expected to happen this week , and that if it doesn't in some neighborhoods, residents are encouraged to contact Priority at 855-927-8365.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Metro Detroiters expect garbage pickup after weeks of delays from Priority Waste