CARTHAGE Mo. — On scheduled days, trash pickup zones in Carthage are now a sea of blue.

As of Friday, the last of the blue trash bins that are an integral part of the new trash system were delivered to homes and businesses. Under a new five-year contract with Allied Waste Services, all bins are being picked up via an automated collection system that uses a mechanized device to lift, empty and return the cart to curbside.

Tom Short, city administrator, said the automated pickup allows for a one-man operation as opposed to using both a driver and a pickup person, and should result in greater efficiency and savings in the future.

The new system is quite a change for customers, said Diane Showalter, an employee of the Carthage Public Works Department.

“We’ve fielded over 600 callers with questions,” she said. “But I think everybody is getting used to it now.”

Showalter said Allied pioneered the system in Bentonville, Ark. The late public works director, Chad Wampler, visited there before recommending that Carthage adopt the automated system. Short said he expects to see other cities in the area follow Carthage’s lead before long.

Customers must follow some specific guidelines when setting out their trash bins to make it possible for the truck to pick them up automatically. The cart should be at curbside before 7 a.m. with all trash bagged and contained within. Material left outside the cart will not be collected.

The cart needs to be two feet away from the curb, six feet away from any vehicle, and five feet away from any obstruction such as a mailbox or fence. A 12-foot overhead clearance is required, and if a residence has multiple carts, they should be set out three feet apart.

Short said the 95-gallon carts will hold up to 200 pounds. A 65-gallon cart is available for seniors 65 or older. Customers may call Allied at 800-627-1717 to schedule Friday pickups of large, bulky items.

Kenny Johnson, a Carthage resident and former mayor, said the system seems to be working OK in his neighborhood, and he hasn’t heard any complaints.

“I just don’t like putting it out front when I’ve got a good alley back there,” he said.

Allied will not pick up any carts from alleys.

Situations that present a problem for curbside pickup, such as the fairly steep grade in the area of River and Chestnut streets, are being worked out on an individual basis, Showalter said.

The five-year contract that went into effect Oct. 1 raised the residential family base rate to $9.50 from $8.48 per month. Senior rates increased to $7.75 from $6.90. All customers are billed an additional $1.27 per month for the city landfill closure fee.

Rates will continue to increase (by roughly 5 percent) on Oct. 1 of each succeeding year of the contract. The schedule: 2010, family, $9.98, seniors, $8.14; 2011, family, $10.47, seniors, $8.54; 2012, family, $11, seniors, $8.97; and 2013, family, $11.55, seniors, $9.42.