DAPHNE—After three years of operating at a loss, the Division of Solid Waste recorded a profit last year, thanks in part to the automated garbage pickup system.

In 2010 the city moved to an automated garbage pickup system in the hopes of saving money and making the department more viable. It seems now the fruits of that change are being seen with the division posting a profit of $195,345 for the 2011 fiscal year.

The solid waste department has its own budgeting account separate from the city, called an enterprise fund. Each year, if the department is over budget, the city must balance the budget with money from the general fund. If under budget, the profits go into the city’s general fund. That money in the general fund will be earmarked for the Public Works department. FY 2011 is the first year since 2007 that the city has not had to balance the books for the department.

In the last two years, the solid waste division has seen a 3.23 percent increase in customers. Public Works Director Richard Johnson attributes that to the growth in population the city has seen recently. The city has also been able to continue providing the garbage, trash and recycling pick-ups without a rate increase. The service is still $13.90 a month.

“I think we are still the cheapest in the county,” said Johnson. “And that’s for all three services.”

The solid waste department is on track for 2012 to post a profit as well. The division was in the black for its first quarter earnings.

The recycling program, while still operating at a loss, has helped dramatically, according to Johnson. The city has to pay to dump in the county landfill. The more of that trash that goes to recycling, the more money it can save the city and help the planet, said Johnson. The recycling program was operating at about a quarter of a million dollar deficit a few years ago. It’s now down to about a $93,000 deficit, with hopes that as more people take up recycling, it will soon be running on a neutral or profit basis, Johnson said.

“We’ve got some big plans. Our ultimate goal is to move to completely automatic pick-up for recycling,” said Johnson. “Right now, of our about 7,000 customers, about 2,000 of them have the automatic bins. Our goal is in the next two-and-a-half to three years, to move recycling to completely automated.”

The city does not interfere with private sector garbage removal, but if an apartment or condominium complex wishes to participate in the recycling program, it can be arranged, said Johnson.

“We want everyone who wants to be able to recycle to have the means available to them,” he said.

The city also provides tote bins for those who may want to recycle but live in an apartment or condo. Those bins can be emptied at the recycling facility off Rand Avenue. To set up a recycling program in a complex or with your community group contact solid waste coordinator Tracy Miller at 621-3182.