Sanitation customers in Landrum who recycle have quadrupled in the past four years.

Landrum City Council met last week with Jerry Searcy, who is with the towns sanitation contractor, GDS. Searcy said the curbside recycling program has worked really well, with participants up to 16.29 percent.

In 2006, Landrum only had four percent of residents who recycled. Through some campaigning, those numbers grew shortly after to about nine percent.

City council also discussed with Searcy past issues that have been worked out with GDS, such as the replacement of garbage carts. Searcy said GDS has replaced almost every old cart in town, which was probably the biggest complaint from customers. Searcy says now when a cart disappears, GDS is being more proactive and having more new carts on hand to replace more quickly.

Other questions regarding recycling to Searcy were what items GDS accepts. Searcy said some customers have complained that their recycling was not picked up, but workers have to leave items that are not recyclable, such as styrofoam.

The Landrum GDS program accepts plastics that are numbered 1 through 7, according to Searcy. Those items are asked to be rinsed prior to being placed for recycling. The town has a brochure of what other items are recyclable, located at city hall.