Huntsville’s weekly recycling program became Madison County’s new, bigger monthly recycling program Thursday on Day 1 of the newly branded Recycling Alliance of North Alabama (RANA).

It’s fair to say the public has some questions. A lot of questions. Social media groups are swapping information and posting queries. Telephones are ringing at RANA’s Huntsville office (256-801- 2278).

Here are some of the frequently asked questions and more information about this challenging startup. First are the questions about the transition from the private company that formerly had the job.

Q: Residents found last weekend that the big commodity-specific recycling bins for cardboard, glass, cans and other items were gone from Republic Services’ pickup sites in the county and on the street A Cleaner Way in Huntsville. Access to the site on A Cleaner Way was and is blocked. So, what happened?

A: RANA isn’t sure. Republic’s contract with the city ended July 31, and RANA found out July 25 that the company was shutting down operations. But RANA officials say they didn’t know Republic wasn’t going to service the big bins through the end of the month. The company was not available by phone Thursday but had posted a sign saying the location on A Cleaner Way would close Wednesday.

Q: Have all the new, large blue recycling bins been delivered to homes countywide that have requested them?

A: No, but RANA is ramping up and delivering bins based on its new schedule of monthly pickup days. The earlier your scheduled pickup day, the more likely the bin has been delivered, RANA says.

The Hampton Cove area is one of those areas. Crews delivered 1,900 bins Wednesday night, RANA says, and they are moving as fast as possible. RANA expects to deliver a total of up to 60,000 bins across Madison County in the coming weeks.

Q: If you missed the signup deadline, can you still sign up for a big bin?

A: Yes, you can. The bin will arrive as soon as possible.

Q: If you typically recycle a lot, can you have two bins?

A: Probably, but not right away. RANA is pushing out bins now to the orignal signups. As soon as they’re served, its plan is to offer additional bins if you need one.

Q: Glass was recycled at the central pickup sites when Republic had the contract. Why isn’t glass being recycled now?

A: There is no local market for glass, RANA says. RANA doesn’t know what Republic did with the glass it collected and says the company hasn’t shared that. RANA says it is operating a recycling program that is separate from the city’s garbage and trash collection, and the program is is limited to things that can be sold for recycling.

Q: Can RANA explain some of its rules on what can and can’t be recycled? For example, why will it only pick up narrow-neck plastic bottles? Why not wide-mouth plastic bottles for items like mayonnaise?

Again, the issue is the market. City Solid Waste Authority CEO John Holladay said Thursday that plastics are made with thousands of different additives. The chemical composition of plastics is different, some of those component materials are contaminants, and that means polluting emissions when processed. China has processed roughly half of the world’s plastics since the 1980’s and recently adopted new policies limiting what plastics it will accept. That has led to recycling bans on different plastics across America starting on the West Coast and moving eastward.

Q: Will RANA come pick up the big new bin if it turns out I can’t store it? Storage has been a problem in some subdivisions with covenants prohibiting big cans visible from the street.

A: Yes, RANA will pick it up, but it will take some time. The alliance is focused on pushing out bins now.

Q: What about oil, gasoline, batteries, electronics, chemicals and other similar items?

A: These items won’t be picked up curbside but can be taken to the city’s new hazardous household waste facility at 1055 A Cleaner Way open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. The city also will continue to collect hazardous waste one Saturday a month at the Huntsville landfill.

RANA managers are excited about advances in their new program, including real-time mapping of routes that shows where trucks are minute by minute. These maps allow better route planning, because drivers will know if there is recycling to be picked up on a specific street.

The trucks also have cameras allowing drivers to see what is being dumped in their trucks. That’s how residents might find themselves with an “Oops!” notice attached to their bin.

“Oops” notices show what couldn’t be collected, including plastic grocery bags (they tangle the recycling line’s gears), wide-mouthed plastic bottles and glass.

“We’re in this for the long haul,” Holladay said, “and we appreciate customers working with us and having patience.”

And keep checking the program’s website.