Claiborne County residents might be without trash pickup for a week, and when service resumes they must provide their own trash can.

The county’s former trash service — Home-Based Litter Control — began removing trash cans this week, and the county will resume pick-up using inmate labor Friday, said Sheriff Marvin Lucas.

The county might pick up trash sooner, Lucas said, if the garbage trucks arrive before Friday.

Port Gibson will not be affected because the city has a contract with Earth Friends, city hall officials said Friday.

When Paul Ballard of Vicksburg went to his weekend home at Lake Claiborne, his trash can was gone.

“My neighbors didn’t know anything except one week it was there and the next someone came and picked it up,” Ballard said.

Claiborne County Supervisors voted recently to get into the trash collection business, citing an estimated savings of $50,000 a year, Lucas said.

The county will lease or purchase garbage trucks and employee two drivers, while inmates riding the back of the truck will pick up trash, Lucas said.

Several supervisors and county administrator James Johnston did not return calls for comment.

Claiborne county is approximately 500 square miles and has more than 8,000 residents who live outside Port Gibson. In addition, thousands of workers are in the county due to an upgrade at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station.