More Trash coverage from Tulsa World

[RecycleMichael]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=071125_1_A19_hAmem47740

Tulsan trashes weekly trucks
By BRIAN BARBER World Staff Writer
11/25/2007

A member of a pilot program for garbage pickup says he wants the old service back.

Tulsan Sid Parker wants city officials to return his twice-a-week trash service. His Florence Park collection route is among five that have been converted to a once-a-week, cart-based service as part of a pilot program. "I gave it a try," he said. "I think there are a lot of problems with it. And I think I speak for a lot of my neighbors when I say that."

This week, the city's trash authority and Public Works Department will try to convince the City Council to allow the program to continue indefinitely on the five test routes. It includes 1,855 households in the areas of Florence Park North and South, South Peoria Avenue, Swan Lake and Sheridan Hills South.

Over time, officials hope to phase it in across the city. But Parker is leading the charge to see that doesn't happen. "Really, the price difference isn't worth the cut from twice-a-week service to once a week," he said. The program's monthly curbside service fee is $12.37, which includes recycling pickup, regardless of whether the customer chooses to recycle. Each residence was provided with one 96-gallon, wheeled trash cart and an 18-gallon recycling bin.

By comparison, the fee for the city's standard twice-a-week curbside service is $13.44, plus a $2 optional recycling charge, and customers provide their own trash carts. Responses to surveys on four of the pilot program routes show that 78 percent like the new service and 69 percent said it has encouraged them to recycle more. But only 33 percent of participating households had to respond to the survey for it to be considered valid.

Parker said he responded but believes many of the neighbors he has talked to did not. "I don't think that survey is an accurate representation of how people truly feel," he said. Among the complaints Parker said he's heard is that the carts, when filled, are difficult to navigate down the area's single-car, sloping driveways. This is true especially for elderly residents, he said. For large families, 96-gallons can fill up rather quickly, Parker said.

And if a resident forgets to put out the trash, they would have to wait a full week before another collection, he said. Concerns also have been raised about the odor from a week's worth of trash and animals getting into the carts, despite the lids. "I'm sure there are exceptions to all of these," Parker said. "But, bottom line, people really like the twice-a-week service we had before."

Public Works field customer services manager Frank Erwin said every effort is being made to address concerns. While most of the city has twice-a-week service, an area known as the northwest quadrant, serviced by city employees, has had once-a-week, cart-based service for years. "This is the type of service that is most common throughout our area and the country, so it has been proven to work," Erwin said, adding that it takes some getting used to. Some of the cited benefits include reducing the wear on streets by trash trucks and limiting workers' injuries by using mechanical lifters with the carts. "I think what people need to realize is that, in this program, there are still a lot of options available to them," Erwin said.

Q&A

Here's some of the frequently asked questions regarding the once-aweek, cart-based trash service:

— The 96-gallon cart is too big for me. Can I get a smaller one? Yes. A 64-gallon cart is available by request but it does not reduce the service rate.

— How many bags of trash can I set out with my cart? A dozen. This mirrors the six bags per collection that the twice-aweek areas have.

—If I fill up the 96-gallon cart, can I set out my other trash cans? Yes.

— If my once-a-week service falls on a holiday, will I have to wait another week for collection? No. Another service day will be scheduled for the same week.

— Is backyard collection available? Yes, at a cost of $16.22 per month.

— I am designated as a low trash generator through my water consumption. Will that still apply? Yes. The low trash generator curbside rate is $10.16 and the backyard rate is $15.04.

— What if I forget to set out my trash? Officials are discussing the possibility of having trucks return for the people who forgot, but that would be at an extra fee.

[AngieB]

I sent an email to my city councilor that I was in favor of the once-a-week cart-based service. His reply to me was this:

quote: Thanks for your e-mail.  I should tell you that this is the first communication that I've received from anyone who is in favor of the program.  Not to say that you're wrong, just saying that you're the first. RDW

What's the big deal? I think it's terrific – trash trucks using less fuel, belching out fewer emissions, wear and tear of our streets from the trucks reduced and a wheeled cart with attached lid that you don't have to buy yourself...what's not to like?

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by TulsaMINI

I sent an email to my city councilor that I was in favor of the once-a-week cart-based service. His reply to me was this:

quote: Thanks for your e-mail.  I should tell you that this is the first communication that I've received from anyone who is in favor of the program.  Not to say that you're wrong, just saying that you're the first. RDW

What's the big deal? I think it's terrific – trash trucks using less fuel, belching out fewer emissions, wear and tear of our streets from the trucks reduced and a wheeled cart with attached lid that you don't have to buy yourself...what's not to like?

What's not to like is that if they are going to reduce our level of service 50%, they should also decrease our monthy collection fees 50%.  As the proposal is today, trash fees would only go down about 13% for a 50% reduction in service.  In other words, a giant hidden rate increase.  I could live with and adjust to once a week pickup OK, but this whole thing just smacks of a big profit windfall for Tulsa Refuse Inc.  I prefer my Tues.-Fri. trash pickup and hope it never changes.  Next thing, they will have us all haul our own trash to central neighborhood collection points.

[Ed W]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

I prefer my Tues.-Fri. trash pickup and hope it never changes.  Next thing, they will have us all haul our own trash to central neighborhood collection points.

One perverse benefit of having to haul household waste to a central collection point is that it would force us to give careful consideration to the amount of trash we generate.  It may even force businesses to re-examine their packaging by looking for ways to reduce waste, if only to retain customers.

[Steve]

quote:Originally posted by Ed W

quote:Originally posted by Steve

I prefer my Tues.-Fri. trash pickup and hope it never changes.  Next thing, they will have us all haul our own trash to central neighborhood collection points.

One perverse benefit of having to haul household waste to a central collection point is that it would force us to give careful consideration to the amount of trash we generate.  It may even force businesses to re-examine their packaging by looking for ways to reduce waste, if only to retain customers.

You have a point.  I remember when I was a young child in the late 1950s-early 1960s we lived across the street from Madalene Church at 2246 S. Gary Ave in Tulsa.  Most all houses in the neighborhood had backyard trash incinerators; they looked like brick BBQ grills but were for burning trash.  Plastic packaging was unheard of then, and most household waste could be burned, save glass & metal (which can be recycled these days).  We must have generated much less trash back then.  Sometime in the 1960s, Tulsa outlawed home trash burning...

But I digress.  My main objection to this proposed new trash service is that it is a perfect example of declining levels of municipal services with no corresponding decrease in cost to the resident.  I prefer to keep our services at a higher level.

[Double A]

They should make it an option for people who want to retain the convenience of twice a week service to keep it, however I think the households that generate enough waste to necessitate twice a week pick up, should pay extra for their wasteful habits. We love "sin taxes" in Oklahoma, think of it as an environmental sin tax. Kisses.

[AngieB]

quote:Originally posted by Steve

What's not to like is that if they are going to reduce our level of service 50%, they should also decrease our monthy collection fees 50%.  

Sorry, but I don't really see it that way. You can still generate the same amount of trash and the carts accommodate as much or more than two regular cans.

The lid to our trash can blew away a long time ago. We don't put it out to the curb until late, but many people put bags and cans out early in the day and trash will sometimes blow around or dogs will get into it. I think that having the cart service with a secure attached lid will prevent that. Also, everyone having the same receptacle looks better anyway.

I haven't heard about hauling your cart to a central collection point. Are sure about that? I've always seen them go house to house just like before.

And amen to generating less trash.

[Conan71]

More trash coverage from the Tulsa World?  

What's new about that.  It's a daily occurance. []

I agree with TM, I don't see it as a cut in service at all.  I can still generate the same amount of trash as I always have and only have to remember to haul it to the curb once a week instead of twice.  They are still going to haul off the same amount of trash per week as they always have with a kicker of providing recycling service.  That's all a plus in my book.