Recycling Not Picked Up?

[Gaspar]

One of their excuses is that they haven't been able to hire enough employees?
I thought we had an unemployment problem?
Perhaps unemployment pays better?

Tulsa city leaders are getting ready to decide the future of a million-dollar recycling contract with a company the city isn't happy with.

The city's trash board set to meet today to decide what to do with a $1.3 million contract they have with a company called RR Waste Solutions. The city says they've recieved about 2,000 complaints from customers saying they're recycling just isn't being picked up. RR Waste Solutions took over the city's recycling program in June. Since then the city says 2,000 customers have complained no one has picked up their recycling.

About 14,000 residents are signed up for the recycling program. RR Waste says they haven't been able to hire enough employees and have had problems with mapping. They also believe some customers are simply confused over their collection days. The city says they're done with excuses and want the problem resolved.

http://www.fox23.com/content/daybreak/story/Recycling-Program-Concerns/nPpp3H9hlka4cNfrh_oGpw.cspx

[sgrizzle]

Well they changed collection days and pick up often times later in the day. I imagine a lot of those who think they aren't getting picked up just don't have it out when it's time to get picked up.

[Townsend]

Since then the city says 2,000 customers have complained no one has picked up their recycling.

2,000 customers have complained or they've received 2,000 complaints?

I tend to be one of those guys who will complain more than once.

[Gaspar]

They come through my neighborhood and spend 5 minutes in front of each house sorting through the recyclables.  I wonder how they ever get done.  Can't they just dump it in the truck and let the mechanical system at the plant sort things out?

[sgrizzle]

They come through my neighborhood and spend 5 minutes in front of each house sorting through the recyclables.  I wonder how they ever get done.  Can't they just dump it in the truck and let the mechanical system at the plant sort things out?

They could... if Tulsa had a recycling plant

[RecycleMichael]

The contractor had plenty of excuses and plenty of problems during June and July. It does look like they have gotten their act together in August however.

2,000 complaints were received by the city in the first ten weeks of the contract. I am sure many of them were from repeat customers. They now have gone through five complete cycles of pickup of the 14,000 customers. That means they have had 70,000 collections and 2,000 complaints.

Yes, 2,000 complaints is too many. But percentage-wise that is about a 3% complaint rate. 97% of their customers haven't complained.

If they can get the complaint rate below 1.5% this month, I think they should be continued as the contractor. 

[brunoflipper]

they missed mine... again.
third time in two months they've skipped me...
i called yesterday...
it is still sitting out there...

[Gaspar]

Question. . .Is our trash going to the trash-to-energy plant?

If so, do they separate aluminum mechanically there?

[sgrizzle]

Question. . .Is our trash going to the trash-to-energy plant?

If so, do they separate aluminum mechanically there?

Only steel.

[Gaspar]

Only steel.

I find that strange.  Many of their other facilities across the country recycle aluminum.  I guess the cost of the air-blade separation process exceeds the payback from the aluminum.

[sgrizzle]

I find that strange.  Many of their other facilities across the country recycle aluminum.  I guess the cost of the air-blade separation process exceeds the payback from the aluminum.

The magnet was broken for years so we weren't even getting the steel.

[Hoss]

The magnet was broken for years so we weren't even getting the steel.

I noticed your FB post Scott..we'll see if mine gets picked up today.

Edited to add:

Picked mine up at 1:08PM as I was leaving home to go back to work from my lunch.  Had to wait cause they were blocking my driveway  Fascinating how they do it all.  The truck has side compartments.  In one, he put the plastics, in the other he put the paper, pressed a button and the side compartments hoisted up and over into the back of the truck, dumping their contents.

[DTowner]

After some problems the first couple of pick up days, I've had not any problems since.  I did notice this month that a few folks on my street put their bin out on the wrong week - there were still on the old schedule, but this is the first month under the 2 week sytem that it was off from the old schedule.  Such issues could be a source of some of the complaints.

[Conan71]

After some problems the first couple of pick up days, I've had not any problems since.  I did notice this month that a few folks on my street put their bin out on the wrong week - there were still on the old schedule, but this is the first month under the 2 week sytem that it was off from the old schedule.  Such issues could be a source of some of the complaints.

I suspect that's where some complaints came from as well, putting the bins out on the old schedule.

[sgrizzle]

Mine is still sitting there from yesterday. Only day they've missed is they day they promise they're better now.