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An empty blue recycling bin on Wildwood Avenue was knocked over by wind from storms moving through Columbus in early January 2024.
Credit: Kala Hunter / Ledger-Enquirer
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Trash pick up problems plague Columbus residents. City Council wants answers
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Complaints about the city’s new trash collection system are piling up as fast as some of the garbage left on the streets.
Based on a litany of grievances aired at this week’s Columbus City Council meeting, the waste pick up transition the Department of Public Works made in September toward automated waste bins is experiencing serious growing pains throughout Columbus.
Councilwoman Judy Thomas added an unscheduled agenda item to the City Council meeting on Tuesday to address the daily complaints about trash, recycling, and yard waste not getting picked up. Council directed Public Works to come up with a solution.
“Every day I get at least one (sometimes between four or five) phone calls from citizens who say, they haven’t picked up their garbage or trash in three or four weeks,” Thomas said to Drale Short, Director of the Department of Public Works. “It’s just ongoing and has not stopped.”
Several council members agreed with Thomas, saying they too are receiving the same calls and being tagged on Facebook posts about the messy situation.
Councilwoman Joanne Cogle shared her scheduling and pick-up day confusion at her own house.
“Yesterday, which wasn’t my trash day, the trash truck comes down my street with prisoners behind it picking up trash on a route that should be picked up today,” she said. “A lot of constituents are having to call us directly in order to get a simple task performed they pay for on a monthly basis. I did not receive the astronomical amount of calls and messages about trash when Amwaste was doing this.”
In September, when the new collection program rolled out, John Pittman, Integrated Waste manager, told the Ledger-Enquirer it may take time to acclimate to the new rules.
For years Columbus residents left their bags of trash on the curb. Now, the trash must be in the bin or it won’t get picked up. However, some residents are venting that even when they do put all of the trash in the bins, the trash trucks aren’t coming at all.
“I finally got my trash picked up after six weeks of no pick-up,” Candace Burkhalter said in a Facebook post last Friday. “It is ridiculous.” She was one of dozens of people who lamented on Facebook about trash not getting picked up.
When prompted to say what constituents should do if they are missed, Short said, “Call 311. They shouldn’t be calling Council.”
Department of Public Works did not respond to the Ledger-Enquirer's request for comment in time for publication.
A learning curve on 'ground trash'
At the meeting, Short explained that she is aware of the problem and its roots: trash left on the ground.
“You have a staff that works tirelessly to ensure the community is as clean as possible,” Short told the Council.
Short explained to the council how the waste pick-up should operate with the new program that includes the 40 automatic side loaders.
“You have a truck that comes through and picks up the black cart, that’s your household cart. Then you have an automated truck that comes through and picks up the green cart. Then you have a rear-loader, those are the old trucks that we use inmates to pick up ground trash.”
Inmates then pick up the ground trash and according to current policy they can’t be out after dark, Short explained. If they miss it they will get to it the next day. Part of the new side loader and waste operations was supposed to eliminate inmates from the operation.
Short calls the ground trash the “nemesis” and blames the surplus ground trash on the delay in schedule.
“We have to send the third truck out to pick up the ground trash that didn’t fit, the surplus,” Short said. “We need residents to use the city-issued cart. It will reduce or cut out the complaints about missed collection. It’s taking three trucks just to handle household waste.”
Short recognizes this is a transition period and said there were frustrations when waste pick changed from once a week to twice a week pick up years ago. She insists the automatic side loaders are the national trend across America. Several council members including City Manager Isiah Hugley and Council member Bruce Huff agreed
“We have to get our citizens to understand to move forward,” Huff said. “They will put it out as long as they understand it has to be in the cart. We need to make sure we’re truly recycling and make sure recycling doesn’t go in the trash truck.”
Hugley said he knows this is the way Phenix City and Opelika (AL) operate for waste collection. “I go to these other communities, they will not pick it up if it’s not in the cart,” he said.
Addressing the surplus and the elderly
Mayor Skip Henderson offered his idea of an on-demand service where people can call in ahead of time to ask for additional pick up service.
“It seems that would take less time and still give them an alternative if they have a lot of trash,” Henderson said. Maybe a small recollect fee.”
However, Thomas is concerned with whether citizens can afford an additional fee.
“I have concerns about charging citizens another $55 for a second can,” Thomas said. “Some of these folks can hardly afford the first can. I think we need to take a closer look at that. Make sure whatever we’re doing for the overflow is something the citizen can understand and handle and the public works can handle it.”
The elderly or those with disabilities who need assistance are on a special list, but complaints about getting missed are still happening.
“How are we handling the elderly? Does the operator get a list of how many are on that route? How is it that they are being missed?” Councilwoman Toyia Tucker asked.
Right now new drivers are being trained, according to Short.
“The route supervisor is responsible for making sure that every house is picked up,” Short said. They have a disability list. Call 311 if you need to get on it.”
This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with the Ledger-Enquirer.
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