[Durham INC] waste confusion...

[RW Pickle]

Thanks for all the thoughtful replies. I may not always believe what you
see written in my emails, I just end up being a mouthpiece for those that,
for whatever reason, aren't willing to express themselves publicly. I
wasn't a neighborhood hero for the things I said, it was my actions. Words
without actions are shallow...

No reason to ponder as to where our waste goes, unless it's classified
waste such as hazardous, it goes to Virginia; both green cart and brown
cart waste (and now maybe red and blue carts as well...). Even your bulky
items go to Virginia. So no need to wonder. A trip up I-85 and then down
58 to the other side of Lawrenceville will take you down a road littered
beyond your wildest imagination in trash. No Adopt A Highway signs there;
too much trash for any one organization to pick up... That's where it all
gets dumped. Virginia once was known as the State for lovers; now it is
known for trash disposal. It's the second largest importer of trash in the
Country (behind PA; according to WasteAge Magazine).

But for the last 2 months I have been driving daily out Holloway Street
(turning by the Public Library and heading out Hwy. 98; sometimes 6 trips
a day) to my country house and I have noticed a huge difference in the
amount of trash, carts, bins and bulky items just sitting at the curb. I'm
not confused about the new schedule, but it's clear that more than a few
people are on Holloway. And in the other parts of town that I've been
through lately, these new blue carts are just an eyesore sitting on the
curb (I have yet to see a red one). It wasn't that long ago the City
Council enacted ordinances to get the waste carts off the curb in a timely
manner (or face a fine, which never really materialized...). Now we are
told by the Solid Waste Department to just disregard that ordinance as if
they make the rules up around here. City Council passed the ordinance
because (and INC was a huge force behind this) it made our City look
trashy. As I said, I believe the Appearance Commission also suggested it.
And when waste pick up is missed or delayed for days, the trash carts and
bulky items just sit there another week (or a couple of days as it was
last week).

I do not advocate going back to bags on the street nor have I ever said
they are doing me a disservice. I regularly thank all of the City staff
for all they do. A recently concluded multi-year study by OSHA of the
Solid Waste industry has mandated that waste collection move toward
automation (due to injury). So over time, it'll all be automated pick up.
And you're right, with that comes standardization of equipment. We are
there to some degree now. Only 2 waste carts that I have are the soft
shell kind (that tend to crush or distort under the pressure of the
automated arm). And all new cans are the hard-solid type that work well
with the automated arm.

We keep hearing how this new program will save a bunch of money, but I
have yet to hear how (or see any projections). I know we had a million
plus dollars of new solid waste trucks that Fleet Management was trying to
sell at one time. They had no buyers, so they were just absorbed into the
existing system and put into service. And with so little being said about
where our recyclables are going, how it saves anything, and if they are
even being recycled, one has to wonder again. There is no need for wonder
or not knowing. The service is funded by taxpayer dollars and we have
every right to know. It was just hard for me to believe that we'd roll out
a city-wide program without having a plan in place (or waiting to the last
minute to develop one). There still may not be a plan...

I have always contended that this City doesn't want our trash (all of it)
bad enough. One would think that if I use my truck, my time, and my fuel
to take waste to the transfer station that disposal should be free (as it
was in the past for 2 weekends a year during spring and fall cleanup;
those no longer exist). But no... there is a charge for me doing it all.
And that doesn't seem right. When as a City resident (and County tax payer
as well), I can purchase a County Solid Waste permit for $50 that allows
me unlimited trips and dumping at any of the County waste dumpster sites.
That seems fair enough if you have a lot to dump in the course of a year.
And because we fund the City waste programs, we shouldn't be punished for
hauling it there ourselves. Instead they want to pick it all up at the
curb (which seems like just more or a $ burden on the taxpayers). Can you
count how many Solid Waste trucks going down your street it will take to
get all of your waste on any given week? If we're supposed to be heading
toward being a greener city, a few less waste truck trips on the road will
save fuel and help out our miserable streets... I can't imagine why we use
2 separate trucks and crews to pick up the green carts and the brown carts
when, if they arrived at the transfer station at the same time, would dump
their loads side-by-side and then it would all go to Virginia in the same
tractor trailer. I've heard the explanation, but it still makes no
sense...

I just decided to ride around the block to see how many of the blue carts
are sitting at the curb for pick up today. Very few... Not because we quit
recycling, but because  these large carts hold so much more. I probably
won't roll mine out but once a month. It might even make it for 6 weeks.
Time will tell. I averaged about 3 weeks with my 40 gallon cart, so 6
weeks would seem about right. Maybe with all the money we hear is being
saved by doing the recycling, we can finally get some sort of leaf program
going in this town. After all, it's something we have been asking for for
years...

RWP
27 Beverly


> Randy, I want to open with my appreciation for the tons of work you
> do. Neighborhood hero is a well deserved title that you've been
> awarded in the past, and your willingness to speak up when you see
> something that seems wrong is the kind of attitude that I revel in on
> my relatively recent move to Durham. While I also have questions about
> the ultimate destinations of the waste we generate, I'd like to
> provide my view on some of your listed items.
>
> I can't speak to the bulky item pickup as I didn't see any out in my
> neighborhood this past week, or it was mostly picked up. I certainly
> hope that the the bulky items you fielded questions about are
> primarily yard waste and not items that could be taken to Goodwill,
> Habitat, or another charitable organization.
>
> I'm not really sure why there is such a problem with the bi-weekly
> pickup schedule. With all the complaints about the number of carts on
> the curbs, I would suspect that it would be welcome that there would
> be fewer out. If it is particularly difficult to remember, people can
> put it out every week, or for those with electronic calendars, pop it
> into there. I know I have my trash added it so I remember to put it
> out the night before since my pickup usually happens very early. Pop
> the paper calendar up near your inside recycling bin, and if you've
> lost it or torn it up in a fit of anger, you can get a pdf from the
> FAQ page:
> http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/departments/solid/recycle_curb_collection.cfm
>
> As for the townhomes, they largely produce less waste than single
> family residences, and their higher density makes it much more
> difficult for them to store the large bins. So they are prioritized
> for getting the smaller bins. The weekly pickup you mention for
> downtown seems to only be for those businesses that fit within
> guidelines below a certain amount of waste. Businesses are even less
> likely to be able to store the large recycling bins and the bins could
> interfere with sidewalk access in some parts of downtown. Many of the
> businesses down there must contract for separate recycling pickup.
>
> Older residents are encouraged to apply for exempt status. If they
> already have exempt status for their other carts, they are already on
> the priority list for the smaller carts. Alternately, I can only
> imagine that in our highly connected and friendly neighborhoods, a
> neighbor may be willing to assist with the roll out until such time as
> their exemption is cleared or the smaller carts are available. The
> form is available here:
> http://www.ci.durham.nc.us/departments/solid/pdf/exempt_form.pdf
>
> As for the yard waste carts having to be placed out the same morning
> as garbage, but not being service until the next day, I agree with
> have no idea what they are thinking and wholly agree with that seeming
> like a pretty odd request. I've heard the bit about the garbage pickup
> people noting where yard waste is set out to better plan for pickup,
> but it sounds like a system with a huge chance for failure and
> confusion.
>
> I look forward to the solid waste division providing information on
> the path our recyclables take. It is unfortunate that the information
> isn't already available.
>
> Regarding the data about the "50% increase" well, we all know numbers
> can be manipulated, but I'll disagree about the bins vs people
> recycling. The three of us in this house easily filled the small
> recycling bin to over flowing  in a week. I could see any number of
> people opting to throw things that aren't on the required list into
> the trash just so they would have more space in that small bin. The
> extra space in the large bin, coupled with the security that lighter
> items won't blow away may well get the more lackadaisical  recyclers
> to pony up.
>
> I find it unfortunate that you feel as if Durham is providing you with
> a disservice. With the standardization of bins the equipment used to
> service them can also be standardized. None of it will happen
> immediately, and there will be errors. Heck, I completely blanked this
> first week that it wasn't my week to put my bin out and I put it out.
> Brought it back the next morning when I realized my error. I apologize
> to my neighbors that may have felt they had to look at my unsightly
> blue cart.
>
> Perhaps we should just go back to the good old days where extra
> garbage got dropped in bags next to the smaller trash cans, animals
> ripped into them and scattered food scraps along the street and
> garbage collectors suffered wretched backs and nasty cuts from sharp
> objects in the bags they had to pick up by hand.
>
> Jennifer Skahen
> Gattis St, Burch Ave Neighborhood
>
> On Jul 20, 2009, at 12:31 AM, RW Pickle wrote:
>
>> If you get around town as I do, you couldn't help but notice the
>> confusion
>> in cans, days, bins, colors, folks are having across town. Does this
>> look
>> like a City in a waste confusion to you?
>>
>> Over here, we averaged a 58% failure rate in picking up what we were
>> told
>> was going to be picked up (66% on the east side and 50% on the west
>> side;
>> they are picked up on 2 different days). I fielded questions from
>> neighbors all weekend. You guess that means that the 3 bulky items we
>> could set out last week (that didn't get picked up) can grow to 6 this
>> week? Maybe if missed this week, we can do it monthly and put 12
>> items at
>> the curb.. And we've yet to get to our appointed new recyclable can
>> pick
>> up week which is this week. I can just see it now...
>>
>> But what irks me is that while neighborhoods have to deal with
>> recycling
>> on an every-other-week schedule, those folks living downtown get
>> theirs
>> picked up just like it has always been; weekly. Now that hardly
>> seems fair
>> to me. What makes them so special and makes the rest of us have to
>> remember some bizarre schedule? You think neighborhoods are less
>> deserving? If you read the press release that was sent out, it's
>> like you
>> need a calendar marked-up to remember. Here is what some of it said
>> (in
>> case you missed it):
>>
>> "Since the new recycling roll-out carts are significantly larger
>> than the
>> old bin, recycling collection will now occur every other week on the
>> same
>> day citizens receive solid waste collection.  Garbage collection in
>> the
>> green roll-out carts will still be every week."
>>
>> It also tells us that there are actually 3 different sizes of carts
>> available but unavailable to single family homes until sometime down
>> the
>> road. So what are our older residents supposed to do with this
>> heavy, big
>> new blue/red cart? Wait? Why should condos and townhomes have more
>> choice
>> than the rest of us do?
>>
>> "The new curbside recycling program isn’t the only change occurring
>> next
>> week.  The bulky item collection program will now be offered on a
>> weekly
>> basis."
>>
>> "Yard waste collection customers will also need to take note of a new
>> collection schedule beginning Monday.  The brown roll-out carts should
>> still be placed at the curb by 7 a.m. the same day as the weekly
>> garbage
>> collection in the green roll-out carts."
>>
>> "Friday garbage, recycling, and yard waste customers should now set
>> their
>> carts out on Wednesday."
>>
>> So we enacted ordinances to get carts off the right-of-way in a timely
>> manner (even suggested by the Appearance Commission I believe), yet
>> Solid
>> Waste says we need to get the carts and bulky items out there so
>> they can
>> sit for a day and show the rest of the world how many trash cans we
>> rent
>> from a company that now controls ALL our waste carts (or so you'd
>> think...).
>>
>> INC supported rolling out a city-wide yard waste program a few years
>> ago
>> but the purchase of the additional roll out carts held it up. Yet we
>> can
>> roll out a city-wide recycling program and we have yet to hear what is
>> actually happening to our recyclables (want to bet their going to a
>> Virginia landfill like the yard waste and the green cart waste...).
>> As of
>> the Wednesday before the program rolled out (last week), The
>> Director told
>> me that no contract had been signed to do anything with the
>> recyclables.
>> So we roll out a city-wide program with all these expensive carts
>> (that we
>> rent) and we don't have a clue what we're doing with them once they
>> are
>> picked up? I understand that when the question was raised to the
>> Director
>> at last week's PAC2 meeting, the answer was vague to say the least. I
>> think we should know what is happening with our recyclables; all of
>> them.
>> Where are they going, who is involved, and exactly what the deal is.
>> After
>> all, it's our tax dollars that are at work here.
>>
>> I'd also like to see the data where Solid Waste determined (as they
>> have
>> said in the press and is written on the sheet that comes with your new
>> recyclables cart) that "in a pilot program, recyclable materials
>> increased
>> by 50%". I say that's hooey! Carts don't recycle, people do. And
>> having a
>> new cart can't lend itself to a 50% increase. That dog just don't
>> hunt...
>> If you or your neighborhood was part of this "pilot program". I'd
>> like to
>> talk to you. TFC (the previous recycling contractor) once told me
>> that our
>> neighborhood was model neighborhood because of how much we recycle. I
>> guess the pilot program wouldn't want to use a "model neighborhood"
>> for a
>> test.
>>
>> We'll see how it goes this week. I'd like to hear from others as to
>> how
>> they see it working. Are there bins and carts out in your
>> neighborhood on
>> the curb? As I drive around the City, I see the confusion. A 58%
>> failure
>> rate over here tells me we can't be alone... City Council made
>> recycling
>> mandatory 12 years ago. I'd be willing to bet that not one citation
>> (or
>> left-at-the-curb-un-emptied cart) has ever happened. Just put your
>> recyclables in black plastic bags (another worthless ordinance) and
>> no one
>> will ever know... Or maybe this is all just a ploy to finally give the
>> enforcement person INC fought so hard to get (and Solid Waste
>> sissyfied
>> our pit bull) a shot in the arm with all of the carts left at the
>> curbs
>> and the tickets he can write. Is this cart/schedule confusion really
>> a new
>> revenue generating tool to help out the budget? Inquiring minds want
>> to
>> know...
>>
>> RWP
>> 27 Beverly
>>
>>
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>
> _______________________________________________
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>


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