Tacoma switching to every-other-week garbage pickup
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TACOMA, Wash. - Monday marks the first phase of the city's plan to make big changes for garbage customers. Throughout the month of March, 5,700 residents in the north end will be the first to see a new waste and recycling pick-up schedule.
"On Monday we start our transition to every-other-week garbage collection," says Mike Slevin of Tacoma's Environmental Services.
The transition starts with new bins for garbage and recycling that will be collected one week. Bins for yard and food waste will be collected the following week.
It's all part of the city's effort to cut landfill waste by 70 percent and save about $1.2 million each year in the process.
"It saves gas, wear and tear depreciation labor costs, sure. Basically a win-win deal," says North Tacoma resident Vince Brown.
Waste Management says customers will be able to throw away the same amount of garbage as before bescause of newer, bigger cans that range from 45 to 90 gallons. Those who already have a 60- or 90-gallon container will get an extra one.
"We're switching our can size, doubling our can size and halving our pick-up, so service by volume will stay the same," says Slevin.
It's why the city says rates won't change - but some residents say the stockpiled trash will make a big smell.
"Sort of an environmental and esthetic concern," says Doug Bridges of North Tacoma.
But Slevin says the Puget Sound climate should prevent that from happening.
"It's not like Arizona where we have 110, 115-degree temperatures when those odors become prevalent in the summertime," he says.
But in the off-chance the smell gets to you, Slevin says you can always put your food waste in both garbage or yard waste each week.
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For more information visit the city of Tacoma's website.
"On Monday we start our transition to every-other-week garbage collection," says Mike Slevin of Tacoma's Environmental Services.
The transition starts with new bins for garbage and recycling that will be collected one week. Bins for yard and food waste will be collected the following week.
It's all part of the city's effort to cut landfill waste by 70 percent and save about $1.2 million each year in the process.
"It saves gas, wear and tear depreciation labor costs, sure. Basically a win-win deal," says North Tacoma resident Vince Brown.
Waste Management says customers will be able to throw away the same amount of garbage as before bescause of newer, bigger cans that range from 45 to 90 gallons. Those who already have a 60- or 90-gallon container will get an extra one.
"We're switching our can size, doubling our can size and halving our pick-up, so service by volume will stay the same," says Slevin.
It's why the city says rates won't change - but some residents say the stockpiled trash will make a big smell.
"Sort of an environmental and esthetic concern," says Doug Bridges of North Tacoma.
But Slevin says the Puget Sound climate should prevent that from happening.
"It's not like Arizona where we have 110, 115-degree temperatures when those odors become prevalent in the summertime," he says.
But in the off-chance the smell gets to you, Slevin says you can always put your food waste in both garbage or yard waste each week.
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For more information visit the city of Tacoma's website.
I'm surprised to see that there's no mention or suggestion to compost on your own, not to mention the bonus of free fertilizer for your garden. And I suppose it's obvious enough that everyone is recycling to gain extra garbage bin space, otherwise maybe that would have been included as well. Every other week garbage pickup has been working fine for me in Portland, OR.
"It's why the city says rates won't change"
So half the service at the same cost. I don't see that as a "win-win". Â I see it as a BIG win for the giant conglomerate Waste "Management" and yet another reduction of service to the ratepayer.
In Seattle we are prohibited from putting food waste into the garbage, but we have food waste/compost picked up EVERY week, along with trash. Only recycling gets picked up every other week. Â
I generate more food waste/compost than garbage. It's not the garbage that smells, it's the food waste! They should be prioritizing composting and recycling, not telling people to "put your food waste in both garbage or yard waste each week." That defeats the entire purpose of reducing landfill.Â
@lakeview --- Clearly, it isn't about reducing landfill, it's about the City saving money. It's always about the money.Â
@Bianca @lakeview  Of course it's about money. But the benefit is sending less material to landfills. My point is that Seattle has dramatically reduced landfill waste by emphasizing recycling, but most importantly, weekly compost pick up and a directive to not put food into the garbage. Â
Tacoma is going to have trouble reducing landfill if they aren't going to pick up compost every week. And making residents separate "food waste" from "yard waste" with different containers is another stupid mistake on their part.Â
Two comments:
1) "It's all part of the city's effort to cut landfill waste by 70 percent..." BUT "Waste Management says customers will be able to throw away the same amount of garbage as before..." AND "...so service by volume will stay the same..." So, what now?
2) Tacomaroma = new and improved!
Guess WhiteCenter will no longer have claim to the title "Rat City. Tacoma will stink even worse now. As if anyone needed any more reasons to leave or never come back.Â
As this is Tacoma, will anybody really notice the difference?
I'm from Arizona, where we had "110, 115-degree temperatures ", and odors were not prevalent. Ridiculous statement without merit.
"It saves gas, wear and tear depreciation labor costs, sure. Basically a win-win deal," says North Tacoma resident Vince Brown.
HOW? Unless I'm getting terrible at math this makes no sense. If you  put twice the amount of garbage in a two week period in a bigger can then the truck will get full faster ,come pickup day, and they have to make twice as many trips to the dump. Which in turn means more wear and tear, and more fuel. I don't get it. Sound like less labor to pay out and nothing more.
How does this save landfill space ?
@Maynard G Krebbs I would like to know as well.
@northwestsurfer @Maynard G Krebbs ....but it "looked good on paper"......
THE AROMA OF TACOMA IS BACK !!!
As if Tacoma didn't stink enough already...
@Ankle Biter Snark all you want - we've been having a renaissance. All the ghetto shootings have been happening in Seattle and Bellevue lately.Â
@justsaying And that relates to the stink of accumulated garbage how?
@justsaying - but if a shooting happens in Seattle or Bellevue, is it really ghetto? ;)
"It's all part of the city's effort to cut landfill waste by 70 percent and save about $1.2 million each year in the process."
So lets see. Every week I generate 20 lbs of garbage. If the city only collects every other week, then that means I only have 20 lbs of garbage every two weeks and not one? Sounds like typical magic math that banks do every day. What a bunch of lunatics. Â
@snow surfer I assume you create 20 GALLONS, not pounds, so you will want to call them and sign up for a 30 GALLON can per two week service since that will be the smallest option available, 15G of space per week.Â
@snow surfer I can see the money savings in not paying the wages for pickup, but cutting waste? Only from the minds of politicians.
@Takamine @snow surfer That brings up my other point. Are we going to see a reduction in our bill? I mean after all if I get less service, I should pay less? I'm guessing our bills will remain the same, and actually probably go up.Â