Talking trash

Submitted by Casscounty1 on
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By Austin Lewter
 
Much has been said lately about the conversion of city trash services mandating the use of 96-gallon roll-off poly cart dumpsters. 
Essentially, we are going from twice a week trash pickup on the curb to once a week service out of a big plastic roll-off cart. 
The city will provide every customer with a cart at no cost and Atlanta’s trash will be picked up on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, respectively. 
The carts are property of the city and are not to leave the premises of the residence they were delivered to. 
Each cart has a 150-pound weight limit, so families my size may have to contract a second cart for an additional $10.84 per month. 
Otherwise, folks are still able to place up to three additional bags beside their roll-off per week; if it is a heavy trash week. 
It will, however, be illegal to place bags on the curb unless the cart is full. 
By law, too, carts will have to be kept behind the front line of the house the property sits on. 
Customers who are currently getting their trash picked up on Monday and Thursday are going to Monday only; Tuesday and Friday services goes to Friday; and Wednesday/ Saturday service is now on Wednesday. 
THIS STARTS NEXT WEEK. 
The carts are being place on the street and the ordinances are set to be acted upon Monday night at City Hall. 
All-in-all, it is different and some folks are leery to that. 
Waste Management has been able to provide this service at no additional charge to residents. That is good for the folks who write the budgets at City Hall, but some citizens are still resistant to change... and I get that. 
The simple fact is, more and more cities are trending to this service. Queen City has employed it for years. 
It is more cost effective for the city and for the trash service provider (Waste Management, in this case).
With tales of cities running out of fund balances and bankruptcy filings abound throughout the news, any action from a government agency to work leaner should be applauded. 
It, too, will lead to cleaner city streets and less varmints in trash. I know, on my end of town, we can put out trash out on Friday night and have to pick it right back up to put in the trashcan before the truck runs on Saturday because the raccoons have devoured it. 
Less trash on the streets and more efficient city services are two small things that entice development and residential appeal. 
While City Hall has said many times that this is not a decrease in service, it is... at least as far as frequency is concerned. We should all be able to admit that. 
Trash is going to sit in a container, at your house, twice as long during the week. But it is going to sit in a container big enough to hold it and that container is not going to cost you any extra money. 
So, the folks that don’t already have a container of some sort are going to get one. 
The streets will be cleaner. 
I guarantee, in six months time, we’ll be able to notice a considerable difference in the amount of litter floating around. 
While frequency might be decreased, quality of service and efficiency is going to increase. 
It is a win-win. 
I have seen this same change happen in two other communities and was actually sitting on the city council of one of them when it occurred there. 
It will be a period of adjustment. City Hall will go out of their way to help folks who need special consideration. 
We may run some letters to the editor of folks upset (which I always encourage you to submit... no matter what side of an issue you are one). But, after the same six months has passed, I’ll be surprised to find anyone willing to turn their dumpster in and revert to the old way. 
I’m all for it and think the only thing that would make it better would be a matching blue cart beside it for recyclables...but that is another discussion for another time.
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