Mazzarella talks trash changes - Sentinel & Enterprise

City officials are considering a new system that would change the way residents handle their trash and recycling, Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella said Tuesday.

[Ken Burgess]

How about recycling every week? I put out 3 bins every two weeks, and on one occasion was told "you are putting out too many bins" by a trash collection employee a while ago.

Doesn't make sense ?

[dick]

If,from what I read, this seems to be a lot better plan than what Fitchburg has proposed.

[Christiandadx6]

Ken Burgess wrote:

How about recycling every week? I put out 3 bins every two weeks, and on one occasion was told "you are putting out too many bins" by a trash collection employee a while ago.
Doesn't make sense ?

I must agree. I am very "pro-recycling." If the city is interested in increasing recycling, one way to start is to begin weekly pick-ups. I tend to throw recyclables away after a week because my recycle container (a 55 gallon trash barrel) becomes full. The only question I have is what size family will they use when average trash disposal is determined? As a family of 8, I know that my trash level his much higher than a family of 2 or even 4. I just hope they think about these things as they make the decision.

[drb]

yeah, whats a typical households trash quantity? Is it based on particular family size? Now, where we will be limited on the amount of trash we can put out weekly and charged extra for additional waste that i assume will have to be delivered to the transfer station by the homeowner, will residents receive lower yearly city taxes, because of the so called forcasted city's savings? I bet not. Now that people have to pay extra to drop off trash, what about those who can not afford it. I bet the trash will be left outside there houses piling up weekly or dumped illegally elsewhere under cover of darkness. What will that do to neighborhood appearances and surrounding possible illegal dump sites? Sounds like a not well thought out plan. In the future the city will be paying for contractors to remove and clean waste from illegally dumped trash. Do they really think this will better the city? Do they also think all will abide by this, doubt it.
Where do they hold their meetings, Disney World.

[Paul from Leominster]

What happens if you miss trash day? Say you have pickup on Friday but for some reason you can't put it out that day. Now you have 2 weeks of trash to put out the next week, but a container that will only handle one weeks worth. Your total trash disposal has not increased, just consolidated two weeks worth into one pickup for whatever reason.

I think a city that limits the amount of trash they will pick up in front of your house is just asking residents to put the trash someplace else...because let's face facts, if you have trash that the city will not pick up people will NOT store it in their garage or basement for ever, they WILL dispose of it!

What about winter? In the winter I store my trash barrels on my front porch so I do not have to dig them out from under the snow. I can carry down the steps a small trash barrel or two with no problem. Are the new barrels going to be so big that the average person, or older person, cannot carry them down a flight of stairs fully loaded? After a snow storm will people have to get up an hour early so they can dig out their barrels, AND shovel their driveways, because the barrels are so big you have to use the wheels that are on them, and not just carry them to the curb? What happens when your wheels freeze up in the winter? If they are so big that you must wheel them to the curb, then frozen wheels in the winter are going to be a problem. Must remember that not everybody has a garage, or their garage is so full that they do not have room for a single large trash barrel.

I see problems ahead.

[drb]

If the city is trying to save or earn money why don't they hit the wallets of the people who commit crimes in our city. Charge very high court costs in which a portion can be retained for misc city spending. This could do two things; raise money for the city and deter possible repeat or future criminals from commiting crimes if they know they could not afford the costs incurred with the crime. Are there any downsides to this? I think not. We will be lessening crime in the city and it won't hurt our wooded areas. Why does it always have to come from honest citizens?

[Ken Burgess]

How $much$ are these trash bins supposed to cost? The article mentions an additional $fee$ if more than one trash bin is needed. What is the method for determining the amount of trash a resident generates ? Some people generate more trash than others.

Hope this doesn't get like Northboro or Clinton where it's $3+ per bag of trash...

[Daisy]

It is a tough call. I see on one hand mounds of rubbish strewn across peoples lawns like they cleaned out their house and the expect it all to just go away. But I also see those who may have more than normal rubbish say from a party or something, being limited to what they can put out. I agree with the large recycling bins because that truck comes real early and if we miss it we are stuck with it for two weeks. Being full, we would be less likely to continue recycling.

[Townie]

I just bought a new trash container, 64 gallon one with a cover similar to what I think they are talking about for $70 to just cut down to one container.

The recycle bins are just way to small so I just use a larger storage container and put that one out.

[DJB]

The containers they are most likely talking about are 90 gallon barrels. The ones you see at Chapman Place. These are not going to be carried when full. They are about 50 lbs empty. The trucks that pick them up have a special lifting device because they are to heavy to lift.

[Ken Burgess]

I can just imagine an elderly person pushing a 90 gallon barrell around full of trash, weigh much ? And if the trucks need a special lifting device, that means the current trucks won't work, or will have to $$be$$ retrofitted.

[Its About Time]

I am tired of paying for my neighbors' out of town relatives weekly trash pick up because they don't get municipal trash pick-up. I put out 3-4 bins of recyling every other week and I beleive this plan calls for weekly pick up of both. Other communities my consessions for elderly and disable peopel who tend to have less trash and require smaller/lighter bins.
This idea serves two purposes; 1) increase recycling,and 2) reduce the amount of trash we have to pay to dispose of. The stubborn old mentality that all people are going to do is litter and dump illegally is rediculous. That mind set is whay certain things never seem to change. I am willing to be the person that made that comment did not donate any time to the city clean-up several weeks ago! To make a difference you have to be willing to get up and make that change.
As for the reduction in taxes do to savings, its not likely to happen! But at least this City manages to waste a heck of a lot less money that most Citys and towns around here. Complain all you want but last time I checked we weren't in the hole $5 mill and begging the state for help!
Lets start giving this administration some credit already!

[DJB]

Ken Burgess wrote:

I can just imagine an elderly person pushing a 90 gallon barrell around full of trash, weigh much ? And if the trucks need a special lifting device, that means the current trucks won't work, or will have to $$be$$ retrofitted.

Actually the lfter only costs about $500 and Waste Management has plenty of trucks with them. Also the trucks in Leominster more than likely already have them. Waste Management would also have no problem adding them to the trucks with what they charge the city. I'm not 100% positive but I believe they get about the same as what they charge Fitchburg,$1.8 million per year. It's public record and could be checked at city hall. Leominster would probably save buying their own trucks and picking up the trash. At least the city would have more control and not be dealing with a company that's only concerned with their profits.

[Amazed]

Ken Burgess wrote:

How about recycling every week? I put out 3 bins every two weeks, and on one occasion was told "you are putting out too many bins" by a trash collection employee a while ago.
Doesn't make sense ?

You can bring your recycling down to the transfer station on Mon, Fri, and Sat mornings. Thats what I end up doing because my bins fill up before the two weeks is up (and I miss the early morning collection half the time:).

[Amazed]

Its About Time wrote:

I am tired of paying for my neighbors' out of town relatives weekly trash pick up because they don't get municipal trash pick-up. I put out 3-4 bins of recyling every other week and I beleive this plan calls for weekly pick up of both. Other communities my consessions for elderly and disable peopel who tend to have less trash and require smaller/lighter bins.
This idea serves two purposes; 1) increase recycling,and 2) reduce the amount of trash we have to pay to dispose of. The stubborn old mentality that all people are going to do is litter and dump illegally is rediculous. That mind set is whay certain things never seem to change. I am willing to be the person that made that comment did not donate any time to the city clean-up several weeks ago! To make a difference you have to be willing to get up and make that change.
As for the reduction in taxes do to savings, its not likely to happen! But at least this City manages to waste a heck of a lot less money that most Citys and towns around here. Complain all you want but last time I checked we weren't in the hole $5 mill and begging the state for help!
Lets start giving this administration some credit already!

If Fitchburg starts making people pay for trash removal, people who live close to Leominster will just drop it off in front of someon's house under cover of darkness.

[Ken Burgess]

Gardner, Lunenburg and other neighboring towns charge for trash removal. Odds are high that Leominster will join the "pay as you throw" scenario in the future. Waste Management has a monopoly in the trash removal business also. As the saying goes there are two certain things in life "death and taxes".

[Townie]

When they started charging at the transfer station if you brought in more than one 30 gallon trash bag full of stuff and the limit on what was collected at the curb we saw nothing but all sorts of bags and goods being dumped in the road and woods along Jungle Road because people wouldn't pay.

There are places in town they will take TV, monitors, etc. for far less than the transfer station charges, just check out the http://www.leominster-ma.gov/health_departmen... web site.