The state of disrepair of recycling trucks…Updated!
It’s been stated that the current condition of some of Toledo’s garbage trucks, especially the trucks used for recycling is an issue. It’s becoming a potentially costly issue as from what I understand was raised on WSPD this morning, Fred Lefebvre reported on issues in South Toledo with yesterday’s recycling not being picked up until 9 p.m. two times in a row with their being a regular garbage truck coming to pick up the waste then one picking up the cardboard and another picking up the mixed items of cans, plastic and glass.
So it’s time to delve into some trash blogging once again…I was able to discover that the City of Toledo has six trucks designed to pick up recycling, and that with the current condition of those six it’s not uncommon to have only three trucks that are running. This is further complicated by the fact that cardboard can’t be mixed with the other recycled items of plastic, glass and metal which means without a truck with a separate compartment it takes one regular garbage truck to pick up the trash and two trucks to pick up the recycle materials. If one or more trucks is not in service, this creates delays and overtime costs. When the pilot program for automation begins in May, this will help relieve some of this because there will be the addition of the leased equipment used for the automated areas which will free up the current trucks in less than great working order for the rest of the City.
The reality is the City is going to have to invest in new trucks. While it’s been stated that the 3/4 income tax was passed, none of that money was earmarked to purchase new trucks. It’s understandable from a citizen point of view of being charged a trash fee and with the recent 3/4% income tax passing with being told often that we have the “cadillac of garbage services” that they’d expect their recycled stuff to be picked up much earlier in the day and to not be done in what would be more compared to a “yugo of garbage services” manner.
I have a few suggestions, one would be to switch to an every three week recycling schedule the other would be to look at the cost effectiveness of picking up cardboard to be recycled as it is being done now. Since it can’t be mixed in with the other recycled materials is it really cost effective to offer that as something to be recycled under the present system? There’s a third possibility, cardboard recycling once a month and the rest of the material once a month which would still be an every two week recycling schedule but would take a small amount of effort on the part of residents to remember which week was what for their particular area.
What’s your take on the situation, my suggestions and have any suggestions of your own?
Update 11:58 p.m. Fox Toledo had a story on this issue tonight that is of interest.
If this is the Cadillac of garbage services, we should consider
ourselves lucky that we didn’t get the Pinto.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:14 pmI wondered why the recycling trucks were running so late in my neighborhood recently.
Because paper products can’t be picked up if they’re wet, that means having to hold onto them for an extra two weeks or longer if it rains two weeks later. It’s a real bummer if you put paper items out the night before pick up and then it rains during the night. Leaves a mess you don’t want to drag back into the house, but recycling trucks won’t pick it up.
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:11 pmAt this point, All I can do is laugh! but hey….they Mayor knows how to spend money in the City’s best interests. hahahahahahaha
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:22 pmPeople can also take the recyclables to the Lucas County drop off locations.
“…it’s not uncommon to have only three trucks that are running.”
50/50 ain’t bad.
Which begs the question, why are they not being maintained better, but, then again the leadership is showing the answer.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:29 pmSorry to say it, but Toledo really should be outsourcing these services. The contract can give existing city employees jobs with the companies that do this, and then it is no longer the City’s issue. If they don’t pick up the trash, they don’t get paid. it is in their best interest to keep the equipment running.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:23 am50% of the fleet in disrepair seems somewhat excessive to me, especially since I would expect that the recycling fleet to be the newest vehicles in service. Neither is the purchase of automated vehicles for the testing program going to be of signficant help, as it will leave recycling to be picked up by trucks not designed for this kind of service.
Call me silly, but shouldn’t this have been part of the discussion between the mayor and council before instituting a “mandatory” recycling program? Shouldn’t the 1st allocation of the funds collected been to beefing up the fleet for the increased use? Aren’t the funds that should be used for increasing or suppporting this fleet being eaten up by the overtime hours now required?
I know, I know, it’s difficult to bring logic and reason to such discussions. OK, let’s not. Aren’t the flowers and flowering shrubs beautiful this time of year?
April 24th, 2008 at 12:19 pmThe mayor and council should have made sure that all of the trucks were up to date and able to pick up all material before forcing this “garbage fee” on us.
We usually just put out cans and bottles on the curb. We take newspapers and cardboard to the recycling station at Kroger.
I wouldn’t like it if the recycle schedule was changed to every three weeks. Actually, I would like it better if they were able to pick up every week, instead of every other week.
Maybe the city should consider outsourcing garbage and recycle pick up. I think and outside company would have better oversight and less waste than the city operates this department.
April 24th, 2008 at 12:36 pm“…shouldn’t this have been part of the discussion between the mayor and council before instituting a “mandatory” recycling program?”
If the discussion was actually about recycling, sure it should have been, but like always discussions take place at or near the deadline for the budget.
The way the action was taken it was more about revenue enhancement than recycling.
I have asked administration members, why grass clippings and yard waste are picked up by the city and enter into the trash stream, when the material is not trash.
I have also asked what if any thoughts or ideas the administration team has about Lucas County recycling centers.
We want people to recycle, because they are being charged too and yet there are County drop off spots.
Council has failed to enact legislation that sets out the how’s and why’s of the program and has left the work to the administration members.
Sorta, act first and then think it through.
April 24th, 2008 at 7:46 pm