New Cart System Scheduled for Implementation on April 30
Earlier this year, the City of Marshfield’s Board of Public Works and Common Council discussed and then approved a new contract with Advanced Disposal for refuse and recycling pickup.
Under the new 10-year contract, residents will be provided with garbage and recycling carts. Compatible with Advanced Disposal’s automatic pickup system, the carts will mean fewer times a driver needs to leave the truck. Over time, this new system is projected to significantly reduce costs to the City and its taxpayers.
FOCUS sat down with Public Works Director Dan Knoeck for the details of the new contract, when changes will take place, and what residents can expect.
Currently, Street Division staff, working with Advanced Disposal, are in the process of verifying addresses to accumulate a correct count and locations for the new carts. New home construction is recorded at City Hall, but demolition and when a house is converted to a duplex it is sometimes missed when it comes to the refuse and recycling contract. Staff are using this time to make sure all addresses are correct.
Once the verification process is complete, the City will send mailers to all addresses with information about cart selection and delivery. This mailer is scheduled for January.
In late January/early February, the selection process will open. Residents will have the option to go online (or fill out a mailable postcard) and choose which cart options they would like for each recycling and garbage. Cart options include a 35-gallon, 65-gallon, and 96-gallon option. Carts don’t have to be the same size. (For example, a resident could select a 35-gallon garbage cart and a 96-gallon recycling cart for their address.)
One garbage and one recycling cart is provided at no additional cost to residents. (Cost of the carts is covered under the City’s refuse and recycling contract, so is funded through property taxes.)
Carts will be available for viewing at City Hall (5th floor), the Everett Roehl Marshfield Public Library, and at Advanced Disposal, and possibly at a few other locations. This way, residents can decide which sizes they would like. (Also tune into Focus for a video demonstration of the carts, coming in the spring!)
If someone is a large generator of garbage and would like to request an additional garbage cart or additional recycling cart, they can do so by contacting Advanced Disposal directly (715-502-3565). There will be a monthly fee for this extra cart.
Advanced Disposal will still pick up bulky items (such as carpets, mattresses, and couches, for example), but because a different truck is needed to pick up these items, residents will need to call Advanced Disposal (715-502-3565) to ask for special pickup (which is free of charge, and may occur on a different day from regular pickup).
Residents can also take surplus garbage and recycling directly to Advanced Disposal’s location at 501 S Hume Ave. This is free of charge if the resident informs the worker that they are a resident. (Residential trash or bulky items can be disposed of at no charge. Any construction or building material will have a charge.)
During higher waste-generating times of the year, such as post-Christmas, residents are encouraged to do the best they can to fit refuse and recycling in the carts. Advanced Disposal’s goal is to reduce the number of times a driver needs to leave the vehicle. This is both for safety and efficiency purposes. In the event of an overflow, residents are encouraged to see if a neighbor has room or save some trash for the next week.
Advanced Disposal will begin delivering the carts to residents on April 9, 2018, a process that is expected to take 2-3 weeks. There will be information in the carts with details about collection dates and usage.
With a new, more efficient system, Advanced Disposal will be collecting during 4 days per week (instead of the current 5 days per week) and be using new routes. Therefore, collection days might change for some residents. Similar to neighboring communities, garbage will be collected every week and recycling will be collected every other week.
Residents are expected to be able to begin using the new carts on April 30.
Carts are durable and can be stored outside. Residents are encouraged to choose a size that fits usage and space needs. (For example, those will a small garage might opt for a small cart.)
Carts are owned and maintained by Advanced Disposal. If repairs to a cart are needed, residents can call to report: 715-502-3565.
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