Some residents trash new garbage collection system (Orlando, Orange City: houses, neighborhoods)

[WithDisp]

From Sentinel : New automated garbage-collection system has some residents down in the dumps. - Orlando Sentinel

What I find absurd- is in moving to this system they claim a saving of $40 per household per year.

So.... somehow knocking out about 50 garbage collections (since it WAS twice a week) saves LESS than $1 per week. I'd rather have the two day pick up.

[FL2MT]

It doesn't bother me much, I produce so little trash that I never had to put it out twice a week anyway and a lot of times even less than that. During the warmer months I might have to plan ahead a bit so I don't put something smelly in my trash and then have it wait 6 days before I can put it out, but again, not a huge inconvenience. I'm all in favor of government services striving to operate more efficiently and feel like the schedules and routes will get ironed out quickly.

[tinytrump]

I do maybe 2x a mo. depends if I have company-- sok with me

[Disney_Geek18]

I really don't see how people can create so much trash that once a week pickup is too little for them. I live in Orange City which is once a week and used to live in DeLand which is also once a week. In DeLand, I lived in a subdivision with lots of families and I never saw houses with trash like I've seen on the news from Orlando. They use the same carts, some even smaller. In Orange City, it was once a week using your own trash cans, we just switched to a new system as well with new carts provided. A 96-gallon trash and a 64-gallon recycling cart. The only change for us was the new carts and getting collected the way the new system in Orange County is so we didn't have a problem this week.

[Disney_Geek18]

Still not off to a good start...

CAUGHT ON VIDEO: Garbage truck arm knocks over lamp post in Orange County neighborhood | Local News - WESH Home

[WithDisp]

Originally Posted by Disney_Geek18

Still not off to a good start...

CAUGHT ON VIDEO: Garbage truck arm knocks over lamp post in Orange County neighborhood | Local News - WESH Home

Well, that's a $2500+ dollar mistake. That whole street is a loss for the whole year now.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by WithDisp

From Sentinel : New automated garbage-collection system has some residents down in the dumps. - Orlando Sentinel

What I find absurd- is in moving to this system they claim a saving of $40 per household per year.

So.... somehow knocking out about 50 garbage collections (since it WAS twice a week) saves LESS than $1 per week. I'd rather have the two day pick up.

A lot of people here in Brevard County fought the garbage changes too. Had it for many years now and getting the 2 big garbage cans free (one for regular garbage and one for therecycle stuff) and going to 1 day pick up is really not a problem. If you need more cans there is a way to purchase additional ones . Each can has a number linked to your residence so people can't just go picking up other peoples cans to use,. The biggest complaint once it started were the cans were too big for older single households and too heavy to move out to the road even though you roll them there. We have never had to hold regular garbage to the next week. If you have big stuff like old furniture, cabinets etc that you throw out, you still put it on the curb next to your cans. Usually they will simply pick up 1 or 2 things, but if you have a big pile you just call and schedule a pickup. Also there is a separate truck that comes around for yard waste which cannot be in plastic garbage bags. Tree limbs need to be cut to a certain length and leaves and grass in regular garbage cans so they can be recycled for mulch. We pretty much like it better than 2 day pickup where some people never brought their garbage cans away from the road. It is cleaner neighborhood since they started it here, so give it a chance. You might like it.

[WithDisp]

Originally Posted by Rabflmom

A lot of people here in Brevard County fought the garbage changes too. Had it for many years now and getting the 2 big garbage cans free (one for regular garbage and one for therecycle stuff) and going to 1 day pick up is really not a problem. If you need more cans there is a way to purchase additional ones . Each can has a number linked to your residence so people can't just go picking up other peoples cans to use,. The biggest complaint once it started were the cans were too big for older single households and too heavy to move out to the road even though you roll them there. We have never had to hold regular garbage to the next week. If you have big stuff like old furniture, cabinets etc that you throw out, you still put it on the curb next to your cans. Usually they will simply pick up 1 or 2 things, but if you have a big pile you just call and schedule a pickup. Also there is a separate truck that comes around for yard waste which cannot be in plastic garbage bags. Tree limbs need to be cut to a certain length and leaves and grass in regular garbage cans so they can be recycled for mulch. We pretty much like it better than 2 day pickup where some people never brought their garbage cans away from the road. It is cleaner neighborhood since they started it here, so give it a chance. You might like it.

I'm not citing that it's a terrible idea- I know a huge number of cities employ such a method-

I just fail to see the logic behind a completely new system that's based on Automation that actually steps backwards in service, at BARELY a savings.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by WithDisp

I'm not citing that it's a terrible idea- I know a huge number of cities employ such a method-

I just fail to see the logic behind a completely new system that's based on Automation that actually steps backwards in service, at BARELY a savings.

Ours didn't really take a step backwards in my opinion. . Instead of having to spend money every year or sooner because the garbage men threw your cans around and broke them, you get large sturdy cans free. It is a few penny's less a month; but you do lose the 2nd day pickup. The cans are huge though and a family of 4 probably only needs the 1 day pick up. There is still the yard waste pickup and large item pick up included. for us. Garbage bill is added to our city water bill now, so not a separate bill if you have city water. If you have well you get a bill you can pay by the month, 3 month, 6 month or year.
To me it is worth it not to see garbage cans lining the street on Sunday night for Monday pickup and not being brought in till Tuesday after work. Then putting out on the street again on Thursday for Friday pickup and left out till Saturday only to see them out there again on Sunday night for all the procrastinators that live in the neighborhood. It seems like neighborhoods actually cleaned up with everyone using the same huge cans.Now no one is just throwing the plastic garbage bags at the curb and having dogs and raccoons strewing it out all over the neighborhood. Also with the machine picking up and emptying the cans it actually all goes into the truck instead of sometimes the guys missing with some and it ending up in the street. I hope we never go back to the way it was for 30 years of living here. This is progress.

[WithDisp]

Originally Posted by Rabflmom

Ours didn't really take a step backwards in my opinion. . Instead of having to spend money every year or sooner because the garbage men threw your cans around and broke them, you get large sturdy cans free. It is a few penny's less a month; but you do lose the 2nd day pickup. The cans are huge though and a family of 4 probably only needs the 1 day pick up. There is still the yard waste pickup and large item pick up included. for us. Garbage bill is added to our city water bill now, so not a separate bill if you have city water. If you have well you get a bill you can pay by the month, 3 month, 6 month or year.
To me it is worth it not to see garbage cans lining the street on Sunday night for Monday pickup and not being brought in till Tuesday after work. Then putting out on the street again on Thursday for Friday pickup and left out till Saturday only to see them out there again on Sunday night for all the procrastinators that live in the neighborhood.

Why would the new bins make this practice any different? It would be reduced by one pick up, yes- but just because they are new bins doesn't dictate quicker recovery from procrastinators.

Originally Posted by Rabflmom

It seems like neighborhoods actually cleaned up with everyone using the same huge cans.Now no one is just throwing the plastic garbage bags at the curb and having dogs and raccoons strewing it out all over the neighborhood. Also with the machine picking up and emptying the cans it actually all goes into the truck instead of sometimes the guys missing with some and it ending up in the street. I hope we never go back to the way it was for 30 years of living here. This is progress.

This much is true, minus the unfortunate situation of missing a day of pick up. Now with a missed day you'll go 13 days of garbage collection- in the past if you missed a pick up the longest might be 4 days.


Still, while I'm not really -that- bummed about losing a day of service, I keep trying to talk about the 'penny' savings.

Previously Republic had 3 trash collectors (a driver and two collectors), that came twice a week.
That's three salaries, and two hauls a week.

Now, we have a driver and a single collector, that comes ones a week.
That's two salaries, and one haul a week.

How on EARTH did the contract come to only be a 15% savings?
I understand the initial outlay for these cans is not cheap, but there isn't any implication of a longer-term savings if they are in use for a while.

3 workers x 2 times pick up = pay employees 6 times
2 works x 1 pick up = pay employees 2 times.

1/3rd the manpower, 17/20th the cost.
Something doesn't add up. That -isn't- progress.