The rollout of the new recycling and garbage carts in the city of Waukesha is well under way.
The new carts were first distributed to the southwest portion of the city last week, and crews will continue to deliver the carts to the rest of the city through the end of next week.
At last week's common council meeting, Department of Public Works Director Fred Abadi said everyone who is eligible to receive the carts in the city should have them by the first week in February.
Dustin Nolan, the city's recycling and solid waste coordinator, added there isn't a set date a particular neighborhood will receive the carts. Weather and other circumstances could alter the schedule, he said.
Crews with Advanced Disposal are loading up the carts at the city's drop-off center before heading out for home distribution. Nolan said people do not have to be home when crews deliver the carts and can begin using them upon delivery.
If people didn't request an alternative cart size, residents will receive a 64-gallon garbage cart (comparable to two, 30-gallon trash cans) and a 96-gallon recycling cart (comparable to three, 30-gallon trash cans or three blue bins).
New carts
The city is going to a single-stream recycling system. Under that system, all recyclable items will now be put in one recycling cart, meaning that people no longer have to separate recyclable items.
The garbage pickup is going to an automated system in which the arm of the garbage truck picks up the cart and dumps the trash into the truck. The garbage cart is then placed back on the ground. Only garbage inside the new designated garbage cart will be picked up. The city is also advising people to put garbage in bags to avoid having messy carts, though the city hasn't made that a requirement.
The old garbage cans and recycling bins will no longer be used and crews will not accept them if people continue to put trash and recyclables in them.
However, Nolan said in the short term, if residents set out their empty old cans/bins next to the new carts, the old containers will be taken away and disposed of. Residents are advised to do this on recycling day — as the plastic blue bins and cans are generally recyclable, Nolan said.
Residents have the option of keeping their old containers for other uses.
The schedule for garbage and recycling pickup will not change.
While most residents will get new carts, not everyone is included in the program. Businesses, apartment complexes, homes that have alley pickup service and properties in downtown will continue to use their old containers. Condominiums on a private drive/private roadway will also not get carts.
New program
The change in carts is because the city is beginning a new contract for recycling and garbage services and is transitioning from the previous manual collection to automated and a single-stream recycling collection, an overall change that is part of a new county recycling program in which 25 municipalities will participate.
By being part of the program, the municipalities will be compensated for the cost of the new recycling carts and for a system of covering the cost of hauling to a joint facility in the Menomonee Valley in Milwaukee.
Questions about the new system should be directed to Nolan at dnolan@ci.waukesha.wi.us or (262) 524-3593. For complete information on the city's new system, go to the city's website at www.ci.waukesha.wi.us/web/guest/waukesha.