1. 

   Ballardemician
   

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   caught just a little about this on the radio on the way to work today -- the county (I think? trash is King County, right?) is piloting a program to switch trash pick up to bi-weekly. Right now 4 neighborhoods are slated for a trial, and if it works out then it could be universally implemented.

   The argument for is that bi-weekly is more efficient and will encourage better compliance w/ recycling laws.

   Two problems (IMHO): rates will supposedly rise for all customers. IF it's more efficient why is it going to cost more?

   And during the summer garbage can get pretty ripe over two weeks, and Jah forbid you miss a pickup ...

   But really I've no strong opinion at this point -- anybody want to share some wisdom about this issue?

   Posted 1 year ago #
2. 

   Norge
   

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   With all the recycling we do in Seattle it would nice to get a break on the bill, not an increase. With the increase in rates at the start of this year, my last water/sewer/garbage bill went up $28. I thought that was pretty dramatic given I live alone and my water usage has gone down.

   Posted 1 year ago #
3. 

   Alferd Packer
   

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   Don't think that will affect us Ballardemician. SPU contracts with Waste Management for all of Seattle. I wouldn't mind bi-weekly trash/recycle/yard waste pickup. The stench factor would be pretty bad in the summer.

   I don't see it on the SPU water/waste/sewer bill, but I thought we were all paying extra for all the sewage overflows that dump into the sound. Fines and infrastructure to fix it. A friend who works at City Light said even though the overall usage was going down, there are fixed costs which prevent the billing rates from going down. Don't know if that applies on the waste side of the equation over at SPU as well.

   Posted 1 year ago #
4. 

   pr
   

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   I'd like weekly recycling.. Our recycling bin is overflowing every time so we actually end up just letting things go into the garbage that SHOULD be in the recycling bin.

   Posted 1 year ago #
5. 

   marigold
   

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   Where is it stated that rates will rise for everyone? Do you mean rates will rise if you have to swtich to a bigger can?

   I'm personally all for bi-weekly pick-up. We rarely ever fill up our micro-can. I know everyone's output is different, but shouldn't the heavy users have to pay more anyway? Too bad it's not feasible to have us pay by the pound for waste, that I could get behind.

   Posted 1 year ago #
6. 

   Quercus
   

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   You know, pr, you can put out extra recycling in additional cans or boxes for free - don't just put it in the garbage! :)

   I wouldn't mind bi-weekly, we have very little as it is, and with yard waste/compost being every week, it's not even that stinky anymore, either.

   Posted 1 year ago #
7. 

   BuffaloHawk
   

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   Quercus +1

   Posted 1 year ago #
8. 

   Apple
   

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   I don't understand the argument about odor. Most of the rotting stuff should be going in the yard waste. And that gets collected weekly still. The only stinky stuff that I can think of that doesn't go in the yard waste is diapers. The number of people worried about odor seems to greatly exceed the percentage of the population that has diaper age children.

   Posted 1 year ago #
9. 

   Alferd Packer
   

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   Apple, the odor would be dog and cat waste.

   Posted 1 year ago #
10. 

    pr
    

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    Quercus - whenever I have done that (at least 4 times in the last 5 years). The garbage folks picked it up instead and charged me for extra garbage. YES, even if I label it as "recycling". Cardboard boxes that are broken down and folded up are picked up as recycling, but anytime I put a different bin out, the garbage folks pick it up before the recycling folks show up.

    Posted 1 year ago #
11. 

    Alferd Packer
    

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    There was supposed to be a pilot study started in 2011 to check on the feasibility of biweekly waste pickup in Seattle. Supposedly if all went well it would be implemented in April 2013 on a city wide basis: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012610439_garbage13m.html (Note the article is from August 2010)

    Posted 1 year ago #
12. 

    cloudblues
    

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    I've had the same problems as pr! The trash guys pick up the extra recycling and charge me for extra trash! I have called SPU every time that happened and it's getting so frustrating, I also stop putting extra recycling out for pickup and just put it in the trash can. It goes to the same place and at least I don't get charged extra this way. And yes, it was fully labeled "RECYCLING" with big signs, it was on the other side of the driveway from the trash can (we're talking at least six feet from the trash can!) and was leaning on the recycling bin, which was between it and the can (and again, six feet away from trash can). Still got taken by trash guys as "extra trash". ARGH!!!

    Posted 1 year ago #
13. 

    BuffaloHawk
    

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    I have mentioned it before and still believe Washington state should have a deposit on bottles and cans. It would also help in keeping the streets and parks a lot cleaner.

    Posted 1 year ago #
14. 

    onederfullone
    

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    It's one of the biggest scams going.

    Recycling proceeds alone offset garbage disposal costs. The disposal companies bid for a very lucrative monopoly, and can charge whatever the city allows.

    Yes, bi-weekly collection will cut costs for disposal companies. If rates increase it's because our incredible city contract negotiators are total buffoons. Again.

    Posted 1 year ago #
15. 

    RichY
    

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    On the cynical side and from past experience with the city - this would basically raise our rate 2X- Same size can, same rate ½ pickup or 3X you need to increase size (micro to mini) with ½ the pickups.

    Posted 1 year ago #
16. 

    great idea
    

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    am I MANDATED as a City of Seattle homeowner to purchase garbage pick-up?

    maybe if they had a single-trasher plan in place, things would be better.

    rubbish I tell you.

    Posted 1 year ago #
17. 

    Norge
    

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    pr - A week or so ago someone picked up my big green recycling bin, it was replaced with a huge blue one. I swear the inside is almost twice the size of the green one. If you don't already have the blue one, I would call and ask about it.

    RichY - I totally agree with you about the City's past practice of basically doubling our rate when they decreased pick up to every other week. My last billing was $168 for two months with my water usage at 3-4 cc. I have yard waste, recycling and the small garbage can. Granted I don't usually fill the small can but if it was only picked up every two weeks it would definitely be overfilled, thereby the potential for a higher fee because of the weight on the can.

    Posted 1 year ago #
18. 

    BuffaloHawk
    

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    I just saw this posted on MSN. I didn't realize Renton has been using this program already.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46926449/ns/local_news-seattle_wa/#.T3n_KNlaJkg

    SEATTLE -- The City of Seattle is thinking about moving garbage pick-up to every other week. The idea is to cut costs and encourage recycling.

    Renton residents are already used to this, they've been doing it for about a year. That doesn't necessarily mean everyone's happy with the service.

    Posted 1 year ago #
19. 

    Edog
    

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    If you have dog, or baby poop to dispose of, a biweekly plan simply stinks!

    Posted 1 year ago #
20. 

    Ballardemician
    

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    Oneder:

    "It's one of the biggest scams going.

    Recycling proceeds alone offset garbage disposal costs. The disposal companies bid for a very lucrative monopoly, and can charge whatever the city allows."

    This annoys me too. But what, from your ideological perspective, is the work around? Trash pick up is infrastructure right? It needs to be done collectively. Or at least I can't imagine a libertarian wild-west model that doesn't result in total chaos (for instance everyone takes care of their own trash pick up privately ...).

    Posted 1 year ago #
21. 

    onederfullone
    

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    It's a cash crop, simply put. Open up the opportunity for one company to collect it all. They do not get to charge a dime, they do not get to skip a single garbage pail.

    Done.

    It's not supposed to be a jobs program, or a 'green truck' money hole. It's a resource that we sort and drag to the curb. Take it.

    Posted 1 year ago #
22. 

    mostobstreperous
    

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    The tried it in the UK. Four years later, 250m GPB (roughly $400 million)being spent to help councils restore weekly collections.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15118516

    Posted 1 year ago #
23. 

    cdpenne
    

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    Cut service, increase rates, and then hire a PR firm to make it sound as though it's good for the environment (promotes recycling!!). Sounds like a slam dunk to me. Does that mean we can halve the pay of all the employees? So much for the slam dunk.

    Posted 1 year ago #
24. 

    onederfullone
    

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    A very illustrative story, and it uses the word scheme quite well, and often.

    What they didn't try was requiring the sorting of all of their 'rubbish', like we do here. Massive sorting 'schemes' are the most challenging aspect. We have unprecedented levels of recycling all ready in place.

    Just last year I read a story heralding Seattle for millions of tons of 'rubbish' not going into our landfills. It was all sold to China. We bought it all back at Wall-Mart.

    Compost is sold, processed, and we buy it back at home depot.

    UK doesn't seem to get it either...

    But, as long as that 'face' is saved. *shudder*

    Posted 1 year ago #
25. 

    angeline
    

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    We are a family of four with a minican that is rarely full (we have had a microcan in the past but this house came with mini and I have not switched), but honestly I'd much prefer they keep the weekly pickups even if they have to charge more. In summer, the dog poop will be a problem -- pity the guy who has to sling it in the truck! Also, with biweekly you are SOL if you forget a day. I think they should keep the pickup, charge little for the microcan and much more for every size up from there. With all the recycling options I have no idea why anyone needs a large can.

    On a similar topic, does anyone else with the minican wonder if the garbage guys hate those things? Ours had a very tight lid -- if all are like that the worker must be pretty tired yanking and twisting them all open. Not to mention how low they are to the ground. Makes my back hurt to think of lifting hundreds even if most are not that heavy. Seems like there must be a better solution. What about those teeny yard waste carts? Couldn't we have those for garbage? The machine slings the waste into the truck with those, just like with the big wheeled carts.

    Posted 1 year ago #
26. 

    Jewelress
    

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    Pr- and anyone else interested. I got tired of overflowing my recycle bin, so asked for a second one. Is always nice o have two. Now I have the old green one and a new blue one.

    Posted 1 year ago #
27. 

    kellydeen
    

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    Fewer trucks on the street and a push to recycle and compost more, I am all for it. As for the odor - Pet waste can be flushed (flushable bags & cat litter) and solids from diapers can be rinsed in the toilet prior to washing/tossing.

    Posted 1 year ago #
28. 

    RichY
    

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    All residents within the City of Seattle are required by the Seattle Municipal Code to have garbage containers and pay for garbage service.
    The rates go from $17.55 up to $117.75 for residents + $8.60 for extra garbage up to 32 Gal or 60lb

    Food waste (Clean Green) is no longer free you must pay a min of $4.65 up to $8.95 (most pay this amount because this was the size that the city gave out when it was free) + $4.45 for and extra bundle of 4’X2’X2’

    All this nonsense about lowering the collection to every other week is just a massive rate increase (less service lower contract rates for the collection companies) and will most likely end up like the “electronics recycle program” with folks just dumping stuff in the street.

    If they made the clean green pickups free then maybe ..?

    Posted 1 year ago #
29. 

    great idea
    

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    thanks RichY. I was sincere in questioning whether it was obligatory.

    Is only garbage pick-up required? Not that I would, but you can drop off all the clean-green you want at the transfer station for free.

    same goes for recycling I think.

    the high cost of fuel must also be influencing the higher rate for pick-up.

    I hope you're not right about more garbage abandoned about town, but we've seen ample evidence of that already.

    Posted 1 year ago #
30. 

    dsomers
    

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    When I lived on the Big Island of HI we had no garbage pickup. Everyone had to haul their own trash to a "Transfer Station" from which the County would haul it to the main dump. The cost for this was included in your property taxes. That worked, but it was not very efficient from a fuel standpoint since you were forcing everyone to drive to and from the Station.

    To save dollars at one point they reduced the hours the transfer stations were open. That did increase illegal dumping, a concern Great Idea mentioned above in another context.

    They also had a pretty minimal recycling program, though that improved a bit while I was there. This was an issue since this was after all, an island and 2600 miles from anywhere. Once you filled that landfill you were in a world of hurt given the new regulations on new or expanded landfills. They were eventually going to be forced to barge the garbage to the mainland, or dump it at sea? Pretty dubious. Agressive recycling would seem to be a necessity there.

    Anyway....Just sharing an oddball experience for comparison.

    Posted 1 year ago #
31. 

    RichY
    

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    GI - Clean green at the transfer station in Seattle is $20.00 /load, it may be free at the Shoreline station (Seattle transfer stations used to be free to Seattleites, now they charge more than the county stations)

    http://www.seattle.gov/util/Services/Garbage/Recycling_&_Disposal_Stations/Rates/index.htm

    I hope folks will not dump stuff around - but they did with TVs when there was a fee

    Posted 1 year ago #
32. 

    teigyr
    

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    dsomers, when I lived in the Calif mountains it was the same way.

    We need to get rid of some bulky items and it's expensive to take them to the dump. Trash services here will pick up for $30/item and that seems like a good enough deal to me. Just in passing and as a joke we remarked "wow, we should just dump it on the street" because there's a ton of it out there. Maybe we could put a "free" note on it :)

    Posted 1 year ago #
33. 

    BuffaloHawk
    

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    I get a kick out of some of the items out on the curb with a free sign on it.

    Posted 1 year ago #
34. 

    teigyr
    

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    "I get a kick out of some of the items out on the curb with a free sign on it."

    Exactly. So in theory I could put an old mattress out in the rain and put a free sign on it. Nobody would take it, of course, so then the trash pickup people would pick it up at NO CHARGE TO US! Brilliant. If anyone questioned us, we could say we are merely attempting to help out those less fortunate by offering them our old household goods.

    Posted 1 year ago #
35. 

    BuffaloHawk
    

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    teigyr

    I always like the computer desk made out of particle board with the one side collapsed.

    Posted 1 year ago #
36. 

    teigyr
    

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    BH, yup. The old TV stands too. Someone should create a website where people can post the most heinous things they've seen outside with "free" signs on them. It would be like People of Walmart only junky items left by the side of the road :)

    Posted 1 year ago #
37. 

    great idea
    

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    "Nobody would take it, of course, so then the trash pickup people would pick it up at NO CHARGE TO US"

    are you sure about that teigyr? I've seen junk sit there for weeks on end when no one took up the 'free' offer.
    I remember one old tv someone threw in the street in front of Adams Elementary and it sat there for a week or so. I think the elderly lady whose house it was in front of it had to deal with it.

    I did not realize they charged for dropping off 'clean-greens.' I fill up that bin with weeds almost year-round, but compost food scraps like many people. I've been tempted to haul a load down there when I've been pruning my fruit trees, but will let it pile up and put it in the bin instead.

    Posted 1 year ago #
38. 

    teigyr
    

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    If someone were to complain, the city would pick it up. Used to happen a lot near here, people seemed to enjoy leaving stuff on our corner with "free" on it. We'd report it and it would get picked up. That subject has been debated to death but a good rule of putting "free" stuff out is don't do it in front of other peoples houses!

    Posted 1 year ago #
39. 

    onederfullone
    

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    Just put a for sale sign on it, it will disappear.

    Posted 1 year ago #
40. 

    Alferd Packer
    

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    Thanks kellydeen, appreciate the comment about the flushable animal waste bags. We've been pet free for about a year now, and we're just re-embarking on the journey (canine this time after more than 20 years of felines). Seems a little odd to flush stuff in a bag, but who knows? Think there was/is some Scandinavian outfit that makes a composting pet waste "toilet" as well.

    teigyr, a couple of years ago someone dumped a hideabed type couch on our front lawn (we live in Hillbilly Land, so there's no sidewalk), and we ended up paying to dispose of it even though illegally dumped. Not cheap.

    Posted 1 year ago #
41. 

    oldguybc
    

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    Down here we got three bins, small dark green (refuse), big lignt green (yard clippings), biggest blue (recyclable), runs us $32 a month or so, pickup is Mondays for us, different days for others, PLUS... one day on odd months you can put out anything, old fueniture, electronics, body bags, pictures of your mother- in- law, even huge tree stumps and they'll bring in the scooper, no extra fee. Two exceptions, no paint or anything caustic and no flocked trees after Xmas, need a permit for that stuff...

    Posted 1 year ago #
42. 

    teigyr
    

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    AP, really? We're in hillbillyland too. I could have sworn there was an online reporting system for junk that was dumped off. We've reported quite a few things and have never been charged for them. Maybe it's because the items weren't in our yard but that doesn't seem right.

    Posted 1 year ago #
43. 

    Alferd Packer
    

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    teigyr, we called. Then a great big nothing for a week or maybe 10 days. Then somebody reported it online to the City and we got a notice that we needed to dispose of it pronto or start paying some big-a** fine for every day we didn't. The person at the city said it was a nuisance on our property. We ended up just calling a junk hauler rather than fight. Probably would have fought but we had a medical issue going on at the time, and didn't need the stress.

    Posted 1 year ago #
44. 

    cdpenne
    

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    Please make sure the flushable bags are indeed flushable. Otherwise they will be incinerated once separated from the sewage flow. They also might glog your drain pipe.

    Posted 1 year ago #
45. 

    Norge
    

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    Interesting - in the Central District, once a year, can put out any amount of junk/garbage they have and it is picked up the garbage companies. It would be nice if this would happen in the Ballard neighborhood. I know we can do that appliance recycling once a year usually at the school across from me, but it would be nice if I could haul out all the broken stuff I have in the basement and it would get picked up for no charge.

    Posted 1 year ago #

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