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ECUA Recycling Program Began Tuesday, But Where Are The Cans?
January 6, 2009
The ECUA’s new residential recycling programs kicked off Tuesday in North Escambia, but very few residents that have opted to participate in the program have received their recycling can.
In our search for an ECUA recyclables container, we found District 5 ECUA Board Member Larry Walker in his truck along Highway 4 near Byrneville late Monday morning. He had been in North Escambia all morning, talking to residents about ECUA’s new service and searching for recyclable containers. He found none, and Walker said he was not sure why.
“All customers–regardless of location–who requested recyclables service prior to December 26 should find a recyclables can delivered by Saturday, January 3. Customers who have signed up after December 26 will receive delivery by January 10,” Larry Walker, ECUA District 5 Board member, told NorthEscambia.com in an email early on January 2.
Fast forward to January 5, and there were no containers to be found. NorthEscambia.com drove two different routes from Davisville to Walnut Hill to Bratt to Byrneville and Century on Monday. We found lots of regular trash cans, but we found exactly zero recycling containers. All we found was Walker, also looking for recycling containers, and we found trash pickups that ECUA missed last week.
Walker said the cans were to be delivered by a contract company, and he was told those deliveries would be done by Saturday to those customers that had signed up for service by December 26. We have received reports that a few customers in Molino area did receive the recyclables containers by Monday.
He said he would continue to push for timely delivery of the recyclable containers in North Escambia and the rest of the county.
ECUA made their first trash pickups on Friday and Saturday. Customers from Davisville to Bratt to Byrneville to Century were missed, and ECUA trucks were out again Monday pickup up those customers.
Walker said that ECUA was not obligated under their Allied Waste takeover contract to make those Friday and Saturday pickups, but they were done as a public service and as a test run for Tuesday’s first official pickup. Every North Escambia waste pickup customer, except for Allied Waste customers in Century, were to have their trash, yard debris and recyclables (if they have a recyclable can) picked up Tuesday.
As customers of Allied Waste, North Escambia customers had two 90 gallon trash container pickups per week on different days. Now that ECUA has taken over Allied’s customers in North Escambia, residents will get one 90 gallon trash pickup, an option recycling pickup in up to a 90 gallon can, and a yard waste pickup — all three in one day.
Pictured above: We created this graphic showing what an ECUA trash and recyclables can might look like. ECUA’s recyclables services began Tuesday in North Escambia, but we were unable to locate a single recyclables container that had been delivered to a North Escambia customer between Walnut Hill and Byrneville.
Comments
9 Responses to “ECUA Recycling Program Began Tuesday, But Where Are The Cans?”
Have not received the recycle container that I requested on Jan 6. No email response from ECUA either. A little communication goes a long way. ECUA website tries to indicate that everything is wonderful! I’ve been wanting this can since I moved here 8 years ago!
Mr Walker is right:
“ECUA is guilty of trying to do too much too quickly and all at the same time. “
I can report the following:
1. Recycling cans ARE being delivered, although not on the schedule that ECUA had hoped. The first delivery consisted only of ECUA customers because ECUA did not have customer account records from Allied at that time. The second delivery was made on January 2-3. North Escambia residents WERE included in that distribution; in fact, it was begun at the north end of the county and worked southward. I have the complete list of residences receiving recycling cans in that second round. It includes addresses on THIRTY-SIX roads in the North Escambia area, by my count. Included were Pineville Road, Rockaway Creek Road, Highway 4, Highway 186, Barrineau Park School Road, to give a few examples. So, deliveries ARE being made to North Escambia customers now.
2. To psu1 earl: Your application may have been lost by ECUA. I suggest that you apply again or call me about it. My number is 723-6094.
3. To L.A. Stevens: I don’t feel that my time in North Escambia on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday (fifteen hours total) was a waste. I met with a sizable group at Cooper’s Store at Bratt on Monday morning, had coffee at Harold Holder’s store in Molino with another group, and spoke to people in both restaurants in Molino, in Cole’s barber shop, and at Davisville General Store. I also stopped at some houses. All in all, I saw what was going on, and I got to share information and opinions with a number of residents.
4. Recycling will not be made mandatory. The current approach appears to be stimulating widespread participation. The signup for recycling has exceeded expectations, and hundreds of households that were not Allied customers have signed up for ECUA service.
5. To bama54: First, Roll Tide! A disappointing ending, but the bowl game might have turned out better if Andre Smith had not made himself ineligible.
There is not a 50-percent reduction in service if a customer accepts the recycling service. With the recycling pickup included, there will be two cans picked up each week, just as now. The route will be run three times weekly, once by the garbage truck, once by the recycling truck, and once by the yard-debris truck. Consequently, there will be no reduction in operating costs.
The minor rate reduction that HAS been offered (from $19.62 to $17.99)is the result of the fact that ECUA expects to sell the collected recyclables to a private-company buyer. The revenue from those sales, it is projected, will permit the $1.63 rate reduction.
If ECUA had simply continued two regular garbage pickups, no rate reduction would have been possible. In these hard times, every penny counts, as so many people have said to me recently. ECUA is responding by finding the one way that it is possible to reduce the charge for garbage service, namely, by collecting recyclables separately and selling them for revenue.
5. Many people have told me that ECUA is sucking people in with the $17.99 price and will raise the price a few months later. In fact, that may happen, but it will not be because of trickery on ECUA’s part. Rather, the danger is that the revenue from the sale of recyclables will be less than expected, which will force a rate increase. I have read in the New York Times that recyclables markets are collapsing, as part of the broader recession.
5. ECUA is guilty of trying to do too much too quickly and all at the same time. In retrospect, it appears to me that ECUA should have absorbed the Allied area first, THEN initiated the recycling program and the changes in the service program. We also should have done more effective public information efforts. I agree that ECUA has made a mess out of the transitions in garbage service. I do believe, though, that ECUA will made rapid progress in getting the program on a sound footing.
6. To all those who have been trying to call ECUA: Use email instead. Request the recycling service and provide name, address, and telephone number.
7. The Seniors rate may be obtained by any customer who is 65 or older. Apply for the Seniors rate and provide name, address, and telephone number.
8. My contact information remains larry@larrywalker.com and 723-6094.
We got our can today!!! I look forward to filling it up! (We called mid December.)
I’M WITH YOU BAMA!!!! OK I’LL GET THE RECYCLE CAN BUT THE COST IS STILL BOTHERING ME
I signed up for the program in JULY!! I still have no can…
I am still can’t figure out the cut in service by 50% to the cost of service ratio!! Sorry M Smith, but I for one feel like I am not getting my money worth!! Does ECUA get any revenue from the recycle program? Remember we were getting service twice a week. How did the ECUA come up with this program? I have already had to burn trash from the holidays because the container was full with regular day to day trash. You say Too Bad ECUA didn’t make it “Mandatory”, I think the ECUA would have backlash on there hands if made mandatory!!
I am waiting patiently, but I think the ball was dropped by ECUA. The comment on North Escambia from the ECUA spokewoman that said they did not want to order additional containers and have to absorb the cost if all were not used makes me alittle upset with this entire process. They knew they would have hundreds of new customers that are used to two weekly trash pick ups. I am glad to have curb side recycling, but I hope ECUA will take a hint from Mr. Walker and improve their customer service. I also saw Mr. Walker driving in our area and I think he is doing all that he can to make things right.
Driving around aimlessly looking for cans seems like a waste of time and fuel. Did anyone think of contacting the company who has the contract to deliver these cans and ask for a list of addresses they have delivered to, or the number of cans they have delivered vs the number still to be delivered? Sounds like many folks are working hard to get a difficult job done and we should all try to be patient and not panic- I’m sure it’ll all work out in the end. “Awww, c’mon man, it’s the holidays!” mr. gingerbread man . “So play, nice” woody.
We requested and received our recyclable container last Saturday. Recycling is SOOO easy and now so convenient. I don’t understand why so many people are fussing and complaining and not taking advantage of this service. There are always going to be glitches with new things. I just hope that everyone can be patient and work through these things. This is a great service and much needed. Too bad ECUA didn’t make it mandatory.