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Litter From ECUA Trash Trucks?
February 19, 2009
As more and more North Escambia residents begin to use the ECUA residential waste and recycling services, we have received more and more complaints here at NorthEscambia.com about trash/litter along the roadways apparently left behind by ECUA trucks.
The big problem, according to Larry Walker, District 5 ECUA board member, is loose bags placed into the recycling containers.
Walker tells us that this past Tuesday he investigated the problem following an ECUA truck on its route from Cedartown Road and through Molino.
“I again observed that debris sometimes blew out, or floated out, of the truck, but only after particular cans had been emptied into the truck,” Walker told NorthEscambia.com. “Most litter from the trucks blew out immediately after certain cans were emptied–sometimes before the truck began to move, even. ”
Plastic bags like those the daily newspaper is delivered in, and the grocery store type of plastic bags were the most common litter coming from the ECUA trucks observed by Walker.
“The moral is, to reduce roadside litter from the garbage trucks, ‘bag your bags’,” Walker said. “Don’t toss individual plastic bags into the garbage can; instead, stuff other bags into one bag and tie it up. Better yet, put a bottle or some other weightier item into the bag. The same rule holds true for lightweight paper items. Tie them up inside a bag or sack before putting them in the can.”
Do you have an issue you would like NorthEscambia.com to address? Email news@northescambia.com with your concern.
Comments
13 Responses to “Litter From ECUA Trash Trucks?”
I would just like to thank NorthEscambia.com for putting this story online. It may seem like trivial stuff to some, but for those of us who are new to recycling this forum has been very educational. Getting tips and info from others has been very helpful. And thanks also to ECUA & Larry Walker for reading about our concerns & addressing them here.
I started getting paper bags at the grocery store again. I’m using those to line my 13 gallon garbage can in the kitchen, putting my recyclables in that. When it’s nearly full I roll the top down and put it in my 90 gallon recycling container. I understand not putting the plastic grocery bags in the recycling at all because they blow all around. If you’re going to use those plastic bags, the grocery stores have bins by their doors where you can drop them off for the store’s recycling program. They shouldn’t go in the regular garbage can either.
On a side note, I’ve been very surprised at how much we were throwing away that can be recycled. Even with twice a week pick up, my can was nearly always full. But we must have had a pretty even split between recyclables and trash. We go through a LOT of milk jugs, laundry soap, cereal boxes etc. Since we started having once a week pick up, my trash has only been over-flowing once (and that was following a child’s birthday party). I am pleasantly surprised. I say ECUA gets a pat on the back for a good job.
We are finding that lightweight items such as plastic grocery bags are flying out of recycling trucks AND garbage trucks. William’s quote from Dr. Walker is accurate– it is perfectly OK to use plastic garbage or grocery bags to bag lightweight items destined for your garbage can or recycling can. The recyclables will be removed from the plastic bag at the recycling center.
I hope this helps.
Also, if you are still waiting for your recycling container, please let us know. You can email support@ecua.org. Please explain that you have already requested one and are still waiting. List your address, requested can size and daytime telephone number. You can also call our customer service line at 476-0480.
PAT, send Larry Walker an email @ lwalker@ecua.org
and tell him your situation. He’ll be able to contact a supervisor and at least be able to tell when you can expect a can. And he’s not adverse to receiving emails since he’s posted it on this site several times before.
I just wish I had my recycle can. We’ve been waiting patiently.
I talked to Larry Walker about this and he said we could put trash bags in our recycle can. When I talked to ECUA they said no. He was going to check on this, but he thought that he was correct.
I went back and found this in an email from Larry Walker, Mr. ECUA District 5:
“Suggestion: put loose paper inside a tightly closed paper sack or plastic bag. Yes, the instructions say that one should not put plastic bags in the recyclables collection. However, it is okay to use a plastic bag to contain paper items in the recyclables collection. ”
I have been putting my loose paper in a regular plastic garbage bag, and the recycle police have not come a knocking — yet.
LULU, is that information from ECUA? Guess I can start “bagging” today! They should probably let everyone else know this as well.
I have spoken to ECUA on two different occasions about recycling items. We are NOT allowed to put any kind of plastic bags in the recycling can. This includes garbage bags as well as grocery store bags. The only exception being if you have a shredder. You may put shredded paper in a grocery or garbage bag. All other items are to simply be placed in the can for recycling……..and of course it blows all over the place as soon as they try to dump it.
Bagging IS allowed.
As I understood, plastic bags were not accepted into the recycling program. So I put all of my loose recyclables into the container. I do sometimes see a problem on windy days some lightweight papers can blow down the street. This could be corrected if bagging was allowed.
I have a large kitchen size trash can that I keep in my garage, with a 30 gal. trash bag liner. My recyclables, goes into this can, so everything is “bagged ” when it comes out. Of course the larger items go directly into the large recycling can, but I doubt those things would blow away.
But , like Cheryl, I thought we were not supposed to put plastic bags in the recycling container.
I understood that plastic bags were not accepted in ECUA’s recycling program. Is this just the grocery plastic bags? Without bagging anything, I end up alot of loose paper, cans, etc. in the can and knew this would be a problem. Or are people putting their stuff in paper bags? What KIND of plastic bags can we use?