City asks residents to watch trash bag weight
Jasper’s Street Department employees have been running into problems with city residents over-stuffing their curbside trash bags to the point they exceed the 30-pound limit required by the city.
According to Street Commissioner Jeff Theising, in the past two weeks, collection crews have picked up several bags over the maximum weight limit. One bag exceeded 50 pounds so they left it back at the curb. Theising said the resident didn’t take it well and got belligerent with the city employee, but it’s hard to argue with the scale attached to the trash truck.
That begs the question, why are they such sticklers about stickers and weight?
It’s not because the city is trying to protect the trash collectors that traverse the city picking up an average of 250 bags a day. It’s the overall weight of the trash. “The landfill charges us for weight not by how many bags we take out there,” Theising said. “They weigh our truck and that’s how we pay.”
“The landfill charges us for weight not by how many bags we take out there,” Theising said. “They weigh our truck and that’s how we pay.”
Extra-heavy bags will throw the $1.50 per 30 pounds max ratio out of whack.
What if your bag is over the weight limit? Can you put two stickers on it?
“Some people think if it’s over 30 pounds, they can put two stickers on it. That’s not how this works,” said Theising.
The only time a resident would need or could use two stickers, according to Theising, is if they have a bulky item that won’t fit in a 40-gallon trash bag. Then, two of the $1.50 sticker should be on the item.
Why are we talking about Jasper’s trash? It came up today during the monthly board of public works meeting when Theising reported it seemed that problems with trash collecting had increased over the past two weeks. “Spring cleaning,” Councilwoman and board of works member Nancy Eckerle guessed.
The city maintains a page on the website that explains all the ins and outs on trash pickup. It includes a link to a map showing what areas collections occur in during the week. You can find that here.
Same who refused to pick up neighbors 6 limbs because they weren’t bundled! Went down storm drain instead during rain! I know rules are rules!
How we do trash collection is ridiculous.
1. There are these things called trash cans that can contain the waste and add multiple benefits.
2. Trash cans can be loaded by machine.
3. Many, many residents haul their trash to work, etc… and avoid paying for collection.
4. Upgrade equipment, charge a flat fee on utilities. Learn to innovate!
I know this is ridiculous sounding, but….. Think of how long we have been doing the trash sticker method of trash collection. Then think of every single sheet of trash stickers that have ever been used and stack them. That is how much extra trash we have created by using stickers.
Use the idea above and charge a flat fee. But you then have the people who live in the city and have a private company pick up their trash.
In case you haven’t noticed, Jasper, similar to the county, is hard-headed and old-school. Heck, it took them forever to innovate and finally progress with the rest of the world from the stone age to the 21st century on plastic gas and water piping, away from steel and cast iron. Why should this be any different? Trash service as Jasper does it is a GIANT hole in the city’s (taxpayer’s) pocket – always has been and will be. Not only that, the city (taxpayers again) has to be paying their insurance company through the nose to allow employees to continue riding unrestrained on the outside back of trucks – most insurance won’t even cover this dangerous liability practice any longer even with safety harnesses – if they know it’s being done.
Not to start a “beef”, but they say one bag over the 30 lb ratio is gonna put the 1.50 ratio out quack. Hum NOT. You probably have 10 bags way under the 30 lb weight limit, to the one that might be stuffed. Better recycling equipment might help? Some ppl cant afford to pay So if they see over stuff bags –then drop 2 recyl bin at their curb. It helps them and the city. Hum Thought, but heck that again would not make a profit to the city.