Trash collection changes force residents to consider other options
Some Velpen Disposal customers in Huntingburg have slowly awakened to the realization that the bagged trash they’ve left at the curb for pickup isn’t getting picked up.
The Velpen-based company quit collecting stickered trash bags on December 1.
On October 27, the company posted a notice on Facebook regarding changes to its trash service in Huntingburg, set to take effect on Dec. 1. You can see the post below, but the idea is that the company would no longer honor trash stickers after that date and was requiring anyone wanting trash pickup to pay $27 a month (billed $81 quarterly) for a 96-gallon tote.
The company also reached out to Huntingburg to share the post through the city’s Facebook page. The city complied, and a few other public Facebook pages also shared the post. Velpen’s ownership group stated they also posted notices at three local distribution sites in Huntingburg.
According to the company, the decision to no longer take stickered bags is due to multiple issues.
“With the high demand for our service in this area, the only way we can service additional customers is to go with an automated trash truck,” they responded by email. “This truck allows us to increase the volume of customers we can pick up in an area to meet the demand. We also had issues with sticker bags being over the gallon limit, too heavy, tearing open, and even some cutting stickers in half and using one sticker for two bags.”
The company also noted that it is difficult to find licensed CDL drivers in the trash-hauling industry. Using the automated truck helps with safety and workload for the drivers by eliminating the climbing in and out to pick up trash bags. It also reduces the risk of coming into contact with potentially hazardous items as they pick up loose trash from bags that are broken or overfilled.
“This change was a major financial investment that Velpen incurred, but we feel it was necessary for the growth of our company,” the company stated by email.
While trash bags aren’t accumulating around the city at this time, some residents who are unaware of the company’s change in policy are still placing stickered bags at the curb for pickup. If they aren’t picked up and begin to accumulate, it could become an issue for the public.
Essentially, the responsibility falls on the resident to ensure the trash is disposed of properly, said Huntingburg Planning Director Paul Lake, whose office also oversees code enforcement. The city won’t mediate between Velpen and the local residents whose trash service has been affected.
“This is a conversation that needs to be had between them (residents) and Velpen C&D,” he explained.
The city has a responsibility for code enforcement issues, though, and if trash does accumulate, the city will take action to mitigate the issue. According to Lake, if trash gets left out, the city will notify the resident and give them a certain amount of time to remedy the situation. If it is not taken care of within the time limit, then the city will cite the owner of the trash.
Lake said the city doesn’t want it to go that far or get to the point in which anyone violating the city code is being cited daily for the trash that has accumulated on the curb.
“We don’t want it to become a continuous abatement,” Lake said.
Other options for trash-hauling services in Huntingburg are available.
The city requires trash hauling companies to register with the Huntingburg Clerk/Treasurer’s office. Velpen C&D, Patriot Disposal, and Waste Management (Advanced) are all licensed waste haulers for residential trash pickup from Huntingburg residents. Licensed haulers pay a yearly fee and provide pricing and insurance information to operate in the city.
The county also operates a dumpsite at the corner of Phoenix Drive and County Road 400 West in Huntingburg. Cost per trash bag is $1.50.
Several years ago, the city had explored providing trash services for residents, but the project didn’t garner enough interest from residents for the city to add the service. For now, using the registered private trash-haulers or taking trash to the dump are Huntingburg residents’ only options.
