Blue Cans have arrived
Well it looks like much of Seminole Heights has gotten their large Blue Trash Containers. This is a new program of the City
This year the division will introduce fully-automated refuse collection services to the City of Tampa in the spring of 2005. Fully-automated refuse collection is a new technologically advanced waste collection system designed to improve collection efficiency, enhance performance, improve customer relations and reduce both operational and workers' compensation costs.
The automated operator uses a set of hand controls to mechanically lift and return a roll-out cart to curbside. Automated collection will be introduced to 6,500 residential customers. The goal is to expand fully-automated collection services to 80% of the City and semi-automated collection services to the remaining 20% of the City within a five year period.
However those of us in SE Seminole Heights have not gotten any and it is not clear when we will be getting them. According to a solid waste person I spoke to at Martha's the other day, apparently what has to happen first is that we need to be put on a program to separate our yard waste from household waste. The new can's only carry so much weight in them and this will reduce that weight.
2 comments:
Hampton Terrace got the cans last week. They create some problems.
1) The can must be at the curb with no obstructions within three feet of the can (like other cans and recycle bins). Also, there can be no autos parked within the space needed by the truck to get close to the curb. Places with street-only parking will suffer.
2) They only give you ONE can. (you can request more, but the pamphlet made it sound like they'd resist.) So if you have more than one can of trash for that day (party that weekend, whatever) you have to save what doesn't fit in for the next one, and the next one. (This happened to us this week.)
3) the garbage collector doesn't look in the can so you can put whatever you like in there. Paint. Flourecent bulbs. Any old toxic stuff you want as long as it fits and doesn't overcome the weight limit.
4) Your old trash cans won't fit in the new one as trash they now are. ;-)
It is my understanding that these new cans can hold trash equal to 3 regular sized cans (30-32gal).
Also, there is supposed to be a camera that shows the driver what is being dumped so he/she can watch for unauthorized items.
We did, in fact, throw away one of our old trash cans in the 'big blue', it did fit ok.
The only thing that really worries me about the new system is how many sanitation workers lost their jobs being replaced by the mechanical can lifter?
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