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Message |
    
Mr. Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 330
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 5, 2003 - 5:59 pm: | 
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(The header for this area is "non-controversial topics and questions", so I hope it's appropriate to talk about garbage collection here.)
We're having problems with our garbage collection. I hope you can offer advice or at least comiseration. The garbage company has come by and hasn't taken our garbage. Since we're new in the neighborhood, it's rather obvious to the world that we're doing a bit of construction. We have not put any construction garbage into our garbage cans, because we know they're not supposed to pick it up. But it seems that they are interpreting the term "construction garbage" very broadly.
This service isn't worth paying for.
My wife called both the township office and the garbage company.
The township office recommended writing a letter to the township committee.
The garbage company said that they only pick up kitchen garbage. Huh? So I can't throw away used tissues, tattered underwear, pencils, or school art projects? Maybe I should change my line of work, so that I could spend my time redefining my job ever more narrowly! Isn't a garbage company's job to pick up garbage?
What should I do, or to put it another way, what should I expect to get for my money? Do I have any choices?
Thanks.
Tom Reingold
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jab
Citizen
Username: Jab
Post Number: 97
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 5, 2003 - 6:13 pm: |
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They are very finicky. Put your trash in a tied black garbage bag inside your trash can. Do not expect them to take multiple bags from one trash can. Do not be surprised if they open your garbage bags to find forbidden items. We had a terrible time getting rid of a very small broken space heater last year, because they would find it in the middle of the trash bag and leave it behind. Lately they have been dragging our trash cans to the curb and leaving them there, actually closer to our neighbor's house than ours. They also cut through our backyard, maintaining a path through plants that we otherwise would not have. I'm not sure what writing a letter to the township committee would accomplish. But a call (or maybe several calls) to the Waste Management management might improve your service for a while. Maybe this should be a Soapbox thread, because I feel compelled to complain about how much they charge when we can put out only two bags on any one collection day, even if we put out on average not more than one bag in any given week. |
ffof
Citizen
Username: Ffof
Post Number: 1334
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 5, 2003 - 7:02 pm: |
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They will take our tied up garbage bags, no matter the number, as long as they fit in the 2 garbage cans. If we have more than this, I take the garbage bag to the curb myself and they are happy to take it. Not to mention, we tip the crew each Christmas $20 per man. Keeps em happy apparently. |
Musetta
Citizen
Username: Musetta
Post Number: 6
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 6:58 am: |
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Wait a minute...I'm confused....you you mean you guys do not have to leave your garbage cans at the curb? Where do they pick them up then?
(really curious about all this! We're moving to Maplewood a week from Friday - I live in a town where garbage collection is included in our taxes and they take EVERYTHING - we once left out an old toilet when we remodled our bathroom! not to mention old carpet, a stove, etc. All this is new to me! Good to know the "rules" before I get there and get upset!)
FYI - if anyone really needs a dump, there is one in my town - it's about an hour away, but they do take anything..including recycling and building materials! We need to do a lot of renovation when we move in and were actually considering driving back here to dump ;-) hmmmmm...maybe we'll share a truck with someone :-) |
jab
Citizen
Username: Jab
Post Number: 99
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 8:50 am: |
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In Maplewood you leave your trashcans near the back of your house and they run up your driveway and dump your trash into a huge trash can that they then take back to the truck (except at my house where they take the trash cans to the street and leave them there). The trash cans that they run around with can probably hold the contents of a few regular trash cans. |
us2innj
Citizen
Username: Us2innj
Post Number: 812
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 9:56 am: |
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Jab,
Why do they treat you differently? |
redY67
Citizen
Username: Redy67
Post Number: 79
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 10:45 am: |
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Tom--The garbage men have several times have "forgotton" to take our garbage. I have always called WM left a message, and they come back the next day.
If you have more garbage then you can fit in your two cans, place it at the curb the day of pick up. Whenever we have more then our share of garbage, the men told me to just leave it at the curb, and they will be more than happy to take it.
Suggestion for those who don't like them "paving there way", bring your cans to the curb. |
jab
Citizen
Username: Jab
Post Number: 100
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 10:47 am: |
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I think we've had trouble because we live on a corner. For several months our trash was collected only periodically because our two streets are on different routes and the trucks seemed to disagree about who was responsible for us. Several calls to WM cleared that up, because a manager finally assigned our house (by address) to one route over the other. They come through the backyard, which puts us on the route we logically (based on street address) would not be on. I guess they drag our trash cans to the back curb so that they can use the wheels rather than carrying our trash in their cans. Coming through the backyard really increases the distance that they have to walk as opposed to if they just walked down the driveway from the front of the house. The problem when they take our cans to the back curb is that I might not notice and then might lose the trash cans, which are left half lying in the street. I already lost a lid somehow, I don't even know how, because they removed it from the trash can and I don't know what happened to it next. Stores don't seem to sell the lids separately, so I am left with a trash can that is not very useful for storing trash in. |
blackcat
Citizen
Username: Blackcat
Post Number: 105
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 2:17 pm: |
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We just had a similar incident with WM in that they left one can un-emptied for over a week(we were away). On Monday, our usual pickup, my husband had to go get the guy to come back and get the second can. We were told that it was not household garbage-this he figured out by just squeezing the bag. It was household garbage. Does that mean that stuff like used kitty litter isn't supposed to be taken? Where we used to live they would take anything you put out, in any amount, as long as it was not a holiday. We've had to bring stuff back to our friends house for pick up because you can't let some stuff sit until cleanup. Oh yeah, the trash service was included in the taxes which were just as high as here....go figure. The town should have a place for small amounts of stuff that isn't necesarily construction (old rugs, etc)for their citizens to use...of course with proper id. Leaving legitimate garbage for long periods of time encourages assorted vermin. |
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 645
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 2:43 pm: |
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Once, when a lid was "lost" from one of our cans, I called Waste Management (maybe this was when it was still Mountain Disposal, I'm not sure) and they brought a new lid the next day.
I have also had them purchase new recycling containers after I complained about how the recycling guys threw my old ones back at the curb, resulting in quite a bit of breakage. I still wasn't very happy since A - they didn't get the kind I liked and B - the guys still throw the containers ... but at least the phone call did have a somewhat positive result. |
Iaowks Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 339
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 3:25 pm: |
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I learned more about my wife's conversation with the township lady. The lady said that the town has NOT negotiated any level of service or rates with WM. This is hard to believe. My wife's point to her was that since she gives us the name of only one company for picking up our garbage, and since no other company is likely to pick up, since we couldn't offer enough business to the competitor to make it worth their while, we are stuck with the one company. This effectively keeps the town in the loop, whether they admit it or not. THAT was the point that she said my wife ought to write to the TC about, and she's right.
Tom Reingold
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ffof
Citizen
Username: Ffof
Post Number: 1340
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 3:36 pm: |
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Tom- it looks like your name fell out of the garbage can! |
Iaowks Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 340
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 3:40 pm: |
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I know, doesn't it!? That's how they spelled my name in my life insurance policy. I thought it was funny, so I adopted it here for now. I see they got two out of six of the letters right.
They also listed my zip code as 00000 which is three fifths correct!
My agent submitted my "name change" for me.
Tom Reingold
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bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 3271
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 3:48 pm: |
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Waste collection is regulated by the state PUC, not Maplewood. While I am usually happy to blaim just about anything on The Mayor and Mr. Ryan, even I can't hold them responsible for this service.
BTW, our experience with the garbage collection and the collectors is more liked FFOF's than Mr. Reingold's and Blackcats's, even though we don't tip at Christmas. |
ffof
Citizen
Username: Ffof
Post Number: 1342
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 3:55 pm: |
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Well, I know I must get something for that tipping...okay, my guys honk and wave to me if they see me somewhere else in town. Now, bobk, don't tell me they do this to you too! |
Chris Dickson
Citizen
Username: Ironman
Post Number: 711
Registered: 8-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 10:00 pm: |
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My guys are great. No complaints and I'd give 'em a TEN. They took a box of old toys from my curb this week and normally pick-up stuff like that that I leave on the burb. A few weeks back, the racoons got in my trash and the garbageman cleaned it up. |
cutter
Citizen
Username: Cutter
Post Number: 204
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - 10:23 pm: |
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I tip 'em all $20 for Christmas and they picked up 3 overflowing cans today from my garage which they closed and locked afterwards.
They pick up after the raccoons too  |
Sarah McNamara
Citizen
Username: Smcnamara
Post Number: 7
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 9:07 am: |
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Musetta, the other thing you should be aware of is that twice a year, in the spring and the fall, there is a bulk garbage pick-up. They won't take construction garbage, but they will take almost everything else (old carpets and padding, torn down wallpaper, old appliances and furniture). Depending on when you do your renovations, you might be able to put a lot of it out for the fall bulk garbage day. (Town Hall, 973-762-8120) can let you know when they will be and if there are other restrictions. However, they don't always schedule the dates real far in advance. We learned this when we moved within town a few years ago.) If the timing doesn't work, before you rent the truck, call the Waste Management people and ask about an extra bulk pick up for your house. You'll have to pay something, but they will come and pick it up. When we moved, we ended up with a garage full of garbage and this worked well for us. |
Jackie Day
Citizen
Username: Zoesky1
Post Number: 63
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 11:23 am: |
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I thought bulk garbage day was reduced to one time a year. Am I wrong (I hope so)? |
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 649
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 12:45 pm: |
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I think that the reduction to one pickup was just last year. |
barbara wilhelm
Citizen
Username: Bartist
Post Number: 45
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 1:00 pm: |
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i called waste management because my garbage was not picked up. i was told that if i was using black garbage bags my gargage would not be picked up. they said that i was probably throwing away garbage that was not kitchen waste. they sent over an inspector to go through my garbage. i passed the "garbage police" inspection. |
bisquit100
Citizen
Username: Bisquit100
Post Number: 52
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 4:07 pm: |
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There are guys who drive around Maplewood looking for bulk garbage to pick up at a negotiated fee. I have had this happen twice and found their charges to be far less than that of the trash service guys who always seem to say $150, no matter what it is. I feel your pain. The trash thing here couldn't be more lame. I say stack it up and see who happens along... |
Iaowks Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 351
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 4:23 pm: |
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How do I find or lure these guys who drive around? I think stacking up my garbage, of which I now have about a garage-full, on the curb would create an eyesore. My neighbors wouldn't be happy about it, and I wouldn't blame them.
Tom Reingold
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jab
Citizen
Username: Jab
Post Number: 101
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2003 - 6:41 pm: |
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Tom, just park your car in front of your house and the neighbors won't be able to see the pile of garbage on your curb. Oh, but neither will the guys willing to do bulk pickup... |
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