For those who drive along Fairview Avenue on the approach to downtown Boise, it’s hard to miss the growing presence of plastic carts occupying lots that were once home to several car dealerships. The sudden and dramatic appearance of the mountain of gray and blue wheeled plastic carts has prompted several local residents to contact City Hall for an explanation.
“Understandably, there’s been a fair deal of curiosity about the carts,” Boise Public Works Department spokesman Vince Trimboli said. “The massive storage of these carts is quite a spectacle and people have called to ask why they’re here.”
The City is amassing the carts for the rollout of Boise’s new automated trash collection and “single-stream” curbside recycling program. The enhanced solid waste services will go into effect on June 22. The City and Allied Waste will eventually store 140,000 trash and recycling carts at the two storage sites at 2800 and 2403 Fairview Avenue.
Starting in late June, the City will deliver the carts to nearly 70,000 Boise households—about 2,800 carts a day. “If you live within the city limits,” Trimboli said “you will receive a new trash cart and, if you currently recycle or wish to recycle, a new recycling cart.”
Public Works has been gathering feedback and answering questions about the program by visiting neighborhood association meetings the past two months. The community input is being used to develop program details.
“People are excited about the ease and convenience of commingled recycling,” Trimboli said “But they also have questions about how the new trash carts are going to work. Starting in May, look for literature in your mailboxes, your trash bill, and on your garbage cans about how the program will work and how to order.”
Commingled or single-stream recycling will allow residents to place all recyclable materials (with the exception of glass) in a single blue cart. This means residents will no longer have to separate materials, which is expected to significantly increase the City’s recycling participation rates and volume.
What’s Changing?
• Trash and recycling will be collected using automated trucks.
• Recycling will be picked up every other week.
• Every resident will receive a gray 95-gallon trash cart and a blue 95-gallon recycling cart, unless they order otherwise. Order forms will be available in May.
• All trash, including yard waste/lawn clippings, will need to fit in the trash carts.
• Residents will be able to set out extra trash using their own trash can(s) by using a specially designated sticker. The City will provide residents with five free stickers each year and residents will be able to purchase extra stickers from the City for $1.00 each.
• For residents who recycle, trash collection rates will stay the same. Residents who choose not to recycle will pay $4 more per month.
What do I need to do?
• Between now and May 1, monitor the amount of trash you throw away. Consider that lawn clippings and yard waste will need to fit in your new trash cart with the lid closed. Leaving bags or old trash cans by the curb will no longer work with automated garbage pickup.
• If you need more or less capacity than the standard 95-gallon carts, look for information from the City in the first week of May on how to order the right cart(s) for your needs.
• If the 95-gallon trash and recycling carts meet your disposal needs, then no action is required. Your new carts will be delivered to your house between June 22 and Sept 15.
When:
May 1 - May 22
• Residents receive information about trash and recycling carts and order forms.
• May 22 is the last day residents will be able to order carts.
June 22 - September 4
• Trash and recycling carts will be delivered to residents over the course of a 9-week period.
Why:
Automated collection and commingled recycling were recommendations made last year as part of the City’s Solid Waste Strategic Plan, formulated by a citizen committee assembled by Mayor Bieter and in consultation with solid waste experts from URS Corp. The new solid waste program is a key element of the Mayor’s vision for a greener and more sustainable Boise.
Vince Trimboli is available upon request to meet reporters for interviews and a demo of the new trash and recycling carts at the 24th & Fairview storage site.