Trash Pickup Going Automated

REGIONAL – The future of trash pickup can be seen in Amesbury and a few other municipalities as the city last week rolled out the first brown trash carts that are picked up by trucks with only a driver.
“Only trash in the new G. Mello brown carts will be collected; loose bags and materials will not be picked up,” Amesbury’s web site states.
The new automated trash pickup came out of contract negotiations between Amesbury and the G. Mello Trash Disposal Corp. in hopes it will reduce costs for Mello and the city, Amesbury’s communications director William Donahue said.
Mello began last week to distribute the 64-gallon brown carts to residents.
The trucks have an automated arm which grabs the cart, dumps its contents into the truck before placing the 64-gallon cart back at the curb. The driver can stay in the truck.
West Newbury began its automated trash pickup last year projecting a savings of $20,000 a year. Haverhill and Danvers have also implemented automated trash pickup.
Newburyport has put its trash pickup service out to bid and all options, including automated pick up, are under consideration, said Molly Ettenborough, manager of Newburyport’s recycling and energy programs. The city currently contracts with Mello.
Ettenborough wrote in an email that she could not discuss the status of the bid process, “I will say we have asked for all options, but automated collection is the future for trash and recycling collection.”
Automated collection has “not only proven extremely effective at reducing disposal expenses, increasing recycling and streamlining collection; but also minimizes strain on sanitation workers’ backs,” a flyer for the West Newbury program stated.
Automated trash pickup will save Mello money by cutting out the salaries for the men who ride the back of the trash trucks. It will also save money because it makes the process more efficient if the truck does not have wait for the man to throw extra trash into the trucks, Donahue said.
Mello told the city that having a worker ride the back of the truck also causes injuries, which would be eliminated by the automated pickup.
Some Amesbury residents have complained that one cart will not be enough for their weekly trash, Donahue said. But “they don’t realize how large the barrels are.”
Elsewhere, seniors have complained that a full cart is difficult to push. The carts are on wheels and designed to roll smoothly, according to advocates of the new program.
The 65-gallon cart will hold up to four standard-size kitchen trash bags, which is thought to be the amount of trash generated by a household of two to four people, who moderately recycle.
The city is asking residents to use the one 64-gallon cart for four weeks before they call Mello to order a second cart. There is a fee for the second cart. Initially, there will be no charges for the pick-up of additional trash carts, but that may change starting in January.
Multi-family residences with six units or less will receive six trash carts. Multi-family residences larger than six units must make arrangements for trash pick-up.
Businesses can get a second trash cart at no additional cost by calling Mello at 978-352-8581. For the rest of the year, businesses will have no additional charge for pickup of additional carts, but that may also change in January, the city’s website states.
Downtown residents and businesses that find the 64-gallon cart too large may order a 35-gallon cart from the city’s Department of Public Works at 978-388-8116. A 35-gallon cart will hold up to two kitchen trash bags, which is considered enough for a household of one or two residents.
Mello will pick up old trash barrels during the last two weeks of August.
The city’s web site states that the new barrels must be on a hard level surface, clear of snow or debris, no more than six feet from the curb. They must be three feet from parked cars, mailboxes or any obstruction. And there must be 15 feet of overhead clearance from tree limbs or power lines.
If you have more than one cart placed at the curb, please set them side by side, with at least three feet of distance between carts and with the handles facing the home.
For more information on the automated pickup, visit the city’s website.