Staged Garbage

Am I the only one who is getting fed up with WMs return to staging garbage bags in the street, with a wait of an hour or more until the truck comes by and picks them up?  I have emailed Public Works, filed several service requests, and spoken with the public works employee assigned to this problem.  He tells me that he has phoned WM twice to "discuss" this but has taken no other action.  When I brought this problem up to the TC at a meeting two years ago, I was told that WM would be ticketed for staging garbage but this has not happened for the month or so during which I have observed and reported the problem. The public works person I spoke with was reluctant to go so far as to send someone to verify that the staging was actually taking place.  Please if anyone reading this observes this practice in your neighborhood/ travels about town, could you please let public works know.  I also intend to follow up with the TC since they will be returning from vacation shortly.  TIA.

What is staging garbage?

The garbage truck will send a worker into a neighborhood on foot, ahead of the truck.  The worker collects the garbage and builds a large pile of bags on the side of the street (staged) so then the truck has fewer stops to make.  

I've seen it happen on my street (usually Waste Management) and they typically pick up the pile within 10-20 minutes. It sounds like the OP has experienced longer wait times than that.

Yes. I just looked out the window  and the pile is still there.  It was there when I came home from my morning walk at about 10:15 am.  I don't know how long the pile has been there but at least an hour and 15 minutes at this point. 

Thanks !  I don't see it on my block but I see what you are talking about.  We stopped using WM because the other company was cheaper.  We get good service.  My block is half and half on the companies.  If I do see it though I will help and report it.

Joan - Maybe this would be better in the Maplewood category.

I could cross pot but it has been my experience that more posters read soapbox that the Maplewood category.  Plus, this certainly qualifies as a rant.

Garbage has just been picked up.  It was sitting there for about 2+ hours.  For rear yard pick-up, this is totally unacceptable.

I've observed multiple piles of garbage in front of homes but usually for what appear to be biweekly pickup (or perhaps "staged garbage") for waste industries, who pick up their trash in flat bed pick up trucks.  

Robert_Casotto said:

I've observed multiple piles of garbage in front of homes but usually for what appear to be biweekly pickup (or perhaps "staged garbage") for waste industries, who pick up their trash in flat bed pick up trucks.

Oh WOW I have seen that flatbed garbage pick up truck. I never paid too much attention to it.

The staging, per se, doesn't bother me much since around me the WM trucks seem to pick up the staged garbage pretty quickly. A two hour interval, however, is unacceptable and I wouldn't be happy if it was my driveway that was used as the staging arena.

More annoying, to me, is my neighbor who wheels their big garbage toter to curbside so the guys can just dump it straight into garbage truck. The result: (1) loose garbage in the street because they do not seem to put all their garbage into plastic bags and stuff spills out when the garbage guys turn it over to dump it in the truck (yes, the garbage guys then have to run around attempting to pick up most of the odds and ends and (2) the garbage guys frequently leave the toter in the street and that can be a surprise to drivers as they turn the corner.

Eta: for clarity, my neighbor is in Maplewood

krnl said:

The staging, per se, doesn't bother me much since around me the WM trucks seem to pick up the staged garbage pretty quickly. A two hour interval, however, is unacceptable and I wouldn't be happy if it was my driveway that was used as the staging arena.

More annoying, to me, is my neighbor who wheels their big garbage toter to curbside so the guys can just dump it straight into garbage truck. The result: (1) loose garbage in the street because they do not seem to put all their garbage into plastic bags and stuff spills out when the garbage guys turn it over to dump it in the truck (yes, the garbage guys then have to run around attempting to pick up most of the odds and ends and (2) the garbage guys frequently leave the toter in the street and that can be a surprise to drivers as they turn the corner.

I see how they sometimes toss the can by the curb in the street. It drives me crazy. What I don't understand is that some of my neighbors have the cans in the backyard and the WM people go in the back to get the can and return it in the back. How is that arranged???? Aren't the garbage cans supposed to be curbside?

Backyard pick up for garbage is mandated by ordinance in Maplewood. Owners aren't supposed to put cans by the street. I'm not sure what the law is in South Orange.

Garbage cans are always in your backyard and never in the front yard or by curb. In fact you could be fined. Personally I think that makes for a better look. Who wants to be gazing at their neighbor's garbage? I can understand Joan's concern.

The residual smell and litter post-pickup are enough to make this something that needs to be addressed.

galileo said:

Joan - Maybe this would be better in the Maplewood category.

from the thread title I thought this was the politics category

We use WI and they put the garbage straight from our rear-yard can into their truck, with no staging.

I always assumed Maplewood garbage pick up was from the front curb side. Interesting. Most of the residents on my street put it curbside. All my life (a long life here in Maplewood) the garbage has always been curbside. I have to check this out especially if we are breaking the law.

I can't find specific rules, but if garbage in backyard pick up only is in Maplewood, why is there curbside recycling? Isn't that unpleasant to the eyes also.

Different contract I assume.

I can't leave my house on Monday mornings. The offense to my eyes brought about by the multitudes of recycling containers is more than I can bear. Some people don't even use real recycling containers - they just use any plastic tub that pleases them. Honestly, for the taxes we pay, we can do better.

Aren't homeowners allowed 1 or 2 blue plastic recycling bins, claimed at the Public Works Center for free?

ellenlynn said:

Aren't homeowners allowed 1 or 2 blue plastic recycling bins, claimed at the Public Works Center for free?

You missed tjohn's sarcasm icon

ellenlynn said:

I can't find specific rules, but if garbage in backyard pick up only is in Maplewood, why is there curbside recycling? Isn't that unpleasant to the eyes also.

Different companies, different contract. Bulk pick-up and garden pick-up are also curbside.

ellenlynn said:

I always assumed Maplewood garbage pick up was from the front curb side. Interesting. Most of the residents on my street put it curbside. All my life (a long life here in Maplewood) the garbage has always been curbside. I have to check this out especially if we are breaking the law.

Same here! Granted I just moved here but everyone on my street seems to put their garbage cans out front.

Perseverance said:

ellenlynn said:

I always assumed Maplewood garbage pick up was from the front curb side. Interesting. Most of the residents on my street put it curbside. All my life (a long life here in Maplewood) the garbage has always been curbside. I have to check this out especially if we are breaking the law.

Same here! Granted I just moved here but everyone on my street seems to put their garbage cans out front.

I guess now I have to find out for sure. I will give a call tomorrow.

I know of no one that drags their household cans to the curb, nor have I ever seen it done driving to work on any given morning. I have no idea why anyone would.

I attest to the fact that they have been piling garbage in front of Joan's house for YEARS. It does stay there a while, and it is offensive. I think that the problem could be aliviated if they were to not always gather the garbage in the same house. Better yet, if they were to simply go house by house and dump the garbage in the truck. If they have to gather it to make it less expensive, then they should spread the burden among all the neighbors and not on the one neighbor who doesn't have an account with them. Maybe that's the solution: to get an account with them on the condition that they don't pile the garbage on your front lawn.

ctrzaska- from time to time I drag my can out to the end of my driveway. Usually because I feel guilty about the volume or quality of garbage. We have a family of raccoons that essentially and often perforate the bags. Its a pain for the guys to navigate that mess to the truck, but when the can is at the end I feel a little better about adding to their unpleasant job.

I average 1 or 2 bags a week, lived here 50 years and never once had to bring my cans up to the curb, have Waste Industries.