How does garbage collection work in your area?

[mombrontrent]

Just curious as how other places deal with this. I live in Ontario Canada and currently (in my municipality) we have once a week pick up for organic waste (mostly food) and recycling (one bin for paper, another for glass and plastics). We have bi-weekly pick up for yard waste (in the summer months only) and regular garbage. You are limited to one garbage bag every two weeks, however for $5 you can buy a "tag" to stick to another bag if you need to.

As a family of 5 we have never needed to put out more than one bag every two weeks. It really is surprising how much can be recycled and thrown in the organic waste bin. We don't have any kids in diapers though. For people who do they may need to but additional "tags" or cloth diaper. I couldn't imagine having dirty diapers sitting around for up to two weeks, that alone might encourage me to cloth diaper. All I know is that when you only get to put out one bag every two weeks you make sure you NEVER miss that garbage truck, especially in the summer!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Once a week pickup, for recycling and trash. We rent the large industrial trash can through them. It can hold several bags of trash. At least 7 bags.

As far as yard waste, I buy the "yard waste bags" and use those. They are picked up on trash day as well.

Our recycle stuff does not need to be separated. In addition I live right by a recycle center and can throw things away there anytime if the bin gets full.

 

[Arielle22]

Just curious as how other places deal with this. I live in Ontario Canada and currently (in my municipality) we have once a week pick up for organic waste (mostly food) and recycling (one bin for paper, another for glass and plastics). We have bi-weekly pick up for yard waste (in the summer months only) and regular garbage. You are limited to one garbage bag every two weeks, however for $5 you can buy a "tag" to stick to another bag if you need to.

As a family of 5 we have never needed to put out more than one bag every two weeks. It really is surprising how much can be recycled and thrown in the organic waste bin. We don't have any kids in diapers though. For people who do they may need to but additional "tags" or cloth diaper. I couldn't imagine having dirty diapers sitting around for up to two weeks, that alone might encourage me to cloth diaper. All I know is that when you only get to put out one bag every two weeks you make sure you NEVER miss that garbage truck, especially in the summer!

Most towns around me have weekly pickups. Towns are encouraging recycling by giving out recycling buckets. Then you have to pay for special bags but can put out as many as you need.

My town doesn't have curbside pickup. We have to bring it to the local transfer station. It used to be a dump where you would throw everything into a big pit. Now the dump is capped and you throw your trash into a trailer that is located below where you part. Garbage in one section and recyclables are divided into paper. glass, plastic and metal and Styrofoam.

 

[Kimkimba]

Twice a week for regular trash (private collector). You can pretty much put out as much as you want. They take it all. No special cans or stickers required.

Recycling is every other week and lawn recycling varies depending on the season.

 

[mombrontrent]

Once a week pickup, for recycling and trash. We rent the large industrial trash can through them. It can hold several bags of trash. At least 7 bags.

As far as yard waste, I buy the "yard waste bags" and use those. They are picked up on trash day as well.

Our recycle stuff does not need to be separated. In addition I live right by a recycle center and can throw things away there anytime if the bin gets full.

There are no industrial size trash cans here, one bag means one bag, $5 for each additional bag. They are very strict and will not pick up your garbage if it doesn't follow the "rules".

 

[sam_gordon]

We have once a week pickup for trash, and a "company issued" 50 gallon(?) container and a store bought 20 gallon for overflow. We might have 1-2 bags of trash a week if that.

We have recycling pickup every other week, with the same size (50 gallon) container. We don't need to separate recycling. Paper, plastic, cardboard, no glass. We are usually overflowing by the time it's due for pickup.

Yard waste, what little we have, I just put in the trash can.

 

[nicolita3]

Our pick up is twice a week for regular pick up and its in large plastic bins that could probably fit like 6+ full garbage bags

 

[FlightlessDuck]

In our area, garbage is privatized.

We have twice a week pickup for garbage. Recyclable plastics/cans are picked up once every two weeks.

I don't believe our company does lawn or other organic pickups. We do have a local compost center we can haul our refuse to by ourselves.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

There are no industrial size trash cans here, one bag means one bag, $5 for each additional bag. They are very strict and will not pick up your garbage if it doesn't follow the "rules".

Do you pay for the service?

 

[mamamary]

Monday and Thursday - regular trash and Mondays for Recycling (Private Collector). Yard Waste is an extra charge. When we have alot of bagged leaves we either make arrangements for the pick-up or we have a recycling center about 5 miles away if we want to just bring them there ourselves.

 

[TifffanyD]

We have county services with county supplied trash and recycling bins (both are huge). Recycling is picked up once a week. Yard waste is picked up once a week - you supply your own bags/bins. You are limited to 7 bags/bins of yard waste a week. Regular trash is twice a week.

 

[mombrontrent]

The reason I asked is because when I went to visit my dad who lived in South Carolina I was shocked at the size of the huge trash can. It could fit about two months of our allotted garbage here. There are pretty serious about reducing garbage waste in this area.

 

[mombrontrent]

Do you pay for the service?

Only through our property taxes.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Interesting thread. We have once a week pickup. We are offered 1 bin in large, medium, or small. We also get one recycling bin.

I have large and it can hold a LOT! A machine picks it up so weight is not an issue. In the recycle bin we can put newspaper, glass, and approved plastics. They pick up lawn clippings etc each week and you can use an open trash can or the bags sold at stores.

We can schedule large trash pick up one week in advance and the town has two major pickups a year.

No motor oil, tires, etc. You have to pay for that. But if you open and let a paint can dry that will be pick up by the crew.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Only through our property taxes.

Oh, that makes more sense now. We have to pay for trash service.

 

[ImDMous]

We have trash, recycling and yard waste all picked up once a week. They loan you the can for trash and recycling, pretty big. We do pay. Recycling doesn't have to be separated: glass, plastics, paper, cardboard all go in the big can. Yard waste is your own cans, I'm not sure how many max they will pick up.

 

[FireDancer]

We have weekly garbage pickup. Two separate trucks come around on the same morning. One picks up recycling which has to be placed in a blue garbage bag. The second truck picks up everything else including yard waste and bundled branches.

They add an additional service in the fall and three times a truck will come around to collect leaves. You just pile the leaves next to the curb and what is essentially a large vacuum on wheels comes around and sucks up the leaves.

We do also have the option to call the city's service department and they will send out a vehicle to pick up brush clippings if you've done a lot of work and it is considered too much for the normal garbage truck to handle. This service is included with our property taxes as is all waste removal. I don't get a separate bill.

 

[disneyhand]

We have three very large trash bins provided by the contracted company. They pick up once a week.

The bins are for recycle, trash and yard cuttings. We don't need to separate our recycle and we use it way more than the regular trash.

I try to fill the yard cutting bin weekly, but once in a while I don't do enough yard work to put it out. I have a lot to keep pruned here, year round.

 

[barkley]

pay for fee service here. you can opt for once weekly or every other week. we do every other week and opt for their smallest dumpster (about $49 per month). we can't do some yard waste or hazardous materials. if we didn't do the small dumpster it would be a can they provide, and it would cost us more b/c it's too small for us to do every other week. no separate bins for recycling, if you want to do it you schlep it into the nearest town with a center.

another reason we do the dumpster-snow causes garbage pickup to get cancelled at least once, if not twice a month during the winter. while our neighbors are piling up bags in their garages, we have sufficient room until the next pick-up.

 

[Nancy]

I live in a village so our public works department picks up once a week. We have special "rat proof" trash cans that were a mandatory purchase through the village. I like them though since they are on wheels and are huge and hold a lot.

We have a small bin for recycles..about the size of a milk crate. Recycles don't need to separated. Yard waste can be in bags or in a regular trash can or even the special cans. We out everything out on the same day. We can also throw out large items every trash day..so furniture, appliances etc just go curb side with the regular trash. 3 different trucks come day the street. First is usually the recycle truck, the the normal truck then the dumpster truck with the bulldozer thing to lift heavy items into the truck.