New Detroit Garbage Pick Up Program

**DetroitPlanner** · February-18-14, 10:06 PM

What does everyone think about the new garbage pick up program? It is now contracted, but with better service including curbside recycling and twice a month bulk pick up instead of a few times a year.

I am a big fan of the bulk pick-up as probably 3/4ths of the junk that ends up in front of abandoned homes is due to neighbors replacing furniture, appliances etc. I am also a big fan of recycling. Not sold on the privatizing, but it seems to come with benefits.

http://www.freep.com/article/2014021...ice-bankruptcy

**Aerojoe** · February-18-14, 10:55 PM

Does it really matter what we think its a DONE deal ? Besides it can't be any worse then what we have now in my neighborhood [[7 gratiot) they pick up the trash whenever they feel like it. Most of the neighbors now leave their Dumpster at the curb 7 days a week because they are not sure when they will be around to pick it up!!!

**rjlj** · February-18-14, 11:07 PM

Who cares who picks it up, just pick up the garbage like any normally functioning city. Finally Detroit gets out of the stone ages and has a citywide recycling program. The city is not in business to employ people so who cares who picks up the trash, just do it.

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

What does everyone think about the new garbage pick up program? It is now contracted, but with better service including curbside recycling and twice a month bulk pick up instead of a few times a year.

I am a big fan of the bulk pick-up as probably 3/4ths of the junk that ends up in front of abandoned homes is due to neighbors replacing furniture, appliances etc. I am also a big fan of recycling. Not sold on the privatizing, but it seems to come with benefits.

http://www.freep.com/article/2014021...ice-bankruptcy

**jt1** · February-19-14, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

What does everyone think about the new garbage pick up program? It is now contracted, but with better service including curbside recycling and twice a month bulk pick up instead of a few times a year.

I am a big fan of the bulk pick-up as probably 3/4ths of the junk that ends up in front of abandoned homes is due to neighbors replacing furniture, appliances etc. I am also a big fan of recycling. Not sold on the privatizing, but it seems to come with benefits.

http://www.freep.com/article/2014021...ice-bankruptcy

I doubt the bulk pick up will have the impact you are saying it will. The bulk junk, tires, appliances, etc that are dumped all over aren't from people that just don't have the patience to wait until bulk pick up. This shit comes from all over but the dumpers are not dumping it in their own neighborhood.

**Honky Tonk** · February-19-14, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by jt1

I doubt the bulk pick up will have the impact you are saying it will. The bulk junk, tires, appliances, etc that are dumped all over aren't from people that just don't have the patience to wait until bulk pick up. This shit comes from all over but the dumpers are not dumping it in their own neighborhood.

I watch people throwing out McDonald's bags and empties while sitting @ the light. Maybe the City can get someone to pick up after them?

**DetroitPlanner** · February-19-14, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by jt1

I doubt the bulk pick up will have the impact you are saying it will. The bulk junk, tires, appliances, etc that are dumped all over aren't from people that just don't have the patience to wait until bulk pick up. This shit comes from all over but the dumpers are not dumping it in their own neighborhood.

I've gotten into several verbal arguments with neighbors that were doing this. Don't be so naive.

This has been excuse I've heard several times from several different people. They just want the old crap out of their house and don't care about the neighborhood.

**Honky Tonk** · February-19-14, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I've gotten into several verbal arguments with neighbors that were doing this. Don't be so naive.

This has been excuse I've heard several times from several different people. They just want the old crap out of their house and don't care about the neighborhood.

Absolutely. Tell it like it is. They go down a house or two to the vacant lot, and dump their stuff there. I have no doubt some items come from our 'Burb neighbors, but to say it ALL does, is painting with a broad brush.

**jt1** · February-19-14, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Absolutely. Tell it like it is. They go down a house or two to the vacant lot, and dump their stuff there. I have no doubt some items come from our 'Burb neighbors, but to say it ALL does, is painting with a broad brush.

I wasn't saying it was all from the burbs. A lot of Detroiters are dumping in the city, just often times it is in another neighborhoods, or it is done by businesses.

Unless I'm crazy, there aren't too many homeowners that have a hundred tires laying around that need to be dumped.

The people dumping their stuff down the street happens but it is not the majority of the bulk waste that is dumped.

**jt1** · February-19-14, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

I watch people throwing out McDonald's bags and empties while sitting @ the light. Maybe the City can get someone to pick up after them?

Yep, that is at an epidemic level in the city. The crazy thing is that it is such a messed up norm that people that live in the nicer communities do it as well. I just don't understand it.

**Crumbled_pavement** · February-19-14, 11:36 AM

Strange, I've never had the garbage pick-up problems everyone else on this forum has had. Even with the massive snow we've had for the last month, they come and pick up every Monday.

Hopefully, with this new system service picks up. Although, I don't see how it can get much worse. Sixty percent of the residents don't even exist anymore, so all the city has to do is pick up after the remaining 40%. Shouldn't be too difficult.

**jt1** · February-19-14, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Crumbled_pavement

Strange, I've never had the garbage pick-up problems everyone else on this forum has had. Even with the massive snow we've had for the last month, they come and pick up every Monday.

Hopefully, with this new system service picks up. Although, I don't see how it can get much worse. Sixty percent of the residents don't even exist anymore, so all the city has to do is pick up after the remaining 40%. Shouldn't be too difficult.

I think the discussion is more around bulk pick up. I've never had a problem with weekly pick up

**Detroitnerd** · February-19-14, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by Crumbled_pavement

Strange, I've never had the garbage pick-up problems everyone else on this forum has had. Even with the massive snow we've had for the last month, they come and pick up every Monday.

Seconded. My Detroit garbage pick-up was on-time and regular, even better than my garbage pick-up was in New York City.

Reminds me of people complaining about how trashed Belle Isle was. I guess there was a solution in search of a problem ...

**maverick1** · February-19-14, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by Crumbled_pavement

Strange, I've never had the garbage pick-up problems everyone else on this forum has had. Even with the massive snow we've had for the last month, they come and pick up every Monday.

Hopefully, with this new system service picks up. Although, I don't see how it can get much worse. Sixty percent of the residents don't even exist anymore, so all the city has to do is pick up after the remaining 40%. Shouldn't be too difficult.

Same here. I live on the Southwest side and I've never had the garbage problems so many residents go through in other parts of the city.

**Crumbled_pavement** · February-19-14, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Seconded. My Detroit garbage pick-up was on-time and regular, even better than my garbage pick-up was in New York City.

Reminds me of people complaining about how trashed Belle Isle was. I guess there was a solution in search of a problem ...

LOL. I'm not suggesting people are making up bad service, I truly believe them. I'm just at a loss for words why such rash disparity between neighborhoods.

Originally Posted by jt1

I think the discussion is more around bulk pick up. I've never had a problem with weekly pick up

You're probably right. I have seen complaints before about weekly pick up though. I think Suma mentioned service can be spotty in her neighborhood from time to time. It's just amazing how different the service is between different neighborhoods.

**DetroitPlanner** · February-19-14, 03:33 PM

I never had an issue with the weekly pick up either. It was the bulk that was my issue. Getting recycling is just a bonus.

**maverick1** · February-19-14, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Seconded. My Detroit garbage pick-up was on-time and regular, even better than my garbage pick-up was in New York City.

Reminds me of people complaining about how trashed Belle Isle was. I guess there was a solution in search of a problem ...

So it wasn't just me? I hear so many problems of how HORRIBLE Belle Isle is/was. I never experienced that. Not saying it's perfect and didn't need improvement. If it was so bad why did you have all the picnics, family reunions, crickets games, and marriages every summer weekend?

**jt1** · February-19-14, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by maverick1

So it wasn't just me? I hear so many problems of how HORRIBLE Belle Isle is/was. I never experienced that. Not saying it's perfect and didn't need improvement. If it was so bad why did you have all the picnics, family reunions, crickets games, and marriages every summer weekend?

Could BI improve? Sure. Is it anywhere near as bad as some people say? Absolutely not. Of course, I suspect the people that say how horrible BI is are the the same people that are proud they haven't been there is 20 years.

**Detroitnerd** · February-19-14, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by jt1

Could BI improve? Sure. Is it anywhere near as bad as some people say? Absolutely not. Of course, I suspect the people that say how horrible BI is are the the same people that are proud they haven't been there is 20 years.

I've suspected as much too ...

**ccal** · February-19-14, 04:02 PM

I live in 48221 and never had problems with trash pick up or the recycling pickup, We have blue trash containers used for recycling and we put them out with the regular trashcan every week,will this now change?

**MikeyinBrooklyn** · February-19-14, 05:39 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Not sold on the privatizing, but it seems to come with benefits.

Just like any business transaction, there can be problems. Privatization should be considered for lots of different services. I also think gov't employee unions should be able to bid on tasks, like a business. For garbage in Detroit, it seems far better than alternative ideas. And if it's not working, we can drop at the end of the contract.

**Dumpling** · February-19-14, 08:52 PM

I second the OP's observation that 3/4ths of the bulk in front of vacant houses comes from neighboring households. A commitment to pick up bulk twice a week will cut down the eyesore factor significantly. As for the remaining 1/4, a contractor was hired to remove a spa from a neighbor's back yard. The spa graces a vacant lot on our block and is a repository for brush. I learned that relatives of a neighbor, who live in a nearby inner-ring suburb, brought their bulk to Detroit ahead of bulk day to avoid their inner-ring bulk fee.
The regular pickup in our area has not been really good for the last six months. Specifically, there was no yard waste pickup in December, so a
neighbor down the street has about thirty lawn and leaf bags covered with
snow in front of the house. Also, the pickup has been the day after the
designated day several times. Also, several times, the truck would skip a barrel, seemingly because the driver felt that two in front of a house was too many. Or there could have been a car parked too close at the time. Never fear, we have the Garbage Chalet at the Southfield Yard. Also there is a website called meetthedumpers dot com.

**Marlon_JB2** · February-19-14, 09:26 PM

Trash dumping was not an issue in Detroit until bulk pickup was cut by KK.

Just saying.

**Dumpling** · November-25-14, 09:39 PM

My Courville container was skipped today. It was the third in a row in front of my house.
I think the trash truck driver is the same one as before privatization. The Garbage Chalet
at the Southfield Yard was not there the last time I checked.
Today on another forum someone was still advocating for creating dense neighborhoods
in Detroit through buying owners out of the least dense neighborhoods. Here's another
reality check for that idea.
My neighborhood has a certain element that buys and sells drugs there and sometimes steals
items to support that habit. This morning I followed [[at a distance, in my house slippers) a person hauling what seemed to be an empty Courville container down my street and alerted a next door neighbor to the house where the container ended up. Later I alerted a neighborhood watch person. The Detroit neighborhoods have had "little islands of stability" and density and
within these islands neighbors tend to look out for one another and repel the drug crowd from
their island. It would be of benefit if the persons picking up the trash were to pick up all of it without regard to how close the containers are to each other.

**Dumpling** · November-25-14, 09:43 PM

On the bright side, someone removed the brush spa from the vacant lot down the street.
This might have been the people who have just put their house next to the vacant lot up
for sale, but it might have been a regular bulk pickup crew too. I am pleased about that!

**sumas** · November-26-14, 07:28 AM

pick up from Rizzo seems ok. One of their drivers doesn't seem to understand that Vernor is one way here. Bulk pickup is dicey. Crap is out up and down the street that should have been picked up. Gives a whole new meaning to the word "street". I will call them tomorrow, Sigh!