2008 Woodie Awards
City might adopt new waste system
Hitzel, John
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: News
City councilmembers are considering a proposal that might change the future of local trash removal.
City councilmembers asked Veolia Environmental Services, the company that operates Kirksville's weekly trash and recycling pickup, to handle the annual large-item curbside pickup service this year. Veolia responded with a proposal that advocates multiple changes to the current trash-pickup system.
Amber Burnam, the municipal marketing representative at Veolia, said that every week, each residence with curbside pickup is allowed to put one bag containing as much as 33 gallons or 40 pounds of trash curbside by 6:30 a.m. on its regularly scheduled day. She said additional bags may be collected by purchasing $1 stickers, at Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart or the Ice House, for each one.
"The current program is designed to promote recycling, and the proposed program will promote [it], too," Burnam said.
Burnam said the proposal would give each residence a plastic upright bin to store trash in and place curbside each week.
"Each residence would be allowed to place one large item at the curb each week," Burnam said.
This allowance could completely eliminate the need for spring cleaning, the once-a-year event when residents can place as much as 10 cubic yards of large items at the curb.
"Yard waste collection would no longer be picked up the last week of the month," Burnam said. "However, we will allow a site location for yard waste to be taken to for a fee, and we will provide a yard-waste pickup two weeks out of November each year."
These changes would eliminate excess costs that Burnam said are caused by monthly yard-waste pickup.
"We go around the whole city looking for yard waste, and there may only be three or four people who have some," she said.
Burnam said she thinks the proposal would benefit Kirksville because it allows more trash to be placed curbside during regular weekly pickups.
Senior Martha Daxer lives on Jefferson Street and said she recalls a period when other trash bags mysteriously appeared overnight at her curb on pickup days, which kept her trash from being removed for a time.
City councilmembers asked Veolia Environmental Services, the company that operates Kirksville's weekly trash and recycling pickup, to handle the annual large-item curbside pickup service this year. Veolia responded with a proposal that advocates multiple changes to the current trash-pickup system.
Amber Burnam, the municipal marketing representative at Veolia, said that every week, each residence with curbside pickup is allowed to put one bag containing as much as 33 gallons or 40 pounds of trash curbside by 6:30 a.m. on its regularly scheduled day. She said additional bags may be collected by purchasing $1 stickers, at Hy-Vee, Wal-Mart or the Ice House, for each one.
"The current program is designed to promote recycling, and the proposed program will promote [it], too," Burnam said.
Burnam said the proposal would give each residence a plastic upright bin to store trash in and place curbside each week.
"Each residence would be allowed to place one large item at the curb each week," Burnam said.
This allowance could completely eliminate the need for spring cleaning, the once-a-year event when residents can place as much as 10 cubic yards of large items at the curb.
"Yard waste collection would no longer be picked up the last week of the month," Burnam said. "However, we will allow a site location for yard waste to be taken to for a fee, and we will provide a yard-waste pickup two weeks out of November each year."
These changes would eliminate excess costs that Burnam said are caused by monthly yard-waste pickup.
"We go around the whole city looking for yard waste, and there may only be three or four people who have some," she said.
Burnam said she thinks the proposal would benefit Kirksville because it allows more trash to be placed curbside during regular weekly pickups.
Senior Martha Daxer lives on Jefferson Street and said she recalls a period when other trash bags mysteriously appeared overnight at her curb on pickup days, which kept her trash from being removed for a time.
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