The City of Syracuse will begin to deliver 36-thousand trash carts that must be used by residents following a successful roll-out this summer at nearly 7,000 properties. Mayor Ben Walsh and his administration say the goal is to make the city a cleaner place to live. He explains trash left out curbside in garbage bags will no longer be tolerated.
“So, right now for an egregious set-out where you have a pile of garbage or trash, the citation amount is $350. We understand for those who might leave the lid open for a little bit or make another mistake related to the new carts that maybe that isn’t as egregious as some of the illegal set-outs that we’ve seen.”
He adds City Councilors are now considering approving a lower citation of $175 for lower offenses. Mayor Walsh says trash carts which utilize an automated lift to pick-up and then dump the contents into the truck are also keeping workers safe. Since the implementation of the trash carts this summer, he says there hasn’t been a single injury by workers using the automated trash trucks. Chief Operating Officer Corey Dunham strongly emphasizes the importance of residents setting-up sanitation crews and the overall trash collection program for success.
“Trash must be bagged. The lid needs to be closed. We need to make sure the carts aren’t overflowing to the point where the lid is not able to close. So, lids must be closed. No trash outside the carts. The 96 gallons meets the limits for trash that is in the City Ordinance. 96 gallons, everything needs to go in here… additional bags of trash will be counted as illegal set-outs. So, everything needs to fit inside the cart.”
Dunham says residents should look for a welcome packet, tucked inside the lid of their new trash carts, with helpful information and what’s required of them for the program to work properly. Sanitation workers are delivering trash carts this week on the North Side for those who typically have trash pick-up scheduled on Monday and Tuesday. Next week, they deliver the rest of the carts to those who have trash pick-up days Wednesday through Friday. Accommodations can be made for those who have issues using the carts. To dispose of your old trash can, just clearly label it as “trash.” More details and questions can be answered by clicking here.