By Michael P. Walsh
Special to the Voice
As part of the city’s ongoing efforts to cut costs, the bulk trash pickup slated for Aug. 6-10 has been suspended, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and acting Public Works Commissioner Lou Esposito said last week.
Rossi and Esposito said the city’s final bulk pickup of 2018, however, will take place as scheduled on Oct. 8-12.
Rossi said canceling the August bulk pickup will save the city approximately $50,000, plus dumping fees.
The pickup has been suspended because the weight of trash collected in the March and June bulk pickups exceeded the maximum weight of trash accepted by the city’s rubbish contractor, making bulk pickup increasingly cost prohibitive, Esposito said.
For bulk pickup, residents are reminded to separate metals and recyclables from regular trash and to put out trash no more than 24 hours before pickup.
Bulk items include couches, chairs, mattresses, tables, carpeting, padding, fencing and small amounts of bundled lumber, which may not exceed 6 feet in length. No building materials are accepted.
The amount of bulk trash per collection is limited to 6 cubic yards, which is equal to a pile of trash about 6 feet long, 6 feet wide and 4.5 feet high. Homeowners are required to rent a dumpster at their expense if trash exceeds 6 cubic yards.
Esposito said the city will be enforcing the bulk pickup limit of 6 cubic yards.
Violations carry a $100 fine per daily offense.
To prevent a potential fine, property owners should familiarize themselves with the city’s trash guidelines, which are posted on the Department of Public Works page at www.cityofwesthaven.com.
Bulk items must be separated and orderly. Do not place them next to a mailbox or utility pole or close to a fence, Esposito said.
Bulk trash must be generated by the customer at the residential unit where it is collected. Trash will not be collected if it is generated by anyone other than the resident of the home.
Also, do not place bulk items in front of a vacant lot or home — they will not be collected, Esposito said.
For electronic items, including TVs, the next e-waste drop-off day is Aug. 11.
Residents can drop off electronic recyclables — typically anything that contains a circuit board or needs a battery — from 8 a.m.-noon at the highway maintenance garage, 1 Collis St.
Anything that has refrigerant, including air conditioners and dehumidifiers, is not accepted. Those items are considered white goods, and residents are asked to put them out for pickup on their weekly curbside collection days.
The e-waste collection is free for residents who have such items as TVs, hand-held video games, computers, monitors, copiers, scanners, microwaves, toaster ovens and other small appliances.