2024-2028 Garbage and Recycling

96-gallon carts hold 5 standard garbage bags. If that is not enough, residents can add additional cart(s) through Waste Management. This would be an annual cost paid directly to Waste Management & not to Jordan Tax Service.

While residents will initially be provided with the standard cart size, they will have the option of switching to a smaller cart in the early period of transition.

Carts will not need to be placed on the street. We are offering semi-automated collection services. Most other communities currently offer automated services. The difference is that in automated communities an automated arm extends from the truck and dumps the cart into the truck. With semi-automated, the cart is pulled by an employee to rear/side of the truck and connected with the arm that will then lift the cart into the truck.

Projected April 2024. Now is the time to start thinking about disposing of those large bulk items & reducing your overall garbage production.

Residents will have an opportunity to file a medical waiver with Waste Management to have your cart collected from your side or front yard closer to your home.

Unfortunately, yes. Costs across the garbage industry have been rising due to equipment & labor costs, much like every other industry. Our previous contract froze our costs during the contract period. Waste Management, like other companies, have had to raise their prices to accommodate for these increased costs.

The semi-automated system is what we will see most providers transition to in order to minimize future increases in costs from workers compensation and employee turnover. Staying with manual collection has the potential to greatly increase our costs in future contracts. In addition, semi-automated collection reduces the amount of waste contributed to the system by our municipality and produces long term environmental benefits. Given the results of the bid process, costs would have risen whether manual or semi-automated collection were accepted. By year 5 of the contract, both options would have resulted in similar costs.

• Yard waste and leaf waste on the special pick up dates indicated on your calendar will still remain. We currently have 8 annually, 2 in the spring and 6 in the fall, and these will continue to occur. These will be collected manually and will not use the automated carts.
• Bulk waste will continue, but will be isolated to a particular week out of the month (Example: The third week of the month every month)
• Household hazardous waste collection will continue as normal.

New rates are expected to be released soon.

The timeline for the new trash/recycle carts have not been determined at this time. We are working through WM to schedule this roll out.

From Waste Management: “Most medical waivers are obtained by a phone call for the request to their PCP or specialist and waiver is faxed or emailed to our Customer Service Department.

Residents will be able to order the additional service at wm.com.

Waste Management anticipates the 5 day schedule beginning January 2, 2024.

Waste Management will not be able to consider any additional alley collections in Dormont. Most of the alley ways are not wide enough for the trucks. Waste Management will not be able to accommodate additional alley ways safely or without risking property damage.

Pickup locations are not set to change given our current knowledge.

We expect more information in the upcoming weeks.

We understand year round yard waste pickup may be a concern and are currently evaluating our options as it applies to pick up for that material during times when special pick ups have not been traditionally held.

Pickup locations are not set to change given our current knowledge.

96 GALLON UNIVERSAL CART SPECS PDF – Garbage

64 GALLON UNIVERSAL CART SPECS PDF- Recycling

We have opted for the carts to be provided by the contractor, Waste Management. A part of this option includes that they are required to maintain or replace the carts.

The location of your garbage and recycling pick-up will not change. You will put them where you are currently putting your trash and recycling cans.

The carts are made of a heavy plastic and will also have a lid. Cart use in other cities, especially larger cities, such as NYC, have been implemented to deter issues with vermin.

https://www.wastedive.com/news/new-york-adams-containerize-commercial-waste-bags-rats/694185/

No, you are not able to store your carts on the sidewalk. Borough Ordinance dictates that your carts cannot be stored on the sidewalk.

To our understanding, new trash/recycle carts will be delivered directly to homes and will be delivered anywhere from the beginning of January to the end of March 2024. While the full transition of service will take place in April 2024, we are hoping to have carts to residents earlier to allow plenty of time to adjust to this transition.

Currently, Borough Council and staff are reviewing the Solid Waste Ordinance in regards to the storage of trash and recycling carts.

The fee can be paid quarterly or annually.

It does not. Medical exemptions are different than what some communities refer to as “special backyard pickup”. The latter is an optional service, whereas a medical exemption is an accommodation.

Due to staff and financial capacity, the Borough will not be offering a low income program at this time. However, Borough Management will continue to explore options to help those citizens that need the most help.

Switching to a smaller cart size will not decrease your rate. Smaller Cart notes: Carts are associated with an address or residential unit. If you opt for a smaller cart, this cart will also then be transferred to the next resident.

Previously carts were not sorted and they will not be sorted in the future. Carts will remain separate, one for waste and one for recycling.

Large cardboard boxes will need to be broken down to fit into your cart. We are exploring the possibility of cardboard only drop off sites.

The Borough is currently examining the costs related to establishing an in-house yard waste collection service for the months of the year where special pick-ups are not offered.

The vast majority of SHACOG (South Hills Council of Governments), including Dormont, has chosen to stay with Waste Management for this upcoming contract, which was bid in accordance with Pennsylvania regulations. We recognized the escalating fees in both types of service. However, the manual collection provided by the other bidder, while it started lower than Waste Management’s bid, escalated faster than that of WM’s (9% vs an average under 7%). By the end of the five-year contract, the semi-automated service was less costly than that of the manual collection service, not including the cost of the cart, providing a lower foundation for future contractual increases. Given this, most communities saw the benefit of moving to semi-automated or automated service now to secure lower costs in the future. By the end of the contract, Dormont will own these carts, which have a 10-15 year lifespan. This will lower the costs for the community in the future.

The other bidder, while offering manual collection services to the Borough, clearly indicated that semi-automated services would not be offered to Dormont. We understand that this a national trend in waste collection and necessary to ensure the future of this critical service.