Garbage & Recycling

Waste Management would like to thank you for allowing us to service you. Along with being good stewards of the environment, our core value is the safety and protection of our employees, customers and the general public. To live up to these expectations, we train our drivers and managers on various safety techniques and occasionally make the decision to refrain from servicing some areas due to inclement weather. The potential for injury and accidents is greater during these times, so we must not travel in certain areas. During periods of inclement weather, we update service delays through www.wm.com, local TV and radio stations, as well as local newspapers. We may also notify you by phone or email if your collection route is cancelled or will be delayed. We understand that weather events are an inconvenience, but thank you in advance for your understanding.

To help our customers better understand our commitment to safety, we have included a brief list of Winter Weather Facts, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Tips on how you can help us service you better during winter months.

Common factors that may lead a driver to be unable to service your location during inclement weather:

• Unable to access trash/recycle container due to being plowed in.
• Cannot open gate on trash/recycle enclosure due to deep or plowed in by snow.
• Snow / Ice too deep to push trash/recycle container to truck.
• Steep hill or winding road that may be difficult to navigate during snowy or icy conditions.
• Poor visibility due to snow/high winds.
• No place to turn around due to areas not being plowed.
• Your trash/recycle may have been covered or buried in snow and not visible to the driver.
• Your trash/recycle may have been placed on or behind a snow mound and may have been inaccessible to the driver/helper to safely reach.
• In the event of a State of Emergency being issued.

Q. “My road was plowed and I was able to drive down my road to go to work. I don’t understand why your driver didn’t drive down my street.”

A: As stated earlier, our drivers have been empowered to make decisions regarding the safe operation of their vehicle. Our vehicles are much larger and heavier than a passenger vehicle and do not handle in the same manner. One of our normal full size collection trucks can weigh over 40,000 pounds when empty and over 70,000 pounds when fully loaded. In comparison, the average passenger vehicle weighs about 4,000 pounds.

Q. “Why can’t Waste Management use 4 wheel drive vehicles to provide service during the winter months?”

A. During inclement weather there may be thousands of customers affected. It is not possible or practical for us to be able to service everyone in this manner.

Q. “Our driver usually arrives before daylight. During the winter he doesn’t come until much later. Why isn’t the pickup time consistent?”

A. Our vehicles are slowed by poor road conditions just as passenger vehicles. In addition, it can take our employees longer to service customers during bad weather. They must use extra caution while getting on and off the truck, while walking on icy surfaces or through deep snow to retrieve waste materials just as you might when you go to your mailbox or to retrieve your newspaper.

Q. “What are some things I can do in order to help Waste Management during the winter months?”

A. There are several things listed below that you can do to help us service you better during inclement weather.

• Make sure we have your current phone number and email address. That will help us notify you of any delays or cancellations.
• Please check www.wm.com for weather related delays and tune to local TV and radio media outlets for communications from us regarding delays in service.
• Allow extra time for our drivers to arrive at your location before contacting our office.
• Make sure your trash bags/cans are visible and easily accessible by our driver. Please keep in mind that white bags are hard for our drivers to see on snow covered ground or in snowy conditions.
• Please understand that our vehicles are different than yours and don’t handle the same in snow or icy conditions. Our drivers make everyone’s safety their number 1 priority, so sometimes they must decide not to service a particular road to protect everyone from potential injury or property damage.
• We are always available to assist you with any comments, concerns or inquiries you may have regarding your service. Please feel free to contact our Customer Service Department at www.wm.com.