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Solid Waste

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1. What will my rate be with the new solid waste service?

The new rate will be $17.14.

Residential Solid Waste Services Breakdown
Solid Waste Collected One (1) Time Per Week in One (1) 96 Gal-Polycart, Brush/Bulk (up to 3cu yds.) picked up at your curb, Recycle collected Every Other Week in One (1) 96 – Gallon Polycart	$14.59 per home, per month
“At Your Door Hazardous Waste Collection”	$.86 per home, per month
Franchise and Billing Fee	$1.69 per home, per month
Total:	$17.14 per home, per month
Additional 96- Gallon PolyCarts	$5.55 per polycart, per home

2. Who is the new service provider?

Waste Management

3. Why A New Company?

The current solid waste contract with Waste Connections is set to expire June 30th. With the expiration of the current contract, a rate increase was inevitable. The City took this opportunity to solicit for bids through a Request for Proposals process. The Request for Proposals developed addressed the current problems, concerns, and complaints being made to the city about the current solid waste services and requested quotes for solid waste, recycling, bulk/brush, and hazardous waste services based on feedback the city received from surveys, social media etc. Once all bids were submitted the City evaluated each submittal and interviewed the top two solid waste companies based on services and rates stated in the bid.  Waste Management was selected based on their years of experience, services, and service rates. A contract was then negotiated with Waste Management based on the services and service rate proposed and provides the city with the power/authority to establish compliance if any issues were to arise like we have addressed with the current company. 

4. Are there any hidden fees?

No, there are no hidden fees. The breakdown provided under "What will my rate be with the new solid waste service?" covers the charges for each service and then provides the total for all rates combined. It also lists the cost for additional carts. 

5. What’s the increase from what I am paying now?

The current monthly charge for solid waste services is $12.40. The new service rate will increase by $4.74.

6. Why an increase in rates?

An increase was inevitable with the current Waste Connections contract expiring June 30th.

7. When will the new increase and solid waste services begin?

The new services with Waste Management are set to begin July 2^nd. However, the contract with them will begin July 1^st. There will be an interruption in service the first week due to the 4th of July holiday that Wednesday. Solid waste collection will run one-day late beginning Wednesday through Saturday. 

8. How will billing work with this new service?

Billing will continue through the City of Robinson utility bills.

9. Will each resident receive polycart(s)?

Yes, each resident will receive one (1) 96-gallon cart for solid waste and one (1) 96-gallon cart for recyclables.

10. How do we know what cart to use for solid waste and which one to use for recyclables?

Solid waste carts will be green with a green lid and recycle carts will be green with a yellow lid. Recycle carts will have acceptable recyclables list on the lid.

11. Do we have to use the carts?

Yes, your solid waste and recycling will not be picked up if it is not in the issued cart(s). However, if you decide you do not want to recycle you will not use the recycle cart because you can NOT use the recycle cart for solid waste.

12. Why carts?

The City decided to negotiate carts in the contract with Waste Management to address concerns shared by customers with carts/cans being blown around or left in road/driveways, the expense of heavy-duty carts, litter, etc. Carts will remove bagged trash from the streets, limit the abuse of carts from service, wind, animals, etc and allow each resident to have access to an industrial size cart. Waste Management will be utilizing automatic trash trucks for the cart service which also requires a specific type of cart.

13. Are there special instructions when setting out the carts?

Yes, only items placed in carts will be picked up during collection. All solid waste should be bagged and placed in the cart. All recyclables should be loose, NOT bagged, inside the cart. Carts should not be overloaded and cart lids should be securely closed. Carts should be placed no further than three (3) feet of the curb, swale, paved surface of the roadway, closet accessible roadway, or other location agreed to by Waste Management and the customer. Carts should be placed at least 3 feet from other carts and at least six (6) feet from other objects such as; mailboxes, vehicles, etc. The cart handle should face the home with arrows on the lid facing the street.

14. What happens if one of my set outs is deemed unacceptable?

Waste Management will immediately provide an Unacceptable set-out notice to the customer stating the reason the set-out was unacceptable.

15. What if we need an additional cart?

You can contact the City to request an additional cart be added to your account. Each cart is an additional $5 per cart, $5.55 after city and franchise fees are accessed and will be billed in addition to the service rate of $17.14 on each months bill.

16. What happens if we added a cart to our account, but no longer need it?

Just notify the Utility Department that you would like to remove the additional cart from your account and we will get it removed and notify Waste Management to pick-up the additional cart. You can contact the Utility Department by phone (254) 662-1415 or email utilites@robinsontexas.org.

17. What happens if the cart is damaged, lost, or stolen?

Waste Management will replace damaged carts, but residents are responsible for lost or stolen carts. The main intent is for all parties to take responsibility for the care of the carts. We do not feel that there will be any issues with stolen carts especially with carts being set out and taken in within a reasonable amount of time. But, if some rare chance it does become a problem the city will address it then.

18. Is there a way to identify the carts issued to me?

Each cart will have a number. Residents are encouraged to write that number down. The City is working on the possibility of providing plain white bumper stickers that customers can pick-up at City Hall and write their address on them to be placed on each cart. We will update customers once this has been decided on. 

19. When will we receive our new carts?

A tentative date of June 18^th and 29th has been set for cart delivery. More information will be sent out as we move closer and receive additional info.

20. What do we do with our old carts if we no longer want them?

You can put these out for pick-up during Bulk/Brush collection day with a sign that says “trash” and Waste Management will dispose of them.

21. Do we get to keep the carts if we end our service with Waste Management?

No, ALL carts are the property of Waste Management and should be left at the residence if the tenant moves.

22. What happens if I am unable to get my cart to the curb due to health/medical reasons?

Special collection is available to APPROVED disabled and/or handicapped residential customers. This determination is made by the City through an application process. We are currently working on the application, but in the meantime, you can notify the Utility Department to have your name added to a list and we will issue the application once it is available. You can call the Utility Department at (254) 662-1415 or email them at utilities@robinsontexas.org. 

23. What should we do if there is a missed collection or experiencing any other issues?

You will contact the Utilities Department with any questions or concerns at (254) 662-1415 or utilities@robinsontexas.org.

24. Who do I contact if have questions about commercial services?

All commercial dumpster questions and concerns will contact Waste Management directly at 1-800-800-5804 or csstex@wm.com. All light commercial businesses utilizing cart service will need to contact the Utilities Department at (254) 662-1415 or utilities@robinsontexas.org.

25. What are the collection days for each service?

• Solid waste will be collected EVERY week Monday through Friday.
• Recycle will be collected EVERY OTHER week Monday through Friday.
• Hazardous waste will be collected as often as needed from your doorstep all year round but has to be set up first by visiting www.wmatyourdoor.com or by calling 1-800-449-7587.
• Brush/Bulk will be collected EVERY week on Wednesday’s.

26. Are we required to recycle?

No, it’s up to each residential customer if they would like to recycle or not. However, the recycle cart cannot be used for solid waste collection.

27. What do we do with the recycle cart if we do not want to recycle?

We encourage all residents to at least try the recycle out for 30 days. Recycling will lessen the number of items placed in your solid waste cart and relieve items from going into the landfill. Landfills are filling up and the City of Waco has provided an idea of the struggles associated with trying to find a new location. If you decide you still do not want the cart, contact the Utility Department at (254) 662-1415 or email utilities@robinsontexas.org and will notify Waste Management to pick it up.

28. How will I know what day and time my trash, recycle, and brush/bulk be picked up?

Waste Management will have route schedules no later than 60 days before the contract begins. Once the city receives these scheduled routes we will begin sharing this information with our residents.  There will also be a brochure included on each cart that provides route schedules, route maps, appropriate setouts, what can and cannot be included in your solid waste, recycle and hazardous waste set-outs, appropriate set-outs, how to report a missed collection, etc.

All Bulk/Brush will be picked up on Wednesday's.

As far as times, residential collection will begin no earlier than 7 a.m. and normally not extend past 7 p.m.

29. How do we know what is acceptable and not acceptable recycle?

All residents will be provided a brochure that lists acceptable and non-acceptable items and will be on the top of each recycle cart lid. This list will also be available on the City’s website under solid waste and is listed below.

Acceptable Recyclable Materials
Aluminum food and beverage containers - empty	All other office paper without wax liners
Ferrous (Iron) cans – empty	PET plastic containers with the symbol #1 – with screw tops only - empty
HDPE natural rigid plastic containers with the symbol #2 (milk and water bottles) – empty	HDPE pigmented rigid plastic containers with the symbol #2 (detergent, shampoo bottles, etc.) - empty
Rigid plastic tubs or containers with symbols #3, #4, #5, #6, #7 – empty	Newsprint
Old corrugated containers	Magazines, glossy inserts, and pamphlets
Catalogs	Cereal boxes; detergent, gift and snack boxes
Telephone books	Printer paper
Copier paper	Mail

Non-Recyclable Materials include but are not limited to:
Bagged materials (even if containing Recyclables)	Microwave trays
Mirrors	Window or auto glass
Light Bulbs	Ceramics
Porcelain	Plastics unnumbered
Plastic bags	Coathangers
Expanded polystyrene or polystyrene foam (e.g., foam packing peanuts)	Films (e.g., plastic grocery bags)
Glass cookware/bake-ware	Household items such as cooking pots, toasters, etc.
Flexible packaging and multi-laminated materials; foam products	Wet fiber
Excluded Materials:	Fiber containing, or that has been in contact with, food debris or other contaminating material
Any recyclable materials, or pieces of recyclable materials, less than 2” in size in any dimension	Materials: (a) that contain chemical or other properties deleterious, or capable of causing material damage, to any part of Company's property, its personnel or the public; and/or (b) that may materially impair the strength or the durability of the Company's structures or equipment.

30. What happens if non-recyclable items are placed in the recycle cart?

If the cart contains more than 20% non-recyclables the load may be rejected by Waste Management.

31. Will Chipper/Shredder Day continue?

At this time, the City plans on continuing Chipper/Shredder day the first Saturday of each month for $10 per load. This may change if we begin to see a decline in usage due to residents utilizing curbside Bulk/Brush day.

32. What is accepted during Bulk/Brush pick-up?

Anything not greater than 3 cubic yards and does not fall within any of the items below:

Items not accepted curbside:

3rd party construction debris and lumber not generated by the residential customer.

Hazardous material or medical waste

Appliances with refrigerants

Items in excess of the 3 cubic yards

No tires

33. Are there any special requirements for Brush/Bulk set out?

Waste Management will pick up to 3 cubic yards of Brush/Bulk during pick-up day. That is equivalent to 3 feet x 3 feet x 9 feet which is about the size of regular size truck bed but about a foot taller than the bed. Brush/Bulk items should be placed within three (3) feet of the curb, swale, paved surface of the roadway, closets accessible roadway, or other location agreed to by Waste Management and the customer. Bulk/brush should NOT be in any containers unless you want the container thrown away. If you want the container thrown away you would just need to place a sign on the container that says “trash”.

34. How does the “At Your Door” Hazardous Waste program work?

This is a special program hosted by Waste Management to help customers dispose of Hazardous Waste materials properly. Each customer will set up a collection day via website or telephone for items to picked up from their doorstep. Once the collection is scheduled will receive a collection kit in the mail along with their set-out day. The items must be placed in this collection kit and set in front of their door or garage. The collection kit will also list acceptable and non-acceptable items. This list will also be provided on the city’s website under solid waste as well as in the brochure left with each cart.

To set up a collection you can visit http://www.wmatyourdoor.com/ or call 1-800-449-7587.

35. What is accepted in the Hazardous Waste Collection?

This list below includes the most common eligible items for the At Your Door Special Collection^® service. This list is not all-inclusive, and the full list of eligible items may vary depending on state and local regulations. We reserve the right to modify the list. Additional instructions may apply, based on applicable regulations. Visit the website for more info @ http://www.wmatyourdoor.com.

Eligible Materials 

In general, most ordinary household chemicals and many electronics are eligible for collection. Only items originating from households are eligible, no business materials are allowed. The quantity of material that is collected at any one time is limited to the items that can fit into the kit bag along with designated items that may be placed outside the bag.

The collection will typically include the following eligible materials:

Household Cleaners

Ammonia

Floor stripper

Drain cleaner

Floor cleaner

Tile/shower cleaner

Carpet/upholstery cleaner

Rust remover

Toilet bowl cleaner

 

Paint Products

Oil based paint

Latex paint

Stripper and thinner

Caulking

Wood preservative and stains

Sealers

Spray paint

Artist paint

 

Automotive Material

Motor oil

Antifreeze

Waxes/Polishes

Cleaners

Brake fluids

Used oil filters

Transmission fluid

Windshield washer fluid

Hydraulic fluid

Vehicle batteries (4 max.)

Gasoline and Diesel fuel (must be placed

in containers designed and sold for the

containment and transportation of fuel (10 gal. max.)

Swimming Pool Chemicals 

Pool acid

Chlorine: tablets, liquids

Stabilizers

 

Mercury Containing Devices 

Thermostats

Thermometers

Switches

 

Garden Chemicals 

Insect sprays/Insecticides

Weed killers

Fertilizer

Herbicides

Pesticides

Other poisons

Misc. Household

Household batteries

Straight fluorescent tubes/ Compact fluorescent bulbs (5 max.)

High intensity lamps

Hobby glue

Driveway sealer (5 gal. max)

Flammable & Combustible Materials

Kerosene

Solvents

 

Electronics with Circuit Boards (25 lbs. total)

Televisions (1 max.)

Computer monitors

CPU/computer tower (1 max.)

Laptop computer

Tablet computer

Keyboard

Mouse

Fax machine

Desktop printer/scanner

CD ROM

DVD/CD/tape player

VCR

Cell phone

MP3 player, iPod, music player

Microwave oven

Related cords

Gaming console