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News
New recycling toters coming next week in Oswego : News : Oswego Ledger-Sentinel : Hometown Newspaper for Oswego and Montgomery, IllinoisNew recycling toters coming next week in Oswego
| Groot to drop off new toters; Allied to collect its toters on garbage day
| by John Etheredge
| 6/21/2012
|
Village of Oswego residents should find new recycling toters at their homes next week.
Groot Industries will be dropping off 65 gallon capacity recycling toters at each village home in anticipation of the firm becoming the village's solid waste and recycling hauler effective July 1.
Meanwhile, the village's current solid waste hauler, Allied Waste Services, Inc., will pick-up their recycling toters from village residents as they complete their final solid waste and recycling pick-up next week.
Dwight Baird, the village's police chief who just completed a one-year stint as the village's interim administrator, detailed the pending change in garbage service during a village homeowners' confederation meeting this past week at village hall.
The homeowners' confederation is comprised of representatives from subdivisions throughout the village.
When questioned by residents, Baird said Groot crews will deliver 65 gallon capacity toters to all homes in the village.
Residents who then desire either a larger or smaller capacity toter will have a two week period to contact Groot to make the switch, Baird said.
Groot crews, he said, will then trade-out the 65 gallon toters with either larger or smaller toters the third week of July.
Baird noted that he personally plans to request a larger capacity toter.
"I want a 95 gallon toter, but I'm going to start out with the 65 gallon and ask for the larger one," Baird said.
He added that Groot will provide residents with a second toter for their garbage upon request.
He noted that under the village's current contract with Allied Waste Services, an estimated 640 village households rent garbage toters from the firm at a cost of $3.47 per month.
Under the village's new five-year contract with Groot, Baird said the cost to rent a garbage toter will be $2 per month for the length of the contract.
Residents will not be charged to rent their recycling toters, he added.
Baird said residents will have the option of purchasing their garbage toter from Groot, which should save them additional money.
"The only drawback is if it gets damaged, you're on the hook for that," he said, adding, "But you're already on the hook if your own garbage can gets damaged."
Same services
but for less money
Baird said the village will soon be mailing out an informational letter on the pending changes in the solid waste and recycling program to all village households.
He noted that Groot will provide the same service on the same days to village residents as Allied Waste only at a cheaper cost.
Baird attributed the savings to the village seeking competitive bids for the contract and changes in the solid waste industry.
Currently village residents pay a monthly fee of $20.44 for their weekly garbage collection service as provided by Allied Services.
Under the new Groot contract, effective July 1 residents will pay $17.25 per month during the first full year of the contract; $18.11 the second year; $19.02 the third year; $19.97 the fourth year; and $20.97 the fifth year.
Senior citizens age 65 and older who qualify for the county's senior assessment freeze currently pay $15.63 per month for their garbage services. Under the new Groot contract seniors will pay $13.80 per month for the contract's first year; $14.49 the second year; $15.21 the third year; $15.98 the fourth year; and $16.77 the fifth year.
Baird told residents they will also save on the cost of yard waste stickers.
Stickers under the Groot contract will be $1 each compared to the current $2.49 cent cost residents pay for the stickers for Allied.
Sticker prices will remain frozen at $1 each for the next five years under the Groot contract, he said.
Baird said the $1 sticker price will remain in effect for the length of the five-year contract.
Baird also reminded residents that a new state law prohibits Groot and all other waste haulers from picking up "white goods" such as refrigerators and other electronic appliances and placing them in landfills.
As an alternative, he said, the village is promoting the recycling of those items. He explained that residents can bring white goods and electronic appliances to the village's recycling events held on the second and fourth Saturday morning each month at the village's public works center, or contact Groot. However, he said Groot will charge residents $35 to take away and recycle white goods.
ERC, an Oswego-based company, accepts white goods for recycling at no charge at the village's recycling event and will also pick-up items at local homes, according to Baird.
Phil Siedlecki, a village resident, suggested residents seeking to dispose of white goods to call village hall for contact information on ERC.
Baird said the village's public works department will continue to offer free brush pick-up on the last full week of each month, while Groot will offer special clean-up days for trash each spring and fall.
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