Jayne Kirkpatrick, Director, Public Affairs

 

For more information: Solid Waste Services Department, 919-996-6890

 

Aug. 29, 2013

 

Solid Waste Collection Schedules to Change Next Week

For More Than 43,000 Raleigh Households

The City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services Department reminds all customers of its new route schedule for garbage, recycling, and yard waste collection. More than 43,000 Raleigh households will see a change in their collection day, their recycling week, or both starting the week of Sept. 3.

Due to staffing limitations, Raleigh Solid Waste Services is unable to provide repeat collection service if customers miss their assigned day for collection. With the changes in the route structure, collection times may vary within any particular route. Many customers are accustomed to seeing their favorite garbage, recycling, or yard waste crew service their street at a particular time of day. Starting in September, customers can expect to see crews working at different times and places. Crews may service an entire day’s route in a new pattern, leading to collection service being provided earlier or later in the day than is provided currently. Customers must place their garbage, recycling, and yard waste at the curbside no earlier than noon the day before or no later than 7 a.m. on their collection day. Additional information about proper set-out of garbage, recycling, and yard waste is available on the city website ().http://www.raleighnc.gov/home/content/SolidWaste/Articles/GarbagePreparation.html

 In June, the Solid Waste Services Department mailed postcards to all customers affected by the schedule changes. Customers also may use the maps feature of the City website at http://www.raleighnc.gov/maps to determine if they will have a change in service this fall.

Each summer, Raleigh Solid Waste Services provides every customer with a printed calendar showing the biweekly schedule for recycling collection. This year, the calendars included helpful information about the schedule changes. The department mailed calendars to more than 80,000 Raleigh households. Customers who received a new roll-out cart for recycling this summer received a calendar attached to their cart. Every customer should review their calendar to determine if they have been assigned a new collection day, recycling week, or both. Calendars are also available for download on the City’s website at http://www.raleighnc.gov/home/news/content/CorNews/Articles/SWSSeptemberChanges.html.

The purpose for changing the route structure is largely due to Raleigh’s rapid growth. From the 2000 Census to 2012, Raleigh’s population has grown by 53 percent, with a 45.2 percent increase in housing units between 2000 and 2011. These numbers have practical implications on the Solid Waste Services Department’s ability to maintain appropriate service levels for all customers. Currently, the department’s daily routes are out of balance with each other. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, City crews service about 50 percent more households than on Thursdays. By changing the collection schedule, daily routes will be more balanced, ensuring more reliable service. 

To create the new routes, the Solid Waste Services Department staff used the routing technology software RouteSmart. The system, widely used by parcel delivery services and utility companies, employs best practices in developing turn by turn directions in a way that conserves fuel, improves mileage, enhances safety, and cuts costs. Since being implemented by the City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services Department in 2009, RouteSmart has enabled the department to streamline its collection services while using these best practices.

For more information about these changes, call the City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services Department at 919-996-6890 or visit the City’s website at www.raleighnc.gov.