Residential customers in Manteca who had smaller carts have been upgraded to 96-gallon garbage carts and are paying $43.30 a month.
But why doesn’t everyone have 96-gallon blue carts for recycling?
Why are some people seeing $20 or even $40 “extra” charges on the monthly City of Manteca solid waste bills itemized as “SW extra organic?”
And when is the weekly recycling and organic waste collection the city promised going to be implemented?
Now that the city is approaching the 6-month point of the initial implementation of a solid waste collection rate structure designed to enable Manteca to meet state mandates landfill diversion targets and to keep on top of operating costs, Public Works Director Carl Brown offers some insight.
What follows is a bit of trash talk, general issues, and questions a number of residents have about the status of the city’s solid waste efforts and a paraphrasing of what Brown’s answers are:
What haven’t all of the 32- and 64-gallon blue recycling carts been exchanged for 96-gallon carts?
The city is implementing the cart change out as they have the funding to do so.
The decision was made to do the garbage carts first on the assumption the larger 96-gallon cart would reduce contamination of recyclables with garbage from households that had smaller blue carts.
The strategy has been effective in reducing the contamination percentage.
It has also resulted in a significant drop in carts ending up in the truck collection area when they are tipped.
It was a big problem with the 32-gallon carts that also were often damaged and had to be replaced.
When will the rest of the blue carts be exchanged for 96-gallon carts?
The city is now on target to do so by the end of this year.
Why are some people seeing extra monthly charges identified as “SW extra organic?”
It reflects charges for those that place out more than one green cart. It is $20 per month per extra green cart.
Is the city still going to a system where all carts — garbage, recyclables, and organic waste are collected on a weekly basis?
It should happen by the end of the year. The city is currently pursuing options to do so ahead of building revenue upfront that is needed to purchase additional solid waste trucks using 100 percent cash.
Strategies include leasing options.
The city is also in the process of hiring additional solid waste employees.
What if I have multiple green carts and have determined I no longer need them?
You can re-evaluate your situation any time and ask that extra green carts be picked up and the $20 per extra cart charge dropped.
It is something that households with multiple organic waste carts might want to consider once weekly green cart service is put in place.
That will mean instead of green carts being collected every two weeks.It will happen every weekly essentially doubling what you can get rid of via the organic waste cart that includes lawn and garden waste.
Before the new rate structure was implemented, the city did not charge for the extra green carts.
What if I have a cart for some reason is damaged — such as a green cart — that I don’t use any more?
Call the solid waste office and the city will collect it.
Are recyclables still being buried?
The short answer is no.
There is a misconception since the recycling trucks take their loads to the Lovelace Transfer Station that they are being dumped and not recycled.
What happens at Lovelace is the recycling truck load is dumped on the transfer station floor. Any contamination is separated out and hauled to the landfill and the rest recycled.
The city is looking at options beyond 2025 when the Lovelace contact expires in 2025 to allow for the recycling of newspapers, magazines, and even office paper.
Some people are dumping larger items in their larger garbage carts, is that OK?
As long as they are not considered a household hazard, will fit in the cart, and do not exceed the weight limit stamped on the cart it is OK.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
