The Streets Department has made significant progress in reducing the number of delays with collecting trash and recycling caused by increased tonnage set out curbside and decreased attendance due to COVID 19. During the weekend the Department  supplemented collections with staff from its Highways Division and other departments the Streets Department has reduced the delays from 3 to 4 days to 1 to 2 days across the City. However, the Department is still experiencing delays in some areas of the City from Thursday and Friday collections.

For the week of July 20, residents should expect delays this week as crews continue to prioritize collecting materials not picked up from last week. Residents are asked to set their materials out at least one day later than their regular scheduled day, however, their materials may be picked up 1-2 days late depending on the volume of materials in a specific area of the City. The volume of material can vary across the city it can be difficult to predict an exact schedule for pickup.

The Streets Department will expand the operating hours of the Sanitation Convenience centers to 7 days a week beginning Monday July 20 to allow residents to bring their trash and recycling material anytime during the week. Drop-off centers will allow residents to dispose of their trash without delays and will help the Streets Department return to a normal collection schedule. Residents will need to show proof of residency to access the drop-off centers with either a driver’s license or a utility bill verifying their address. To find out the locations and operating hours of the sanitation Convenience centers please visit the Sanitation Convenience Centers landing page. All materials set out for pick up are accepted at these facilities.

The Streets Department will make trash collection the priority  to reduce the amount of material left curbside throughout the week to mitigate risks to public health.  Therefore recycling may take longer to collect than trash.

We respectfully ask residents to refrain from placing additional 311 requests for missed trash or recycling collection unless their materials have not been picked up at least four days behind regular schedule. The office has been inundated with calls related to trash and recycling collections.

We understand the public’s concern  over delayed collections and thank them for their patience and cooperation as we work toward returning to a regular collection schedule during this pandemic.