Garbage Pickup Going High-Tech Spokane’s On The Verge Of A Garbage Revolution.

A new automated collection system designed to streamline trash pickup begins in 10 city neighborhoods next month.

“There’s a lot of advantages,” said Solid Waste Director Dennis Hein. “It’s more economical. It helps with labor turnover.

“And the most important aspect is it’s a more convenient and cleaner service for citizens.”

The specialized garbage trucks and trash carts make it possible for one worker to do the work of two - and do it faster.

Each truck has an arm that picks up the cart and dumps the contents into the truck. One worker can collect trash from 800 to 900 homes a day, instead of the 500 to 600 homes of the normal, two-person collection system.

About 8,500 homes - five routes on the North Side, five on the South Hill - will take part in the pilot program.

Beginning the end of March and the first of April, those homes will receive a letter and brochure detailing the program. About a week later, they’ll get an automated cart with a capacity equal to that of their present service.

Twenty-gallon carts will replace mini-can service, 32-gallon carts will replace one-can service, 64-gallon carts will replace two-can service and 96-gallon carts will replace three-can service.

The carts have wheels and a hinged lid, and cost on average $42.99 each. The city bought 10,000 carts earlier this year for $465,217. Last fall, the city bought three automated trucks for $145,000 each.

Each household gets its first cart free. If it’s lost or stolen, the homeowner will be charged for the replacement. If it’s damaged due to wear and tear, the city will either fix it or replace it.

Automated service begins the week of April 10 for those living in the South Hill pilot areas, the week of April 17 for those living in the North Side areas.

Narrow, unpaved alleys mean most customers will be asked to put their carts on the front curb for collection, Hein said. Cars should be parked no closer than 10 feet to the cart on collection day.

A certified letter from a medical doctor will make it possible for people with disabilities or poor health to have their carts wheeled to the curb for free on collection day.

Tacoma started its automated collection program nearly 15 years ago, and more than “80 percent of the people are satisfied with the service,” said Maria Stewart, assistant to the Solid Waste Department’s route supervisor.

Most complaints in Tacoma stem from the fact the city offers only two cart sizes - 60-gallon and 90-gallon barrels.

“They think that a smaller cart would encourage recycling,” Stewart said.

Eric Merrill, division president of Waste Management of Spokane, which collects trash from homes outside the city on the North Side, said his company plans to “see how it goes in the city.

“Automated collection is very, very efficient,” he said. “We’re definitely considering it.”

Dewey Strauss, owner of Valley Garbage Service, said his company has no plans to move to automated collection.

Some people have criticized the city’s plan because it cuts the number of manual labor jobs. Right now, about 50 people collect garbage from 60,000 Spokane homes. If the city were fully automated, about 20 people would be cut from the collection staff.

Reductions will occur only through attrition or transfers to other departments, Hein said.

Benefits of the program include more stable collection costs and fewer job-related injuries, he said.

The City Council will decide this fall during the budgeting process whether to expand the program to other neighborhoods. It would take about five years to automate the entire city, Hein said.

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