DAVID: MAKING TRASH DAY
EFFICIENT.
WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR TRASH TO THE
STREET THE DAY BEFORE THE SOLID
WASTE DEPARTMENT COMES AROUND,
YOU NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE
PLACEMENT OF THE BINS.
I SPOKE WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
DEPARTMENT, FINDING OUT HOW TO
PROPERLY RECYCLE, AS WELL AS THE
CORRECT PLACEMENT OF THE TRASH
BINS.
WE ARE JOINED BY MATTHEW,
THE
DIRECTOR FOR SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT FOR THE
CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE.
IT IS ALWAYS GREAT TO HAVE YOU.
IT IS ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BE
ON.
DAVID: RIGHT NOW, FOLKS ARE
RECYCLING, THEY ARE STEPPING UP
THEIR EFFORTS DURING THE
PANDEMIC.
TALK ABOUT WHY PLACEMENT OF THE
BINS IS SO IMPORTANT.
MATTHEW: IT IS IMPORTANT
BECAUSE
IF THEY ARE TOO CLOSE TO EACH
OTHER, OUR TRUCKS CANNOT PICK
THEM UP.
THEY MUST BE SEPARATED BY ABOUT
FIVE FEET WITHOUT ANY
OBSTRUCTIONS IN FRONT OF THEM OR
BEHIND THEM, THAT WAY THE
GRABBERS CAN GRAB THEM AS
NEEDED.
DAVID: WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THE
DRIVERS TYPICALLY FIND?
MATTHEW: THEY WILL EITHER BE TO
CLOSE, OR THERE WILL BE A CAR
PARKED IN FRONT, OR SOME PEOPLE
THINK THEY WANT TO SEND A LARGE
ITEM OUT TO BE PICKED UP AND
THEY WILL LEAN AGAINST THE CART.
WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PICK THAT
UP BECAUSE IT WILL BE
OBSTRUCTING IN ARMS FROM
GRABBING THE BIN.
DAVID: THAT WOULD DEFEAT THE
PURPOSE OF TRYING TO GET THOSE
ITEMS IN THE TRASH.
MATTHEW: ABSOLUTELY.
ONE OTHER THING THAT OBSTRUCTS
THINGS IS A CART THAT IS
OVERFILLED.
I HAVE ONE HERE AND PEOPLE WILL
FILL THEM UP TO WHERE THEY ARE
STICKING UP LIKE THIS.
AND WHEN THEY GRAB IT, THEY
CANNOT GRAB IT BECAUSE IT
SQUEEZES THE BIN AND CAUSES
THINGS TO SPILL OUT ON THE
STREET.
NOT ONLY SHOULD THEY BE FIVE
FEET APART, BUT YOU NEED TO MAKE
SURE THAT THE LID FITS SNUGLY,
THAT WAY IT CAN BE SQUEEZED.
IF IT IS OVERFILLED, AND THEY
SQUEEZE IT, IT CREATES A BIGGER
MESS.
DAVID: THAT IS GOOD TO KNOW.
ARE THERE ANY FINES THAT PEOPLE
COULD FACE FOR THAT?
MATTHEW: IF WE HAVE TO COME BACK
OUT, YOU COULD BE CHARGED FOR
EXTRA PICKUP.
IF THE CARD WAS BLOCKED, WE HAVE
TO COME BACK OUT, THAT COULD BE
AN EXTRA CHARGE.
OR IF IT WAS OVERFILLED, WE
WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK OUT, YOU
WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE SOME OF THE
TRASH OR RECYCLABLES, THEN WE
HAVE TO CHARGE YOU FOR AN EXTRA
PICKUP.
THE SAME THING WITH RECYCLING.
MANY TIMES PEOPLE DO NOT BREAK
DOWN THE BOXES IN THE RECYCLING
BIN.
THERE IS A LID.
YOU NEED TO BREAK DOWN THE
BOXES, SO THE LID FITS AND
THEN TRUCKS CAN PICK THEM UP.
DAVID: WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE REMIND
THEMSELVES OF ON PICKUP DAY?
MATTHEW: MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN
STAND IN BETWEEN AND PUT UP BOTH
OF YOUR ARMS.
YOU SHOULD SEE PLENTY OF ROOM.
AND MAKE SURE THAT THINGS FIT,
THAT THERE IS NOTHING IN FRONT
OF THE CARTS, AND THEN YOU
SHOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM.
DAVID: RIGHT NOW, TO KIND OF
RECAP WHAT CANNOT GO INSIDE OF
THE RECYCLING BIN, WHERE CAN WE
FIND THAT INFORMATION?
MATTHEW: CAB
2.GOV/SOLID WASTE.
YOU WILL SEE A LIST OF THINGS
YOU CAN PUT IN THE RECYCLING
BIN, AND THINGS IT CANNOT.
YOU CAN GO TO KEEP ALBUQUERQUE
BEAUTIFUL.COM AS WELL.
DAVID: DO NOT PACK THEM TO WHERE
THEY ARE OVERFILLED AND CANNOT
CLOSE.
MATTHEW: THE LID NEEDS TO BE
ABLE TO CLOSE.
DAVID: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
MATTHEW: HAVE A GOOD DAY.
DAVID: IT IS 7:23 A.M.