POLICY STATEMENT 83

SOLID WASTE COLLECTION

Prepared by: Robert K. Fisher

Supersedes: 8/12/1993

Adopted by Council: 5/26/2005

Effective: 5/26/2005

POLICY PURPOSE:

The purpose of this statement is to establish the official policy for the Town of Cary pertaining to the collection of solid waste within its municipal limits.  This statement also establishes the Town’s official policy on the two key components of its strategy to reduce its solid waste stream, the yard and leaf waste collection program and the recyclable materials collection program.  Finally, this statement establishes the Town’s policy regarding the use of the solid waste disposal convenience center.

COVERAGE:

This policy, upon adoption by the Town Council, shall apply to all residents and businesses within the municipal limits that receive and pay for solid waste collection services furnished by the Town and to all residents and businesses in any areas annexed in the future, until such time that this Policy Statement is revised or rescinded by the Town Council.

POLICY:

The Town of Cary hereby establishes the following policy:

I.  Solid Waste Collection:

Solid waste collection from residences and businesses within the municipal limits that are provided with such services shall be performed as follows:

    A.  In General:

Solid waste shall be collected by the Town or its agents from each customer’s solid waste container, at the location of that container, provided the container is kept by the customer in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Ordinances.

    B.  Collection Service:

The solid waste collection service provided by the Town shall consist of once per week “backyard garbage” and “curbside trash” collection.  The Town shall also provide each customer with once per week collection of yard waste and once per week curbside collection of recyclable materials, as set forth in subsequent sections of this policy.

    C.  Collection Schedule:

Each collection will be in accordance with a schedule for collections published annually by the Department of Public Works and Utilities.  This schedule will also show variances from the regular collections schedule made to accommodate holidays.  The Town will make a reasonable effort to distribute this collection schedule to, and otherwise inform, all solid waste collection customers of the collection schedule.  The Town will also provide information to each new solid waste collection customer about the Town’s collection practices and schedules.

    D.  Solid Waste Not Collected:

The Town will not collect any of the following materials if they are placed in solid waste containers or at curbside:  earth; rocks; masonry products; concrete; lead-acid batteries; tire; scrap metal; wood or lumber with any cross-sectional dimension larger than four (4) inches or longer than four (4) feet; construction materials such as, but not limited to, sheet rock, plaster, asphalt shingles, porcelain plumbing fixtures; solid and liquid wastes prohibited from collection and/or disposal in sanitary landfills by county or state regulations or by state or federal law. 

    E.  Curbside Collection:

Solid waste materials placed at curbside for collection will be collected by the Town or its agents with or on the same day as the “backyard” solid waste collection.  Curbside solid waste may consist of items too large or bulky to be placed in the regular solid waste container, but are limited by the materials listed in subsection 1. D. of this policy. Curbside trash includes rubbish, lamps, telephones, small hand appliances, clothes, buckets, shovels and other miscellaneous “junk” resulting from cleaning out the attic or garage.

    F.  Suspension of Collection Schedule:

      1.  In the case of emergencies arising from an act of God, or under circumstances over which the Town has or had no control, the collection schedule may be suspended by the Director of Public Works and Utilities after consulting with and upon receiving the concurrence of the Town Manager.

      2.  Any solid waste collections that were missed during the schedule suspension will not be made up.  The collection schedule will resume at the earliest possible time following the emergency or circumstance that required the suspension of routine solid waste collections.  The resumption of solid waste collection will be in accordance with the schedule for that day.

II.  Yard and Leaf Waste Collection:

Yard and leaf waste collection from residences within the municipal limits that are provided with such service shall be performed as follows:

    A.  Fall and Winter Leaf Collection Season:

Between November 1 and March 31, which is the fall and winter leaf collection season, residents desiring leaf waste collection by the Town or its agents shall rake their leaves behind the existing curbline of the street, or, where no such curbline exists, the leaves shall be placed off the street pavement and between the roadside ditch and the front property line.  During this time, the Town or its agents shall collect all leaves raked to the street in accordance with a schedule published by the Department of Public Works and Utilities.

    B.  Christmas Tree Collection:

In accordance with a schedule published by the Public Works and Utilities Department, residents desiring Christmas tree collection by the Town or its agents shall place their Christmas tree behind the existing curbline of the street or, where no such curbline exists, the Christmas tree shall be placed off the street pavement and between the roadside ditch and the front property line.  All tinsel, screws, wire, ribbon and other non-vegetative materials shall be removed from the Christmas tree by residents prior to being set out for collection.  Wreaths may be set out by residents for collection provided that the wreaths are free from wire, screws, metal frames, ribbons, and other non-vegetative material.

    C.  Normal Yard Waste Collection:

Any person desiring yard waste collection shall place that material in paper yard waste bags behind the existing curbline of the street or, where no such curbline exists, that material shall be placed off the street pavement and between the roadside ditch and the property line.  Yard waste materials such as limbs, shrubs, plant or hedge clippings shall be tied securely in bundles not heavier than fifty (50) pounds, not more than four (4) feet in length, and not more than twenty-four (24) inches in diameter with no individual pieces more than four (4) inches in diameter.  All such bundled yard waste materials shall be placed behind the existing curbline of the street, or where no such curbline exists, the bundled yard waste shall be placed off the street pavement and between the roadside ditch and the property line.

All such material will be collected by the Town or its agents once per week, on the day of the week set forth for yard waste collection in the solid waste collection schedule published annually by the Department of Public Works and Utilities.

    D. Free From Contaminants:

      1.  Yard and leaf waste materials placed at curbside in paper yard waste bags, or in properly prepared bundles for collection, shall be free from contamination by materials that are not included in the definition of yard and leaf waste materials contained in the Code of Ordinances.  If yard and leaf waste materials are found to be contaminated, those offending contaminants shall be removed from the leaf and yard waste materials by the Town or its agents and shall be left at curbside for proper disposal by the resident.

      2.  Yard and leaf waste placed at curbside in plastic bags will be left and will not be collected until the waste material is properly prepared.

    E. Limitations of Service:

      1.  Yard and leaf waste too small to be bundled must be placed at curbside in paper yard waste bags or in containers that are returnable to the resident.

      2.  All yard waste that is too small to be bundled, which can not be handled in a bundle and which is loose, will not be picked up.

      3.  No bundles, bags, containers or boxes shall weigh more than fifty (50) pounds.

      4.  The maximum volume of curbside yard waste for regular collection at each residence on one day shall be equal to or less than 240 cubic feet (8 feet long by 5 feet wide by 6 feet high), and must allow loading into the collection vehicle by two men in ten (10) minutes.

III.  Recyclable Materials Collections:

    A.  In General:

The curbside recycling program is one of the key components of the Town’s strategy to reduce its solid waste stream.  The Town sponsors this recycling program for selected solid waste materials which comprise a significant part of the solid waste stream.  The list of the recyclable solid waste materials to be collected at curbside will be prescribed annually as a part of the Department of Public Works and Utilities annual operating budget.

    B.  The Collection Schedule:

Each solid waste collection customer will be provided curbside recyclable materials collection once each week in accordance with a schedule published annually by the Department of Public Works and Utilities.  Each customer will be informed if his designated collection day changes.

    C.  Other:

Information about which solid waste materials are collected at curbside for recycling and about how to properly prepare each of those recyclable materials for collection will be furnished by the Town to each curbside recycling customer.

IV.  Solid Waste Citizens’ Convenience Center:

    A.  In General:

The solid waste disposal convenience center is provided for use by all Town residents who pay monthly sanitation fees.  The center is a manned facility with provisions for trash, household garbage, recyclables, yard waste, bulky items, and appliance disposal. (Refer to fee schedule in the budget document for appliance fees.)

    B.  Limitations on Service:

There are certain limitations on the solid wastes which can be disposed of at this facility which include, but are not limited to:

      1.  This facility is not for use by contractors, builders, developers or individuals acting as their own builder or contractor by performing home or building construction, remodeling, repair, reconstruction or demolition, for the disposal of materials resulting from their activities and endeavors.

      2.  This facility will not accept:  stumps; logs; land clearing debris; lumber, firewood or limbs having any cross-section dimension larger than six (6) inches or that is more than eight (8) feet long; garbage; tire; lead-acid batteries; appliances; earth; rocks; masonry products; concrete; scrap metal; hazardous wastes, such as, but not limited to, used motor oil, radiator coolant, diesel fuel, gasoline, kerosene, paint thinner, varsol or solvents of any type; agricultural chemicals, pesticides, herbicides or the discarded containers of such.

      3.  Individuals using this facility to dispose of yard waste shall be limited to the equivalent of one (1) visit every seven (7) days with a maximum load of approximately 240 cubic feet per visit [ eight (8) feet long by five (5) feet wide by six (6) feet high].

      4.  All yard and leaf waste materials shall be separated and placed only in the containers so marked, or as directed by the personnel on duty at this facility.