AUBURN — A new recycling schedule, reducing curbside collections across the city, will begin July 12.
City officials released a schedule and tentative route maps for recycling Tuesday. According to the new schedule, only the frequency of collections will change. The city will continue taking the same recyclables — clear glass, No. 2 plastic, tin cans, card board and paper.
Residents that have their recycling collected will still put the boxes curbside on the same day of the week.
“The difference is frequency,” said Community Relations Coordinator Tracey Steuber. Instead of weekly collections, the city will pick up recycling twice per month. Half of the residents will have their recycling collected on the first and third weeks of the month and half will have theirs collected on the second and fourth weeks.
There will be no recycling collections on the fifth week of any month.
Gary Wadsworth, operations manager for Auburn Public Works, said he drew up the new routes after talking to the recycling drivers. The next step is to design the driver’s step-by-step routes.
The new schedule is the same as one tested in New Auburn earlier this year. Steuber, who lives on Pownal Road in New Auburn, said the less frequent collections did take some getting used to.
“If you are used to weekly collections, it can be confusing,” Steuber said. “It messed me up more than once, but I finally got it down. And when you do, it’s fine.”
One complaint New Auburn residents had was that the city didn’t notify them of the changes. Steuber said the city plans to distribute schedules and route information to residents within the next few weeks. Recycling crews will put fliers and schedules in the recycling bins detailing the changes. Full schedules and route maps will be available on the city’s website, as well.
The new schedule is designed to save the city money while a new solid waste contract is negotiated. The city’s contract with Pine Tree Waste looks to expire in July 2011 and a new program could include single stream recycling as part of the regular trash collections. That would let residents put all of their recycling in a single bin for curbside collections.
Councilors opted for the less frequent collections while the new contract is worked out.
“I think it’s an important service to a lot of different people,” Steuber said. “People really seemed to want collections to continue, so the city found a way to do it that was cost effective.”
Auburn Recycling Routes
Effective July 12
On Mondays, the city collects recycling in the northern part of Auburn. Residents that have their trash collected on Mondays and live south and east of Lake Auburn will have their recycling collected on the first and third Mondays of each month. Residents that have their trash collected on Mondays and live north and west of Lake Auburn and residents living on Hatch Road will have their recycling collected on the second and fourth Mondays of the month.
On Tuesdays, the city collects recycling in the Lake Street neighborhood. Residents that have their trash collected Tuesdays and live east of Lake and Park streets will have their recycling collected on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Residents that have their trash collected Tuesdays and live west of Lake and Park streets will have their recycling picked up on the second and fourth Tuesdays.
On Wednesdays, the city collects recycling downtown and around Taylor Pond. Residents that have their trash collected Wednesdays and live around Taylor pond will have their recycling collected on the first and third Wednesday of the month. Residents that have their trash collected Wednesdays and live downtown and east of Court Street will have their recycling picked up on the second and fourth Wednesday.
On Thursdays, the city collects recycling for residents along Minot Avenue, Washington Streets and in between. Residents that have their trash collected Thursdays and live on either side of Minot Avenue will have their recycling collected on the first and third Thursday of the month. Residents that have their trash collected Thursdays and live along Washington Street and on Merrow Road, Fletcher Road and Hotel Road south of Merrow will have their recycling picked up on the second and fourth Thursday.
On Fridays, the city collects recycling in the New Auburn. It’s the only day that won’t change, since the city began the twice-monthly collections there earlier this year.
Residents that have their trash collected Fridays and live west of South Main Street will have their recycling collected on the first and third Friday of the month . Residents that have their trash collected Fridays and live east of South Main Street will have their recycling picked up on the second and fourth Friday.
Comments are no longer available on this story