Back on June 30, Wilmington Apple asked — How do you feel about the new automated trash & recycling program starting tomorrow? Responses ran the gamut. They included:
- I feel as though there have been way too many complaints… And the program hasn’t even started yet! People need to settle down and see how it goes for at least a month. Give it a try, give it time to have any kinks worked out, and see how it goes! IF your family needs more space, you can get another barrel… And yes.. It’s going to cost you. It is what it is!
- Would help if we actually got the trash barrels!!!!
- It should be flexible from a senior living alone to a family with a bunch of kids. Can’t generate the same trash amts
- They seem to be a decent size. Once we started filling our barrels they seem like they’ll be just fine. We are a family of five.
- The illegal dumping is going to increase big time
- It will work fine once we all get used to it but I don’t think one barrel of each fits every size family. If the idea is to help us recycle better/more why not give two recycling barrels or better yet pick up recycling every week. We already fill two large barrels with recycling and that will increase. My family of five will need two of each. I also don’t think paying a yearly fee for the second barrel is right. One time fee.
- My recycle bin is full already and I don’t get picked up until Friday. I called for a second recycling bin, you can purchase it now, but you can’t pick it up for 3 weeks. What am I supposed to do with all my recyclables…? I’m not happy thus far.
- I’m sure it will work out. However, my concern is with the elderly. Those barrels could be difficult and cumbersome for them.
- I’m so glad my 3 kids are out of diapers because having only one barrel would’ve caused a stinky problem! I’m going to see how it goes before I give my thoughts on it. I do agree, though, that assuming every household will have the same amount of trash/recycling is not ok. A single guy/gal is not going to have as much trash or recycling as my family of 5. I guess time will tell.
- Little consideration for our senior citizens went into this decision. Also, i would like to know where the liability lies when a taxpayer gets hurt while moving the towns property that the town forced us to use? I asked a town employee at the farmers market why this wasn’t put to a vote, his response was and I quote…”we can’t have taxpayers making every decision.” Really? 10 year contract….nice job!
- Its a terrible idea. No idea why the signed a 10 year deal for this. Also don’t like the reasoning of, ” Well every other town is doing it.”. What if you want to throw out a couch? Or something that can’t fit in the barrel? Saving the town less than $2k a week. Not worth it in my book.
- I’m optimistic about encouraging more recycling. It will be an adjustment but in the long run I think that it will be ok. I have five kids so we will see how one recycling barrel works for us but I’m guessing that we will need two as we go through two gallons of milk a day. I think that the the one trash barrel will be fine for normal use but I will certainly be utilizing the extra bags a few times a year- particularly at Christmas.
- So what’s going to happen when winter comes and the snow mounds are too high? Do they expect us to shovel out slots for the barrels and make sure they are still 3 feet apart???
- Very happy about the new trash bins and decision to use the automated system. It would be nice if recycling was picked up every week.
- It seems to work just fine in Burlington, Tyngsboro, and other towns that I’ve seen it in
Here’s Wilmington Apple’s Question of the Day for August 6: It’s been more than a month since the town has started using automated trash and recycling collection. From your perspective, is the new system working well?
Let Wilmington know your thoughts via the Wilmington Apple Facebook page, via the Wilmington Apple Twitter page, in the comments section below, or via email at wilmingtonapple@gmail.com. Any responses may be used in a future article.
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