Q: What happened to DeKalb County’s new trash pickup system? They have delivered these new containers and are not using the new mechanical arm. They are still picking up trash by hand.
—Frank Burnette, Decatur
A: DeKalb County's sanitation department recently added tippers to all collection trucks as part of the Rolling Forward to One initiative approved in March, department spokeswoman Pauline Andrea told Q&A on the News.
The Rolling Forward plan includes a shift to a standard 65-gallon county-provided garbage container, along with eliminating twice-a-week pickup in favor of one-day-a-week service.
The changes were made to increase efficiency to keep rates constant. The shift to mechanical tippers also is safer for employees.
“Employee injuries due to the lifting of garbage containers were a major concern prior to the implementation of the service change. These tippers allow for the use of a mechanical lift to empty the roll cart’s contents, hence reducing employee injuries,” according to a statement provided by the department.
Using the tippers is standard operating procedure that all collection staff should be following, the department stated.
“Our collection supervisors will continue to reiterate the importance of following this critical procedure,” the department said.
All sanitation trucks have been equipped with tippers and roll carts have been delivered to all single-family detached homes. The department is in the process of delivering carts to townhomes and condominiums, Andrea said.
Allison Floyd with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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