Waste Management Collection Transition Causes Some Concerns & Frustration In Falls Twp.

A Waste Management truck collects trash with the new automated method on January 6 in Middletown Township. Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

Waste Management’s upcoming transition to automated trash and recycling collection has generated confusion and concern among some residents and township officials after a recent change to collection days.

The company, which provides no-cost trash and recycling pickup to Falls Township residents due to its local landfills, is moving to an automated system to address staffing challenges, reduce spillage, and improve worker safety, Bob Jones, a Waste Management manager, announced to the Falls Township Board of Supervisors in March.

As part of the transition, residents will receive 96-gallon wheeled carts for both trash and recycling.

While twice-weekly collection will continue, some households have already seen their collection days change.

The initial phase of changing collection days, which took effect for some residents on Monday, drew criticism from about a half dozen residents and Falls Board of Supervisors Chairperson Jeff Dence at this week’s supervisors meeting.

Concerns were raised about the lack of formal notification to the township and insufficient time to update the township’s interactive online trash collection map, leading to confusion.

“This is not something that Falls Township asked for or wanted,” Dence said, adding that he and the township have been fielding emails and calls from residents. “This isn’t something that we agreed to do.”

Waste Management spokeswoman Patty Barthel said the change in collection days was aimed at “balancing out our workforce.”

The planned delivery of the new 96-gallon carts, which is tentatively scheduled to begin at the end of May, also sparked concerns, largely among residents of the Oxford Crossing development.

Several residents voiced worries about having adequate space for the larger carts and the potential difficulty for senior citizens and individuals with mobility issues to move them to the curb.

Charles Benkert, a disabled veteran living on Liberty Drive, said he is likely to have physical challenges with the new carts.

“I’m a 100 percent disabled veteran. I have five holes in me,” Benkert said. “I cannot see the advantage to this. We already have a garbage can. It does the exact same thing.”

Waste Management officials, according to Barthel, plan to meet with Oxford Crossing residents to address their concerns.

“We have no desire to make this an inconvenience for the residents,” Barthel said.

A Waste Management hauling manager also assured a resident the company wants to work with them.

“We are by no means going to be the enemy in this. We will help you resolve this so everybody is happy. There’s still two months till we go live with this and we will figure this out. I guarantee you,” he said.

To inform residents about the changes, Waste Management has used direct-mail postcards, purchased ads on LevittownNow.com, and plans to send an instructional brochure with the new carts.

Frequently asked questions were distributed at Monday’s meeting and will be posted on the Falls Township website.

Residents unsure of their current collection dates can view an interactive map on the Falls Township website at https://www.fallstwp.com/information/trash-collection/.

Waste Management officials also announced a change to their customer service process. Residents can now call 1-800-869-5566 and provide their address (an account number is no longer required) to request a smaller trash receptacle, a second can, report missed pickups, or schedule a bulk pickup. The service requests can also be made online at www.wm.com.

Once the new carts are delivered, Barthel said Waste Management can haul away old trash cans if they are “marked appropriately.”

The company intends for residents to receive the new carts about a month before automated collection begins on June 28 to allow time to become familiar with them.

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