Waste Management sez...

"Separate your trash, yo!"

Wondering what to do with all that trash and debris from Ike's fist? We got cha trash can covered.

Waste Management is working aggressively in its efforts to collect household garbage and trash following Hurricane Ike and is asking residents to separate their household garbage from their storm debris.

Waste Management is almost 100 percent operational and has resumed regular weekly residential and commercial garbage collection for customers in the Houston metro area.

Because of impassable streets in some areas and the expected heavy volume of household garbage, some routes may not be completed on the designated day. In those cases, Waste Management will collect any remaining household garbage from the previous day, starting the following morning.

The leading Houston collector of yo trash is is asking that residents and businesses do the following to help out the trash collection efforts:

• Separate their household garbage from any storm-related debris. This includes placing household garbage in a separate pile from storm debris.


• Do not lean trash or other objects against a garbage can, dumpster or roll-off container.


• They are experiencing 70 to 100 percent increases in the amount of garbage at the curb. If they do not reach your street on the designated collection day, we will complete the route the following morning.

“Waste Management is not picking up storm debris because the city, county and FEMA are coordinating the collection of this material with other third-party contractors,” said Lisa Doughty, spokesperson for Waste Management. “For this reason, separating your household garbage will enable us to pick up your street quickly and safely.”

The company is experiencing heavy volume on both its residential and commercial routes in the area. Between 70 percent and 100 percent increases in the amount of garbage placed at the curb are expected. Collecting this refuse will take time and Waste Management has added additional equipment and personnel to assist in this large collection effort.

Waste Management is collecting household garbage such as food refuse, diapers, newspapers and other waste produced during the week according to the agreements with the city and municipalities it serves. Waste Management is NOT collecting storm debris, which includes rugs, furniture, sheet rock, wood fencing, tree limbs, bags of clothing, refrigerators, household appliances and roofing materials.

SEPARATING HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE AND STORM DEBRIS

As customers return to the areas affected by Hurricane Ike. Waste Management strongly recommends that its residential customers separate their household garbage, such as food, diapers and regular household waste, from debris created by the storms and their aftermath. We ask that customers bag their household garbage and place it at the curb. Storm debris, including refrigerators, household appliances, bags of clothing, tree limbs, carpet and carpet padding, and wood fencing, should be placed in a separate pile or piles.

Separating household waste from storm debris will allow Waste Management employees to collect your household garbage more quickly and safely, helping prevent foul odors and safety hazards that would be created by mixing your household garbage with storm debris. The separation is also necessary to allow Waste Management to collect household waste and to permit others to collect storm debris in accordance with arrangements made by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), county officials and municipalities with contractors independent from Waste Management.