Bulletin: First post-snow trash pickups confirmed

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

The announcement’s in from Seattle Public Utilities:

Seattle’s garbage and recycling contractors today resumed collections for some residential customers, mostly in Northeast Seattle, whose normal pickup day is Friday.

Today’s collection work is focusing primarily on garbage and recycling (and not yard waste) on streets that provide safe access. Some neighborhoods still cannot be serviced safely; these areas will be collected next week.

For next week, Monday through Wednesday customers are now scheduled to be collected on their regular pickup days. If your pickup is missed, please continue to leave your garbage out and we will attempt to collect it New Year’s Day (Thursday, Jan. 1) or the following Friday or Saturday (Jan. 2 and 3).

Most commercial routes serving businesses and apartments are being operated today, collecting missed accounts as access allows. Contractors are using extra staff to access and move snow-blocked containers.

Customers whose collections have been delayed may set out their extra garbage at no additional charge. When setting out extra waste, customers are encouraged to place perishable food items in their collection containers and set bagged non-perishable items next to the containers.

Customers who have had their collections missed can also take their waste to Seattle’s Recycling and Disposal stations, where it will be accepted at no charge. The stations will be open today through Wednesday, including Sunday, but closed on New Year’s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1.

Still have questions? We’ve covered the trash situation in so many posts over the past 12 days, they probably need a coverage category of their own – but if you have a question that hasn’t been answered, post it and we’ll either dig up the info or see what we can find out from SPU. Some West Seattle neighborhoods, as you are likely well aware, haven’t been picked up for THREE weeks, since our area got hit so hard by the 12/13-12/14 snow that West Seattle was skipped on the 12/15 Monday runs as well as 12/22.

Joey December 27, 2008 (1:37 pm)

“Customers who have had their collections missed can also take their waste to Seattle’s Recycling and Disposal stations, where it will be accepted at no charge.”

Now *THAT* is one of the most sensible things I’ve read in quite awhile.

Great idea.

Tracy December 27, 2008 (1:39 pm)

Has anyone had their garbage picked up?? And if so, what area of WS?

WSB December 27, 2008 (1:49 pm)

Joey – they’ve been saying that throughout Snowmare ’08, in all the updates we’ve published, fwiw, although I’d say today is the first really good day to make it to a disposal station for those of us without 4WD.
Also, SPU is working on the official answer to the question many have asked – “do we get credit for the missed pickups” – we’ll publish that separately as soon as we get it.
Tracy: I don’t know if anyone in WS actually has Friday pickup, which is what SPU is catching up with today. But as of this point, Monday pickup is supposed to be back on track, hallelujah. Can’t wait for somebody to send us a photo on Monday morning of their trash actually being picked up. – TR

sam December 27, 2008 (2:01 pm)

TR- we usually have Friday pick-up over here near SSCC. no pick up yet. our road is pretty clear, and flat too (ducks)

Deb December 27, 2008 (2:11 pm)

I live just north of Admiral. We normally get Friday pick-up and dutifully put out our pile again this morning. No sign of any trucks. Our streets and alleys are almost totally clear. I haven’t given up hope yet.

Belvidere December 27, 2008 (3:16 pm)

No pick up of trash here yet and usually we are the first pick up of the day at 7:00am sharp. Not sure where they stared. Hope the wind doesn’t blow it all away.

DM December 27, 2008 (3:18 pm)

16th and Holden vicinity: normally picked up Fridays but no trucks yet.

C.A. December 27, 2008 (3:18 pm)

We get Friday pick-up (located near 42nd/Andover) and our massive pile of trash is still sitting there, untouched. :\ Really hoping it’s gone by tomorrow evening. If not, I think we’ll have to double bag a few things and take it to the disposal station.

Charlie December 27, 2008 (3:38 pm)

Concerning alternate recycle/yard waste pickup, any idea which one will be picked up this coming Monday?

ZS December 27, 2008 (3:49 pm)

We saw a garbage (or recycling?) truck barrel down our street this morning (26th Ave. SW) but no sign of it stopping, it just seemed to be passing through.

3:50 and still no pick-up. Our giant pile will stay on the street until taken away.

RobertSeattle December 27, 2008 (4:05 pm)

37th Ave – Stevens block, Nothing as of 4:04 PM.

Sue December 27, 2008 (4:17 pm)

This morning I saw a recycling truck going east on Dawson and then turning north onto Fauntleroy. Our garbage pickup is on Mondays, and I ran to see if they’d picked up in our alley; they had not. So I don’t know exactly what the truck was doing or where it was headed. Hopefully they’ll pick up something from us on Monday, since they missed us the last 2 Mondays.

Elikapeka December 27, 2008 (4:50 pm)

We normally have Friday pickup, but as of 4:45 today, nothing. That will make three weeks for us.

To the city of Seattle – This is inexcusable. Call some overtime and work 24 hours until you catch up, for crying out loud. Don’t tell me to wait again until next week. Provide the basic services that any major city provides. And no, I don’t want to put my garbage in my car and drive to the transfer station.

MNGirl December 27, 2008 (4:54 pm)

Saw on the news yesterday, I think, that on Mercer Island the trucks parked at a specific location and people could take their trash to the truck. We’d gladly pull our trash cans up the street if the big truck would come and wait for us. They really need to be more creative. But on the other hand, I did get my car out of our garage today and manage to run some errands. What a great feeling to actually be out in the fresh air!!

WSB December 27, 2008 (5:27 pm)

On Mercer Island and a couple other Eastside locations, trash trucks went to parks so people could drive up.
http://www.rpin.org/rpinweb/ViewPosting.aspx?PostingID=1299

Same thing as was offered here for people to take their trash to the transfer stations — which MI doesn’t have. The transfer station closest to West Seattle isn’t far at all, at least from the south end, though it requires a significant downhill trip – it’s in South Park.

WSB December 27, 2008 (5:28 pm)

Charlie, according to SPU as per our report yesterday, trash and recycling is their priority. If I had yard waste, I’d put it out too just in case.

Magpie December 27, 2008 (7:03 pm)

The animals are starting to get in the trash in our neighborhood and some of it has been carried down the street…It will be nice to have pick up again..this was our second week with no collections…

RobertSeattle December 27, 2008 (9:42 pm)

Anyone done a transfer station run? How are the lines?

JH December 27, 2008 (10:00 pm)

It’s amazing that a squirrel can actually pull a garbage bag 20 feet and manage to spread the garbage all over my driveway. I wish I could have filmed it for youtube!

WSB December 27, 2008 (10:02 pm)

Not bad, according to a couple comments on earlier posts:
https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=13123#comment-643897
https://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=13123#comment-643876

Cynth December 28, 2008 (6:13 am)

People have probably already complained about this before but I find it incredible that the mail came virtually every day throughout the snow but I haven’t had trash pickup for 3 weeks. I personally thanked the mail carriers for this! I know there was an accident involving a garbage truck but come on. Wouldn’t the trucks be safer on snow/ice because of their weight?

Elikapeka December 28, 2008 (9:42 am)

How about putting chains on them and a plow blade on the front?

Sue December 28, 2008 (9:44 am)

Just saw a truck across the street on Fauntleroy picking up either yard waste or recycling (wasn’t garbage). I looked up their collecton day, and it was scheduled for yesterday (normally Friday). Our side is Monday – hoping they’ll pick up *something* after having missed the past 2 weeks.

sam December 28, 2008 (11:24 am)

If a Friday pick up was supposed to be yesterday, and wasn’t – are we supposed to leave it out for a possible pick up today, or bring it back in and try again next week?

our garbage isn’t overflowing yet, though recycling is, so I’m not making a trip to the disposal station.

WSB December 28, 2008 (11:36 am)

Leave it out for today – they have some crews out and about – I will send that question to the SPU guys and see what they say – TR

WSB December 28, 2008 (11:55 am)

Actually it’s in the most recent announcement from SPU: Thursday and Friday customers should leave their cans out through Sunday.
http://seattle.gov/util/About_SPU/News/News_Releases/SPU01_004132.asp

Val Vashon December 28, 2008 (11:57 am)

Trash day was supposed to be Friday here on 35th Ave SW (which has been clear for a few days now). Still not picked up as of noon Sunday- that makes two pickups missed. As for transfer stations- I’m supposed to put two weeks of stinky garbage in my car or a wet sloppy can in there and take it somewhere? No thanks- that’s why I keep an extra can around from the yard-waste-in-the-can days.

Near Alki December 28, 2008 (1:21 pm)

We live in North Admiral and our normal garbage and recycle day is Friday. I called Seattle Public Utilities and via a recorded message, it sounds to me that my garbage and recycle will not be picked up until next Saturday (the 3rd). My recycle has not been picked up since December 5th. Wouldn’t you know that on Christmas we accumulated an excess of paper and boxes. Now my garbage hasn’t been picked up since the 12th of December, I have 2 full cans of garbage out on the curb, one very full recycle plus a large box of recycle. Plus another week of trash and recycle to go. I’m not about to pile all the rubbish into my luxury auto. We’re a family of 4, one in diapers plus a cat (litter). Seattle Public Utilities needs to work weekends and holidays and late into the evening till they are caught up, and pay the people DOUBLE TIME for holidays, weekends and any hours after 8 in one day. More than 8 hours on a Holiday should be 2 ½ times regular. Extraordinary action is required NOW.