Talkin’ trash: Allentown extends hauler survey after decade long contract set to expire

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — City officials have launched — and now extended — a survey to collect residents’ experiences with its trash and recycle services.

“The city of Allentown believes that clean and well-kept neighborhoods are an important piece to keeping Allentown a vibrant and livable community,” according to an introduction posted with the survey. “With your help, we think the survey below can provide the city with important feedback as to how well the current waste collection is meeting that goal city-wide, and how the service might be improved.”

After almost a decade with the same trash hauler, the city’s contract with Waste Management is expiring. Before bidding opens later this year, officials are asking residents to share their experiences and opinions through a Waste Collection Satisfaction Survey.

And, residents are getting more time to participate. While the original deadline was Wednesday, officials said it's been extended to Feb. 29.

“We’re hoping residents can use the survey [to] tell us what they most value about their trash collection services,” said Genesis Ortega, city spokesperson, adding that the city has a contract with Waste Management for five years followed by four one-year extensions.

LehighValleyNews.com has requested information on how many surveys have so far been completed.

The survey, which officials said takes about two minutes to complete, includes questions about household size, bulk trash and recycling habits, as well as how residents would rank the importance of quality service, cost, and consistent and timely collection.

Currently, city trash is collected twice a week, with recycling and yard waste once weekly, according to the city’s website. Residents must place trash and recycling outside their homes between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. on the night of collection.

Guidelines include:

• Trash: A maximum of five bags of trash (maximum 40 lb. weight and 30-gallon size per bag) or two trash cans per collection night (maximum 70 lb. weight and 32-gallon volume per can).
• Bulk: One bulk item per week, on the second collection night; Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Examples of bulk include one piece of furniture, a mattress and box spring set, or a 40 lb. maximum of construction material.
• Recycling: Unlimited amount of household plastics, papers, cardboard, glass, cans and cartons. City-issued recycling containers must be used. Recyclables should not be bagged. Cardboard may be flattened and placed next to the recycling bin. 
• Yard Waste: Only collected curbside from April to November on recycling night

Recycling bins are available for pick up from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the city’s Recycling Office, 641 S. 10th St.