The Burlington Department of Public Works is looking into a potential new waste collection system that would consolidate the pickup of trash, recycling and food scraps to the same day. “Our recommendation, we think, is a good balance between achieving the environmental goals, preserving and actually growing good union jobs in the city, and preserving an opportunity for the private sector in a more organized sector to be collecting waste streams in the city,” said Chapin Spencer, the director of the Burlington Department of Public Works.
After a study by third-party consultants that has spanned two years, DPW is proposing a hybrid consolidated system where the city continues to collect the recycling and then selects private haulers to cover different neighborhoods’ trash, instead of having several different companies covering the same streets in Burlington. “There’s going to be interest in ensuring a diversity of haulers, doing our best to support local haulers,” Spencer said.
He says other benefits would be reduced costs to residents with efficient collection routes, fewer environmental impacts and less stress on roads. In terms of food scraps, he says those companies could potentially partner with trash haulers.