The number of people living in Stamford a decade ago was about 126,000. Today it’s more than 137,000. The amount of garbage collected in 2013 was nearly 48,000 tons. Last year it was 76,000 tons. So the population increased almost 9 percent, but the volume of garbage rose 58 percent.
An explanation for the disproportion lies not only in the rising number of residents, but in the city’s building boom, and in the state’s unsettled garbage market. “The collection routes are longer, the volume is greater, and the loads are heavier,” said Dan Colleluori, Stamford’s director of recycling and sanitation. “We’re picking up more residences. We’re picking up more garbage downtown and in the parks.”
Two years ago “we did almost 70,000 tons of garbage out the door. Last year it was 76,000 tons,” Colleluori said. “This year we projected 76,000 tons again, but it looks like it will be more like 85,000 tons. Is that from increased population density? Partially. It’s also from many more contractors bringing their garbage to us.”