Rain, aging trucks and yard debris slowed on-street yard pile collection across the city
By ALMA CULVERWELL — city@theaggie.org
Recology Davis is continuing on-street debris collection this week after an unusually high volume of yard waste prevented crews from collecting all piles during last week’s scheduled pickup.
The amount of leaves, branches and other yard debris placed on streets across the city exceeded what crews were able to collect within the original pickup window, according to Recology Davis’s social media posts. Residents who still have uncollected piles are advised not to worry, as collection will continue throughout the week until all remaining material is picked up.
Jennifer Gilbert, conservation coordinator for the City of Davis, explained the ongoing partnership the city shares with Recology Davis. This waste agreement authorizes Recology Davis to collect trash, recyclables, organics and more, and for them to perform street sweeping within city limits.
“The [Davis] City Council decides on the level of collection service — including how frequently yard material piles are collected and when,” Gilbert said. “The current yard material pile collection schedule was adopted by the city council in 2019. Recology Davis is our contracted waste hauler, and it is the company that implements the programs selected by the city.”
Gilbert further explained the logistics involved with the Recology pickup.
“Recology trucks, like any vehicle, are only allowed to carry a certain amount of weight so that they don’t damage roadways,” Gilbert said. “When it’s raining, the piles of leaves collect water and are heavier than normal, causing the trucks to meet their weight limits before the trucks are filled — necessitating more frequent trips to the composting facility at the landfill and increasing the time it takes to complete a collection route. The composting facility closes at 4 p.m., so working longer days does not solve the problem, causing collection routes that can usually be completed in one day to take two days or longer to finish.”
Gilbert also described the difficulty in predicting weather conditions and potential waste generated as a result of yearly variations.
“Peak leaf drop season can be difficult to estimate given the changing climate and variations year over year,” Gilbert said. “When we have significant leaf drop, there are so many leaves on the street that, even without the rain adding to the weight, it can be very difficult to collect all the leaves in a timely manner.”
Aging equipment has also contributed to service delays. Gilbert noted that the trucks used for on-street yard pile pickup are specially designed for the service and cannot be easily replaced.
“These trucks tend to break down and need repairs, which can also cause delays in collection service,” Gilbert said. “With the end of the current hauling contract coming up, the replacement of the equipment is understandably on hold. The city will begin the process to look at a new waste hauling contract this summer, and will be considering changes to service levels at that time, including on-street yard material pile collection service.”
All correspondence regarding pickup delays are communicated through Recology’s Facebook. Davis’ Recycling Program also shares these delays on its Facebook to keep residents informed. In their posts, residents are encouraged to reach out directly to Recology Davis if they have specific questions about when their pile will be collected.
Gilbert noted the collaborative role that the City of Davis plays alongside Recology.
“The city provides regular outreach to residents about yard material collection service, the collection schedule and rules regarding pile placement,” Gilbert said. “This outreach is provided via direct mailers to residents, utility bill inserts, social media posts and articles in the Greener Davis newsletter and other available media. Since the city does not provide the actual collection service, notifications about delays come from the service provider directly.”
Recology Davis is also reminding residents to prioritize filling their green organics carts before placing additional yard material on the street. Using organic carts first helps streamline collection and ensures more efficient service during periods of heavy yard waste generation.
Gilbert echoed this recommendation for residents awaiting trash pickups.
“Customers can help speed collection by filling their organics carts with yard materials before placing leaves and other yard materials on the street for collection,” Gilbert said. “This is actually required by the City Municipal Code, since on-street yard material collection is only intended for materials that cannot fit into the organics cart. It speeds collection if Recology doesn’t have to spend time picking up tiny piles of yard materials, and allows Recology more time to focus on piles of bigger stuff that can’t fit into organics carts.”
Cindy Scott, a longtime Davis resident who has lived in the city for 40 years, explained how she misses the days when the streets were swept weekly by the City of Davis.
“It was every Tuesday in my neighborhood, the day after the yard waste piles were picked up,” Scott said. “There was far less debris in the streets when sweeping was weekly instead of monthly.”
City officials encourage residents to follow placement and timing guidelines for yard material to help crews complete actions as efficiently as possible.
By Alma Culverwell— city@theaggie.org
