On Nextdoor – https://nextdoor.com/p/_5KDfqzR97Qw?view=detail&init_source=search&query=trash%20hauler
Do you live in unincorporated DuPage County or have friends or family that do? Please watch at the end of July for a postcard with a QR code, mailed by the Environmental Division, that will ask you to participate in a survey about your trash hauler experience and what your preferences are.
Currently, unincorporated areas unlike municipalities do not have a single trash hauler. Some neighborhoods have four and five trash days a week and up to six companies that service their neighborhoods. As the environmental chair of the county, I am always looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and I think this is an easy one. The advantages would be a contract with a single service provider for an extended period where they would not be able to raise your rates, less trucks on your streets (especially during summer months when children are out and about in their neighborhoods), improved neighborhood appearance, better service for less and it would make it easier to clear roads after a significant snowfall.
We truly do want to know how you feel about this issue. Three townships have put it to voters who said yes! they preferred one hauler. Six others have not. The feedback I get from those townships with a single hauler is that people are satisfied with the service. It is my hope to put out bids for those six townships to improve service and lower costs. Think about it, five days a week having your street lined with trash cans, trash companies that come way too early in the morning every day, and price increases at the whim of the trash companies. A single hauler contract would assure the best price for you! Our first survey asking about what residents pay found a wide range from $20-$100 per month. I would also like to add lawn waste and food scrap pickup as well.
I want to know how our voters feel! My opinion is that trash pickup is a public service much like electric or gas service. We collectively use those services without a choice of provider. This is your opportunity to help design the type of service people actually want! If you have questions about this or want further details, please reach out to me at:
Sheila.rutledge@DuPageCo.org Sheila Rutledge DuPage County Environmental Chair