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Cranston council pushes Waste Management to address broken bins, rejected recycling and illegal dumping
Summary
At a June Public Works meeting, council members pressed city directors about frequent illegal dumping, contaminated recycling and a shortage of replacement trash-bin covers and wheels; directors said parts cost about $50 each and the city lacks funding to replace all damaged bins, and asked Waste Management to appear at a future meeting.
Council members used the Public Works Committee on June 9 to press for fixes to persistent solid-waste problems: broken or uncovered cans, delayed parts and high rates of rejected recyclable loads.
Council Vice President Hoyan said she receives frequent constituent complaints about missing covers, wheels and backordered parts. Director Moretti and DPW staff acknowledged supply shortages and said replacement lids and wheels cost roughly $50 each; the city does not currently have funds to replace every damaged bin immediately.
Councilman Banano said rejected mixed/recycling loads cost the city substantially and suggested more oversight of how haulers classify loads. Director Moretti noted that the city paid about $600,000 last year for mixed rejected loads beyond contract estimates and that contamination (wet cardboard, Styrofoam, missing caps) is a major contributor to rejected recycling. He said the city will ask Waste Management to meet with council to discuss operations and contract terms.
Council members asked for a future meeting to evaluate the current contract's service levels and product quality and invited competing haulers to present options before the next renewal. Directors said Waste Management does replace covers and wheels when notified and will supply parts when available, but the city is currently out of spare bins and must budget for replacements.
