Waste Management drivers collected more than twice as much accumulated garbage, recycling and food/yard waste as usual throughout the Puget Sound region on Monday.
The company reached and serviced all of its customers, except for a few inaccessible spots.
Collection is proceeding for all regular Tuesday and Wednesday garbage customers, and those scheduled for recycling and/or yard waste collection this week.
Waste Management is accepting double and triple volumes of garbage from residents whose collection has been postponed for two or three weeks.
Waste Management also is providing make-up service as weather allows in the few outlying areas where trucks were unable to access Monday customers. They have called those customers to ask them to leave their containers at the street until they can be emptied.
The company’s customer service center (1-800-592-9995) is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Because of the backlog of postponed service, they are experiencing an unusually high volume of calls, and so they expect that many callers will have long waits. Waste Management encourages residents to get up-to-date collection information and report missed collection online at www.wmnorthwest.com.
Holiday schedule
If a resident’s regularly scheduled collection falls on Thursday or Friday, collection will be one day later this week because of the New Year’s Day holiday on Thursday, when employees will get a much-deserved break with their families after working long hours to service all possible locations.
Remove snow accumulation
To keep containers accessible, please remove snow and extra material from around or on top of them. Set extra material aside, and the collector will reload the container with the extra material after emptying it.
Tips for extra material storage and set out
Waste Management suggests that residents use the following options for storing and setting out extra materials:
Extra garbage: Place next to garbage container in:
• Securely tied plastic bags labeled “Garbage” or
• 32-gallon can with handle and lid (65-pound limit) labeled “Garbage”
Extra recycling: Place next to recycling cart in:
• Plastic recycling bins or
• Cardboard boxes (2x2x2-foot limit) labeled “Recycling”
• No recycling in plastic bags
Extra yard trimmings (No food scraps or plastic): Place next to yard cart in:
• Heavy paper yard bags (available at hardware stores) or
• Reusable polywoven yard bags (available at hardware stores) or
• 32-gallon cans with handles & lids (65-pound limit) labeled “Yard” or
• Bundles tied with sisal twine (4’x2′ limit)
Commercial garbage and recycling containers are being serviced as soon as conditions allow safe collection.
Residents and businesses should report to Waste Management by phone or online if their service is missed on their regular collection day(s).
Up-to-the-minute collection updates: www.wmnorthwest.com/weatherboard.
