Electric Trash Trucks!
This isn’t recycling news, but it’s pretty buzzworthy just the same (har-har, I know).
The City of Madison unveiled two new electric collection trucks, and of course we’re going to name them.
These are the first electric trash trucks in Wisconsin, so it’s a big deal. So they should have names befitting this momentous occasion. So something pretty cool and dignified like Stanislas Trashinski or something, I don’t know. And, yes, Trashy McTrashface is already on the list of name suggestions.
Please submit your suggestions to dropoff@cityofmadison.com. You have until 4:00pm on October 1, 2024.
After all of the names have been gathered, they will be winnowed down to set of finalists and we will have an election that will be hosted by Wisconsin Clean Cities.
20,000 Pounds (and Growing!)
Counting this past Saturday’s collection at the Westside Community Market (9/14), we have now collected 20,255.7 pounds of food scraps for composting so far this year.
That puts as less than a ton away from our goal of 22,000 pounds, which is roughly the weight of two adult mammoths.
This also puts us about 2,000 pounds over the amount of food scraps we collected during all of last year.
Madison! Take a bow!
You are doing great. Keep it up. We are so close to our goal of two mammoths, we can’t let up now. I think we might even hit our goal this week.
I wonder just how far beyond our goal we may actually get to by the end of the market season. And it’s all because of your enthusiasm and participation.
Speaking of the end of the market…
Westside Community Market Food Scrap Drop-off Extended until November 2
Sustain Dane received a grant that will allow them to extend this market drop-off until November 2.
Sustain Dane is the organization that staffs the farmers’ market collection sites for the Streets Division. Funding that Streets was able to provide for the market this year allowed collection to run until October 5. But since Sustain Dane received this grant on their own, it’s going to go until November 2 instead. Great news!
More details about our food scraps drop-off program can be found at www.cityofmadison.com/FoodScraps.
New Streets Division Website Coming Soon!
I don’t have an exact launch date yet, so no reason to mark your calendars, but it has been a project we have been plugging away at for several weeks here at Streets.
All of your old shortcuts should still work on the new site. Things will be in new places, though. Hopefully you’ll find the new version easier to use on mobile devices, and a little easier to have some of your recycling questions answered.
There are some other new features to the site we are excited to unveil when the time comes, so stay tuned.
Brush Collection Winding Down, Yard Waste Collection Starting Up
Brush collection for the year is winding down. If you are unsure if you should or should not place brush out for collection, go to www.cityofmadison.com/BrushCollection. Put your address into the form on that site and you will see the set out dates for your home.
Leaf and yard waste collection begins in October, which is rapidly approaching. The dates when you can set those out for pickup are available on the yard waste collection website, www.cityofmadison.com/YardWaste.
New Mailing List for Trash & Recycling Schedule Updates
We recently started a new mailing list for trash and recycling collection schedule changes. You can sign up to get on this mailing list here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/contact/email-lists
Most of the time, the only thing that disrupts collection of trash and recycling are holidays. However, snowstorms have been disruptive to our collections lately as well.
We will begin using this schedule update email list to let people know of these routine holiday disruptions, but also of any unplanned weather-related delays that may come up.
Large Item Collection Changes in 2025
I’m sure many of you have seen the news that in 2025 we will stop providing large item collection for properties that have more than 8 units.
This is a big change, and requires more explanation that this space allows. We do have more information about this change on our website. You can find that extra detail here.
And finally…
That’s it for now. If you’re coming out to the Trucks and Treasures event this coming up weekend you’ll be able to see the electric trash trucks up close.
Other than that, thank you for your time and attention.
Bryan Johnson
Recycling Coordinator
