East Toledo trash troubles

TOLEDO, Ohio (WUPW) - Transition to Toledo’s new automated refuse collection doesn't seem to be going very smoothly. The Division of Solid Waste has been fielding calls from residents complaining their houses were missed.

One neighborhood in East Toledo put their garbage out on Tuesday and it was still there Thursday afternoon. Residents on Delence Street off of Spring Grove in East Toledo say their recycling was picked up, but no one came back to get the garbage. Neighbors are angry because the cans take up valuable parking space.

"We do our best when its garbage day, but its been two days now and they'll be no where to park," said Delence resident Judy Arp.

Neighbors say this is not the first time it has happened. They tell me they called the number of the side of their garbage cans, but didn't seem to get anywhere.

"I called Wednesday morning and asked when were they going to pick it up and the girl took my name and address and said she'd pass it on to the supervisor," said Tom Furry. "Nothing happened. I called this morning, got another girl, gave her the same information. She's said she'd pass on the information. It's still sitting here."

FOX Toledo News contacted Amy Wood, the city's commissioner of solid waste. She said the route for this neighborhood was being covered by an alternative driver and the pick-up was simply overlooked.

She said it was not picked up Wednesday because it took crews all day to cover their normal pick-up.

Neighbors on Delence Street say that is no excuse.

"Garbage sitting on the street for days on end is not a good alternative," said Arp.

The garbage on Delence Street was eventually picked up at 7 p.m. Thursday evening.

Wood said call takers do tell residents it could take up to 48 hours for someone to come back and pick up garbage that has been missed. She said she hopes Toledoans will be patient and bugs are still being worked out of the new automated refuse system.