If you are used to hearing the sounds of the trash truck on Monday morning be prepared--because you will not hear it tomorrow.The city of Baltimore is not picking up trash on July 13th, as they get prepared for a new era in garbage collection.
Some residents do not know what to expect.
"I haven't gotten any mail, I wasn't told anything about it, I just heard from my neighbors but they don't know either," says Tim Kaufman of Butcher’s Hill.
The city is transitioning to a four-day Tuesday through Friday schedule for trash collection. They are calling it 'One Plus One.'
Instead of getting to put your garbage out twice a week, you will now only get to put it out once. And instead of getting your recycling picked up every two weeks, it will be picked up once a week.
Cutting the regular garbage collection in half angered many who believe it will leave the city dirty, but the move will save millions for the cash strapped city.
If you are still in the dark about your pickup days just head to www.cleanergreenerbaltimore.org and click on 'One Plus One.' The city run website will tell you everything you need to know.
So if you want to talk about trash in East Baltimore you’re going to get an earful.
‘Everyday I can't come down here and sit down and enjoy myself watching trash blow up and down these streets man. A man named James told public works canvassers who were passing out leaflets in the area. ‘One day of trash is wasting time two don't work so what you gonna do with one.’
They government term for this neighborhood is litter challenged.
It's a nice way to say there is big problem.
And to fight that you have to educate.
'It's for the community we're enlightening everybody about the new one plus one day trash day that's taking effect July 13th and a lot of it is recyclables too.' Trishawanna Dandridge, who was passing out flyers with the new garbage plan explained to several people who were outside of a convenience store.
And let people know that trash pickup and recycling once a week and penalties for those who consistently break the new rules.
'We're going to be doing a lot of alley cleaning so people don't have to live with piles of trash from people who are doing the wrong thing we're also increasing enforcement we'll have 30 officers on the street beginning the week of July 13th.' Public Works Spokesperson Celeste Amato told ABC 2 News.
But looking around at the garbage in their neighborhood many people just aren’t sold that the idea’s going to work.
'That house got rats in there and that's a vacant house you can look right there and it don't make sense, everybody doesn't do what they're supposed to do around here.’ Barbara Crosby said.
Trash strewn houses courtesy of an absentee landlord and some illegal dumping.
This is the kind of thing that residents and the city are fighting...trying to get people to care.
So the flyers go out and the young people try.
'Why do you think it's crazy.....look at the city now the city already filthy....so let me break it down how I had to interpret it.’ Trishawanna tried to explain to another skeptic.
But she and others
will continue to try to make people be more responsible.
Because change is coming to trash pick up so change has to come to attitudes.
If you would like more information about the new one to one trash collection and to find out the new trash day in your neighborhood you can go to the city’s website at
http://baltimorecity.gov.
Or you can call the city hotline at 311.
