New Sanitation Contracts to Begin in November for New Orleans, LA East, Other Parts of City

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Recycling service will return to all New Orleans residents on Nov. 7, according to the head of the city’s sanitation department. “It took us almost 30 days to get back on our feet and get back to a, somewhat, sense of normalcy,” Matt Torri said. “The power outage is really what affected us. In a traditional storm, essential employees that provide services around solid waste know that they’re going to ride out the storm. We’re going to get back on our feet within a day or two … with Hurricane Ida, we didn’t have power for a minimum of seven days throughout the city, so people fled.”

In an effort to regulate service, the city moved in November from twice-a-week trash pick-up to once-a-week. Curbside recycling was also temporarily suspended. Torri said city leaders sought a new contract in Service Area 2, which stretches from Lakeview to New Orleans East. Over the summer, the service area was split in half and ultimately, IV Waste was chosen to take over operations in Service Area 2 West which includes Gentilly, Lakeview and parts of MidCity. Waste Pro Louisiana won the contract for Service Area 2 East, meaning the company will now service New Orleans East and the Ninth Ward.

“They will bring a significant increase in resources, both in the number of trucks that residents will see on the streets of New Orleans on a daily basis (and) the types of trucks,” Torri said. “Full-time employees will be a big-time change from our traditional temporary employees who worked on the back of garbage trucks in the past. (There will also be) recycling day one.”

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com