Village of Norridge officials are planning changes to a trash can program launched earlier this year after some residents complained about the weight and size of the bins.
About 300 residences received the 95-gallon plastic garbage cans in March as part of a pilot program launched by the village to see how those residents would respond to the new cans before the program is rolled out to the whole community.
There were complaints from about 30 out of 77 residents who responded to a survey distributed to 180 people by the village. The complaints showed some residents thought the bins were too heavy or too large for their household’s needs, according to Village Administrator Joanna Skupien.
Responding to the survey results, at the May 25 Village Board meeting, Norridge officials said they would likely order a 35-gallon size in addition to the larger bins to give smaller-sized households a more portable option that would take up less room and be easier to haul back and forth.
“Some of our seniors said they had a little bit of a hard time pulling the (new bins),” said Brian Gaseor, Norridge’s building commissioner.
The village now plans to place more orders for both bin sizes, giving residents a choice. The orders could take three months to be fulfilled, however, Gaseor said.
So far, only a select group of neighborhoods east of Harlem Avenue have the bins, but the village expects them to be available to the entire community by late November, according to Norridge Mayor James Chmura.
The pilot area, which covers apartments and homes with and without driveways, was chosen based on the variety of housing types and pickup locations in that section of the village, Gaseor said. Those residences have garbage pickup along the streets and also in the alleys, while the rest of the village has garbage picked up in one of the two locations — either the streets or in the alley.
The garbage can program accomplishes two goals for the village, Chmura said. Because the trash cans are designed with a secure lid, trash-digging animals, such as raccoons and possums, will be kept out, and loose trash will be prevented from falling out and scattering down the street.
Prior to the pilot program, Norridge residents could use the trash can of their choice or use plastic trash bags. The choose-your-own garbage bin method did not sit well with some residents, who have complained about loose garbage can lids blowing off and rolling down the streets and through alleys, as well as the contents of unsecure garbage bags spilling out onto residential streets.
“We thought these new cans will make the village neater and cleaner because they have lids attached, so they’ll be more secure,” Gaseor said.
At a cost of $50 for the 95-gallon bins, the village spent about $15,000 on the first rollout, according to Gaseor, who said the smaller bins will cost about $37. The village is absorbing the entire cost of the program, according to officials.
Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.