Buffalo Grove considers offering smaller trash containers

On Monday, the Buffalo Grove village board is expected to discuss reworking its waste-hauling agreement.

The village manager’s office said it will recommend a restructured agreement with Waste Management that will expand refuse options for its residential customers by offering a smaller 35-gallon toter for trash as well as recycling.

The current contract, which runs until 2017, provides each household in Buffalo Grove with a choice of a 35-gallon, 64-gallon or 96-gallon toter cart for recycling and either a 64-gallon or 96-gallon toter cart for trash.

Under the restructured agreement, the contract would be extended for two years and would allow each household to choose any of the three offered trash toters for recycling or for trash.

“When the program was first launched in April, many residents were pleased. ... Toter carts

provide the village with an improvement in service, environmental benefits and a safer work environment — which ensures a high level of cost-effective service,” said village Manager Dane Bragg. “However, some residents have fewer demands for the 64-gallon or larger toter. We’ve found that those residents would benefit from having the smaller 35-gallon trash toter.”

Because 35-gallon carts were not initially included in the contract, the village had to negotiate with Waste Management over how to cover the cost of offering the option. Waste Management will incur an approximate $170,000 expense to switch out carts. Extending the contract by two years provides the necessary capital to offer the expanded service option, the village manager’s office said.

Assuming the revised agreement is approved by the village board, residents would be able to switch the size of their cart for no cost annually during the month of May. For this year, the deadline to switch would be June 7.

To switch carts, residents would call Waste Management at (800) 796-9696.