Pingree Grove cuts trash costs

It's out with the old and in with the new in Pingree Grove.

In a deal expected to save money for village residents, Flood Brothers Disposal Company will collect residents' garbage, recycling and yard waste for the next five years.

Under the agreement struck between the company and village leaders, residents of single-family homes will pay $14.50 a month for garbage collection, compared to the current $18.52 a month.

Those in multifamily dwellings will pay $10.95 a month, compared to the $13.87 they currently are paying.

The deal with Oakbrook Terrace-based Flood Brothers cuts the cost to discard an appliance from $29 to $10.

It also incorporates recycling into the mix, offering residents optional 65-gallon or 35-gallon containers. A new leaf sticker and sticker-based yard waste program also is part of the deal - the orange leaf stickers cost 90 cents, while the green yard stickers are $1.85.

Senior citizens will qualify for 35-percent discounts on trash and recycling pickups, while disabled residents can request backdoor pickups at no additional charge.

All homes will receive a free 95-gallon container for trash. The company will cover the entire village over the course of three days now, instead of two.

The Waste Management agreement expired on New Year's Eve and Pingree Grove was interested in seeing what other companies had to offer, Village Manager Scott Hartman said.

Out of the five that expressed interest, Flood Brothers, the lowest bidder, was the most impressive, he said.

"It was determined that the Flood Brothers proposal provided a higher level of service than the other proposals, all things considered," Hartman said.

As part of the agreement, residents also are entitled to:

• Two free yard waste collections a year; one in June and another in October.

• Seven bulk items removed for free each year.

• Free Christmas tree collection.

For more information, visit www.floodbrothersdisposal.com.