Don't mess with trash pickup success
The Village of Arlington Heights should keep its current residential solid waste program for as long as Groot can continue providing its current service.
We have the best and most frequent pickup in the area, at reasonable cost. While some may prefer rolling bins, such as currently used by Mt. Prospect, having used rolling bins myself, I have found the disadvantages outweigh the advantages of our familiar green recycling bins.
The rolling bins will occupy too much of our limited garage space, which means in many cases they will be stored outdoors. There, the rolling bins will be a 24/7 eyesore subject to attack by wildlife looking for an easy meal.
The weekly pickup means there will be more kitchen trash exposed outside longer, and if the bins are kept in a garage instead, the odor becomes a problem. Twice-weekly pickup eliminates the need to store smelly kitchen trash.
Also, in Mt. Prospect, all trash must fit in a rolling bin, since nothing left to the side will be picked up. In Arlington Heights, Groot picks up everything.
The green recycling bin can be stored easily and conveniently on a shelf inside the garage or in the home. It will go in a mud room, the basement or the kitchen. Ours is kept on a rollout drawer in a kitchen island, where it is as convenient as a kitchen trash can. The green bin makes recycling not a chore, but a convenience.
Comparing service per dollar, the rollout bins are more expensive. Current annual cost for a residence in Arlington Heights is $286. Compare this to neighboring Mt. Prospect's weekly rollout bin's annual cost of $211. Since the service is cut in half, the annual cost should be only $143, or less.
If there are any cost savings in going to weekly rollout bin service, the savings are not being passed along to Mt. Prospect residents. Less service for paltry savings is not what we need in Arlington Heights.
For cost, convenience and service, the clear winner for Arlington Heights is the green recycling bin.
Thomas J. Roth
Arlington Heights