Sep. 4—WM, formerly known as Waste Management, announced it has acquired "key assets" from Ray's Trash Service, a family-owned company that currently serves 17 counties around the region.

Ray's Trash Service had been in operation since 1965, providing residential, commercial, industrial and construction waste and recycling removal services and document shredding services around Central Indiana.

"We look forward to the integration and value that this acquisition will bring to expand and advance WM's environmental services in central Indiana," WM officials said in a statement. "We are excited to welcome our new employees into the WM family and for the opportunity to provide exceptional service to our customers in the Indianapolis Market."

In May, Ray's Trash Service was awarded the City of Lebanon's trash and recycling contract, after winning a three-way bid between two other companies. Ray's beat out WM and Republic services for the initial contract bid.

City Engineer Kevin Krulick said the new contract doesn't change anything for residents within Lebanon's city limits as far as trash and recycling pickup goes.

Part of the company's new contract agreement is the utilization of side-load robotic trash trucks, which have been utilized in other parts of the state, and even the county, for decades.

"This is where the industry is going," Krulik said in a previous story in The Lebanon Reporter. "It cuts down on the amount of labor the trash companies have to maintain as well."

Trash Truck Operator Charles Spenneberg is one of the people driving those trucks around Lebanon. He's been driving trucks for Rays for six years, five of which have been in an automated truck. He may not look like a superhero to most, but some of the kids that wait for their school bus along his trash route in the mornings think he does. Instead of a cape and goggles, he has a side-load trash truck and a joystick.

Spenneberg said the side-load trucks are a bit bigger and take more skill to operate but that it's an all-around better way to pick up trash.

"We haven't fully switched over to automated because there's just some areas we can't get into with these trucks," he explained.

When Ray's started making the transition around Lebanon, some residents complained on social media about the changes, like making sure your trash fits into the 96-gallon bin, and not to have your can too close to a car or mailbox.

But Spenneberg said he understand residents being uncomfortable with change.

"I've lived in Lebanon all my life and I can understand people who've had their trash done one way for 30 plus years not being receptive to doing it differently," he said. "At the end of the day, the best service we can give is the best service the customer allows us to give."

After the first couple of weeks, Spenneberg said most city residents who had their cans switched over got used to the new system and the nuances that come with it.

"Setting your can three feet apart from mailboxes, cars and other trash cans makes my job a little easier because I'm able to pick up the trash quicker and it makes your stuff safer," he said.

Each truck has orange tags inside it that the drivers can leave for residents who need reminded of how to set their cans out as well.

Being a Lebanon resident, he's had Ray's Trash cans for years, so the switch isn't that big of a change for him.

"I'm just glad that it's finally come time to transition," Spenneberg said.

Another aspect of the new cans and automated trucks is the amount of time it takes to complete a route. Inside his truck, Spenneberg can see every angle of the trash cans being picked up and dumped and is able to make minor adjustments with his joystick.

While a route used to take him up to eight hours, it now only takes him around five, giving him time to pick up extra routes to get his full eight hours of work in.

"We're trying our best to make this as easy a transition as we can," Spenneberg said. "From us to the customer and from the customer to us, we need a little bit of patience, understanding and communication."

Picking up trash, like many other professions, is often a thankless job. But what Spenneberg and his co-workers do is one of the most important jobs around the city. Every day, Spenneberg alone can pick up around 12 tons of trash which equates to around 60 tons of trash per week.

So the drivers enjoy getting those waves and cheers from school children in the mornings. They often wave back and maybe even honk their horns for them.