Letters: Should junk pick-up week be trashed? Why the change was necessary for Louisville
Louisville Metro is short-sighted for ditching junk pick-up week
Sadly, Metro Louisville appears set to change policy regarding quarterly Junk Week pick-up. New policy mandates calling a “large item pickup” phone number and making an appointment for a pick-up.This is sad because the current junk pick-up is a huge no-cost secondary economy. How many of us have set out numerous items at curbside for junk pick-up, only to find that most, if not all, items were plucked from said curbside by cruising pick-up trucks? Items that then are then recycled in very creative ways, and thus, never reach the garbage dump.Metro Louisville is being very short-sighted with this new policy. Both the citizens and the secondary economy folks will suffer, without any benefit having been defined by the city. Perhaps those policy-makers have not actually observed the magical disappearance of curb-side “junk” on their streets before the Metro dispatches their trucks for the remaining remnants?I vote for keeping the quarterly Junk Week intact!
Pat Donnelly, 40207
Joe Gerth:Louisville is trashing a great tradition by ending neighborhood junk pickup days
Louisville's new junk pick-up system helps reduce illegal dumping
I read with interest the concerns regarding the secondary economy surrounding the previous “junk” pickup system. As a person who has also experienced the magical disappearance of materials, I do understand the concerns about reuse. However, I have also experienced the negative impact of illegal dumping that so many in the Urban Services District experience on a regular basis in the previous “junk” system.
A large majority of illegal dumping occurs in alleys, which may not be the case in some neighborhoods but is the case for most residents of the Urban Services District. In these areas one of the reasons for illegal dumping is a resident may not have the means to transport large items themselves, they may not have space to store them until the next collection and the fear of a code violation or conflict with their landlord if they leave it sitting out in their yard. So, many are tempted to take the items down the alley to a vacant property or behind some else’s property. This is the reason we believe collection of large items as it is generated works to reduce illegal dumping. In the new system a resident has the means to dispose of garbage, recycle, compost yard waste and get rid of large items on a weekly or biweekly basis.
The change to the new system was not without thought and was focused on cleanliness and reducing illegal dumping. It was piloted in parts of Shelby Park and Smoketown neighborhoods to ensure the benefits could be realized. The pilot was very successful resulting in a nearly 50% drop in illegal dumping reports while also improving neighborhood cleanliness by nearly 20%. It was well received by pilot area residents and the neighborhood associations. Thus far, very early data in the new “large item” system has shown a drop in reports of illegal dumping since Nov. 1st as compared to the same time frame in the old system the previous year.
City officials did consider the impact on the reuse of materials. It is for this reason that the first step listed on the info card mailed to each resident and when accessing the appointment system is wording asking residents to consider giving away the items before using the system.
The new system may not be the answer to solving illegal dumping entirely, and it may in fact hurt some reuse of materials, but the Waste Management District believes this is a step in the right direction for the community. Let’s give it a chance to work by spreading the word about the new system and by reminding folks to reduce, reuse, donate or give away what they can. Maybe we can have both a cleaner community and quality of life for residents while also having a strong reuse system.
Pete Flood is the Executive Director of Louisville/Jefferson County Waste Management District
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Letters: Should junk pick-up week be kept or was it a necessary change
