New trash collector hired in Falmouth after 100 home pickups missed

FALMOUTH — The garbage collector only came twice in the month of June, and Danielle McLernon was none too pleased. Regular curbside trash is supposed to be collected once a week, and recycling every other week, she said.

Because of the spotty service, she had to pile up bags of trash on her front lawn. Some of her neighbors did the same. She could have driven to the transfer station but she didn't want the bags in her car.

After some time, the trash bins became infested with maggots, she said.

“Every morning I would hope the trash truck would come,” said McLernon, who lives in East Falmouth.

Now, though, McLernon is hoping for better service.

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The town has hired a new company to collect trash.

Nauset Disposal began picking up curbside trash on Friday, July 1.

Town-provided residential garbage pickup serves house, condominiums and buildings in Falmouth with fewer than five units, according to the town website. The pickup is financed by property taxes.

About 21,000 homes are served in Falmouth, according to Steven Cadorette, deputy director of public works.

A timeline of resident trash hauling in Falmouth

Republic Services has served the town for 15 years, said Cadorette.

The company serves 14 million customers, and conducts five million pickups daily in 47 states, according to its website. It is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona.

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The company sold its Cape Cod operations to Waste Connections on July 1, said Cadorette.

Waste Connections is the third largest solid waste disposal company in North America, according to its website. It operates in 41 states and six provinces. It is headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas.

Waste Connections owns Nauset Disposal, which is based on Orleans, according to the company website.

Nauset Disposal was playing “catch-up,” and tried to collect the old contractor's missed pick-ups before the long Fourth of July weekend, said Director of Public Works Peter McConarty.

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Service problems with Republic began during the pandemic, but in recent months they had become worse, said McConarty.

Republic Services did not immediately provide a comment to the Times.

Missed trash collections left residents wondering what to do. The town eventually agreed to let residents drop off up to five bags of trash at the transfer station. That service ended Saturday, July 9, according to the town website.

On an average day, Republic could miss collecting at 100 homes, but that number could have been higher, McConarty said. Those are just the people who would call to complain.

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“It really became a nuisance for the town,” said McConarty.

A shortage of truck drivers was the issue, according to the town

Much of Republic's difficulty had to do with a truck driver shortage, said McConarty.

The U.S. had a shortage of 80,000 truck drivers in 2021, according to USA Today.

Nauset Disposal is established on Cape Cod as a commercial waste collection service and has many employees and trucks, said McConarty. The company has 62 trucks on the road daily, according to its website.

Another advantage of Nauset Disposal is that it is local, so residents will be able to talk to someone on Cape Cod about any problems. Nauset will also have a link on its website specifically for Falmouth residents, said McConarty.

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Nauset Disposal is also looking to make changes to trash collection in Falmouth, such as using smaller trucks to get into some of the back roads in the town, the company's district manager, Tim DeLude, said.

During peak season, Falmouth can expect nine to 10 trucks servicing its waste collection needs. However, worker shortages haven't spared Nauset Disposal, either.

But with the recent partnership with Waste Connections, and Nauset's community oriented culture, DeLude is confident they will be able to service Falmouth adequately.

Falmouth is the only town on Cape Cod that has a municipal contract with Nauset Disposal.

"I don't think you'll find a garbage company in the country that's fully staffed," said DeLude.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Nationwide staff shortages blamed for missed trash pickups