Hickory Hill and Cordova to get new solid waste pickup schedule
Solid waste pickup days will change for some residents in parts of Hickory Hill and Cordova effective March 1 as the city makes changes in one of the most troublesome areas for on-time garbage pickup even before the pandemic.
“Overall, this will result in better service and more predictable service for Area E,” solid waste division Director Al Lamar said of the area that includes pickup by private contractor Waste Pro.
City crews and those with Waste Pro have been hit hard by the COVID-19 virus, with the city abandoning separate recycling pickups across Memphis last year because of absences among city solid waste employees either with the virus or in quarantine from possible exposure to the virus.
Lamar told Memphis City Council members Tuesday, Feb. 2, that Monday and Friday are the days when the most workers are out. Those absences led to changes in the new plan, which means fewer homes on routes on those two days and an increase in homes and routes on other days.
With the notice to the council, the city begins notifying those in the area – affected and unaffected by the changes – in a campaign that includes virtual meetings and an updated solid waste app that allows someone to enter their address and get the rerouted service date as well as reminders.
Lamar said the changes in routes also allow crews to cover areas that are more dense and part of a “rebalance” of how routes work in all areas of the city.
In Area E, the changes are also designed to improve bulk waste pickup and include two more pieces of equipment as well as two additional routes. The “outside the cart” waste has been a particular problem in the area, Lamar said.
“Now we are going to have shorter legs,” he said of the effect of less of a distance between pickup locations.
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Al Lamar Solid Waste DivisionBill Dries on demand
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Bill Dries
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for more than 40 years.
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