City-Parish President Joey Durel is deflecting concerns over the automated trash pickup service that rolls into action in less than a week using new trucks with robotic arms. The centerpiece of the new system is once-a-week use of those blue, 96-gallon plastic “smart carts” distributed recently. In a Monday e-mail exchange obtained by The INDsider, the mayor-president hails the hardy constitution of parish residents.
Durel is responding to an e-mail from Phil Lank, former director of community development in the Dud Lastrapes administration and the city's economic development consultant to the Rebuild Lafayette North Committee from 1997 to 2005. Lank takes Lafayette Consolidated Government to task for its choice of the “big, awkward, and heavy” bins. “Goodness knows what the elderly, those with infirmities, and the handicapped are going to do,” Lank wonders, arguing that his own container is unwieldy even when empty. “Who’s going to put the garbage out for these folks if they can’t move the can?”
Eight minutes later, Durel thanks Lank for his concern, and proceeds to wave the flag of Acadiana can-do-ism: “I am of the opinion that if it works for every other community around us,” Durel writes, “it will be fine here. I cannot believe that our people are weaker, older or less able than the people in those communities. If they can do it, I have all the confidence in the world that our citizens can as well. We have heard that people often react the way you have, but later find that they prefer the new service.”
Time will tell.
LCG and Allied Waste will launch the automated pickup service with the blue “smart carts” beginning Monday. Yard and household waste will be collected on the same day once per week. Details on collection days were provided on flyers attached to the cans when they were dropped off. You can find out more on the system at the LCG Web site, or by calling 291-8529.
... written by Jason Faulk , March 25, 2009 - 03:28 pm
The truly SMART thing to do would be to have our community, including all businesses and residences (including the apartments) and the University, to participate fully in recycling and waste reduction efforts. This would improve Lafayette's environmental footprint. Co-opting the term SMART and applying it to garbage disposal, seems to me to be a bit of greenwashing. In addition, have we truly had to contend with the environmental impact of shipping our trash off to some other parish for disposal? Have we considered the energy waste of cans and paper left unrecycled? Have we considered how much of what we throw away has usable life left in it?
A positive sign is that Allied is no longer accepting junked lawnmowers and all kinds of other junk we're prone to throwing away out of sight and mind.
Hopefully the city's hazardous waste collection days will conceive of a plan for accepting these type items in addition to the tv's and computer equipment.
We can change and improve, I know we can.
... written by SL , March 30, 2009 - 03:30 pm
Could someone please explain why we switched to this service, and what is supposed to be better about it?
I can't see any benefit at all to anyone except Allied waste who gets more profit and employs less people.
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A positive sign is that Allied is no longer accepting junked lawnmowers and all kinds of other junk we're prone to throwing away out of sight and mind.
Hopefully the city's hazardous waste collection days will conceive of a plan for accepting these type items in addition to the tv's and computer equipment.
We can change and improve, I know we can.