PEABODY — The city and its trash and recycling contractor are inching toward an agreement on providing larger, covered recycling containers for for residents.
It’s been nearly 15 years since JRM Hauling & Recycling’s 18 gallon plastic tubs first hit the streets. Given the amount of complaints several councilors get on a regular basis about recycling spilling out of those bins on trash days, they have said it’s time for JRM to make larger, covered containers available.
The question at this point remains who will pay for new containers — residents, the city, or JRM.
“I understand that people are looking to get bins that are covered to limit trash blowing away and want us to look at coming up with uniform bins for the city, but that can be very costly,” said Peter Gamache, JRM’s general manager.
He said he would research the cost of new bins, and also noted that residents can use their own bins or barrels and get a recycling sticker from the city to put on them.
“As long as it is away from the trash and we can identify it, we will pick it up,” said Gamache.
Councilor-at-Large David Gravel said it would make sense for JRM to provide new bins for residents, since it would increase recycling and profits for the company.
“It seems to me that providing a bin that is more usable than the current bins would help citizens out,” he said. “It would be a great service to provide for the city, I think.”
Gravel also suggested that rather than residents buying larger bins on their own, JRM could pre-order several thousand 24 gallon covered bins at a lower cost and have residents pick them up at a centralized location.
“A number of residents would be happy to buy recycling bins with covers and get a better deal than they would at Home Depot,” he said.
The city could also look at buying containers in bulk, since it might be able to get a better deal than a private company, Gamache said. He said he would review pricing options for the covered bins and bring it back to the council.
Ward 2 Councilor Peter McGinn said Gamache should also review pricing for bins larger than 24 gallons.
