HOPEWELL, Va. (WRIC)–Some Hopewell residents are complaining about their trash getting picked up days late.
Jennifer Thomas, who has been living along South 12th Avenue for several years, said she doesn’t know when to put the trash out anymore because the truck never comes on time.
Thomas said Meridian Waste is supposed to pickup her trash on Mondays, but sometimes it isn’t picked up until days later.
“It’s ridiculous,” she said.
Meridian Waste is a trash collection and recycling company serving Hopewell and other areas in Virginia.
Every Sunday night, Thomas brings her trash can from her backyard to the curb. But on Monday, the trash truck doesn’t always come. She said the trash bags eventually get piled up, and the animals like cats and raccoons can easily access it.
At first Thomas worried it was just her trashcan getting missed and then she realized the entire street wasn’t getting picked up.
“Maggots running all out of the trashcan, because they’re late coming to get it,” she said. “You’ve got it out there sitting in the heat. What am I supposed to do?”
This week, Thomas said her trash wasn’t picked up until Wednesday which has been a common occurrence for the past two months.
With her heart condition, it’s getting harder to keep bringing the trash bin back and forth from the backyard.
“I’m disabled and this is really hard for me and I keep calling and I keep getting the same answers,” she said. “They’ll be there by seven. Seven comes. The trash is still out there, so I don’t know which day is my trash day. Is it Monday? Is it Wednesday? Is it Friday? What day is it?”
Kim Hynes, the Executive Director of the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority, said recent trash delays can be attributed to not having enough workers and ongoing maintenance issues in the industry.
The Central Virginia Waste Management Authority contracts with Meridian and handles trash services in 13 localities including Hopewell, Richmond and Chesterfield. When residents have issues with trash pick-up CVWMA handles customer service for the localities.
Hynes said often times when sanitary workers skip a street, it’s because employees may be rushing to get to every route before the day is over. Or they may drop-off trash at the landfill when their truck is full and forget which areas weren’t serviced yet.
“Different excuses, but that has nothing to do with that trash being picked up on Monday,” said Thomas. “That’s not my problem, I’m sorry.”
Hynes said Meridian is currently hiring more workers and training them, but getting back to a normal workflow will take a long time.
