Dive Brief:
- Lexington, SC has fined Advanced Disposal $32,000 for a series of missed pickups over the past several weeks. This works out to a $10 fine for every home that isn't properly serviced, as reported by WLTX.
- The town said they've had multiple meetings with the company and the issue comes down to pickups not happening on the correct day.
- Advanced says it has hired a new district and local operations manager, updated routing plans and put more collection trucks on the road to get up to speed.
Dive Insight:
Lexington has a 10-year contract with Advanced that started in July 2015. The company receives $11.53 per house and the town has approximately 6,500 houses. In a statement, Advanced sought to project control over the situation moving forward.
"Advanced Disposal is committed to the Town of Lexington and its residents. We realize that over the last couple of weeks, we have not fulfilled the level of service expected and apologize for any inconveniences we may have caused. The company has made multiple internal changes to immediately address the issues..." a spokesperson for the company said, as reported by WLTX.
Earlier this year, Advanced also experienced issues with missed pickups when it took over collections in Macon, GA. Waste Management subsidiary Deffenbaugh Industries reportedly had collection issues in Kansas this summer too, though the company said they have since been resolved. It's not immediately clear whether the ongoing driver shortage played a role in the Lexington situation though it has been a critical issue for the industry across the country.
