Dive Brief:
- Aurora, IL, a Chicago suburb, rolled out its new trash and recycling program on July 6. Despite plenty of complaints, residents are beginning to get used to it. "The whole city looks better...and is better," resident Renee Newell told The Chicago Tribune.
- Waste hauler Republic Services has divided the city into five zones in which garbage is picked up, Monday through Friday, each on a different day. The program also issued new carts to residents.
- So far, problems mostly involved people not getting the new cart, or getting carts with serial numbers for other addresses.
Dive Insight:
The city says the new program "is designed to give residents the flexibility to select the type of service that best meets their household’s needs and budget, while at the same time reducing worker injuries and encouraging recycling."
Problems are inevitable with any new program, therefore communication and customer education are keys to success.
Jim Pilmer, Aurora's Neighborhood Standards director, told the Tribune, "I would say as we continue to communicate, people have responded favorably with a better understanding."
