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FAQ - Trash & Recycling Services
- How often will refuse be collected?
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The Sanitation Department makes every effort to keep collection of trash and garbage on a regularly scheduled basis to prevent health hazards. Residential trash collection is once a week. Scheduled collections may be altered from time to time due to bad weather, holidays, equipment failure or other causes. The day designated for pickup may be obtained by calling 620-340-6339.
- Does the City of Emporia provide refuse containers?
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The city provides the only accepted trash receptacle polycarts. The city will maintain repairs to the polycarts for normal wear and tear. You must place your polycart with lid opening on street side. Do not place extremely heavy objects in cart. Place all trash within the cart in plastic bags. Leave five feet clear space on each side of cart for collection access. Trash placed outside the polycart will not be picked up. Residents are responsible for the cleaning of their carts. Your polycart serial number is assigned to the house address. You must not remove the cart from that address when you move.
- Is refuse picked up on Holidays and is the Transfer Station open on Holidays?
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There is no residential or commercial pickup on holidays. The schedule for collection of trash and recycling may change due to a holiday. If a holiday falls on your trash pickup day, the Sanitation Department will pick up trash the Wednesday of that week. These dates are indicated on the calendar (see calendar). Reminders for dates of collection on holiday weeks are publicized in the Emporia Gazette, The Shopper, and local radio stations.
- Do you have a recycling program?
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As of June 1st, 2015, The City of Emporia offers the convenience of residential curbside, single-stream (also known as single-sort) recycling to all single-family and multi-family units of four or less. Households will have one polycart for trash and a polycart with a green lid for recyclables. Recyclables are picked up every other week on the resident’s usual trash collection day.
- What do you mean by single-stream recycling?
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Single-stream recycling means no sorting of recyclables. All permitted recyclable materials including paper, cardboard, glass, metals, and plastics may be placed together in the polycart with the green lid. Recyclables are picked up and transported to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where they are sorted, processed and sold for reuse.
- How much will this recycling service cost me?
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There is no additional charge for the recycling cart or the collection. This service is provided by the city as part of your existing trash service.
- When and how do I get my cart?
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Your new recycling cart will be delivered to your home in May at no charge to you. Carts may not be placed at the curb for service until the resident’s first service day, on or after June 1, 2015.
- How will I know which cart to use for recycling?
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Think Green! The recycling cart will look similar to your existing cart, but it will have a green lid.
- How big is the cart? Can I get another size?
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All residents will receive a 95-gallon cart. Although this may seem very large, you will soon find that your recycling cart will fill more quickly than your trash cart. Smaller recycling carts are not available at this time. If you want to exchange the trash cart for a smaller size, you may call the Public Works Department at 340-6339 and the city will deliver your smaller trash cart when they become available in 2016.
- Do you have a list of acceptable materials?
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See the Yes and No List for a complete list of items.
- Can I bag my recyclables in plastic bags before placing them in the cart?
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No! Plastic bags are damaging to the equipment used to process recyclable materials. The only exception to this is shredded paper. Shredded paper may be placed in a clear plastic bag and tied closed. Please return your plastic grocery bags to Dillon’s, Walmart, JC Penney, or any participating plastic bag take-back locations.
- What happens if I put trash or non-recyclables in my recycling cart?
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First and foremost, when this happens, it contaminates other similar materials during the sorting and processing phase, lowers the overall quality of recyclables, and results in fines to our city if acceptable contamination rates are exceeded.
When trash is found in the recycling cart, you will receive a notice on your cart. Continuous use of the recycling cart for trash items will result in the removal of the recycling cart.
- When will my recycling be picked up? How do I know which week?
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Collection/pickup of the recycling cart will occur every other week, the same day as the resident's usual trash service. Recycling routes will alternate weeks between the west side of Emporia and the east side.
- West Side Week Recycling Pickup: Households from the west side of West Street to the west City limits
- East Side Week Recycling Pickup: Households from the east side of West Street to east City limits, and east of Rural from 12th to 18th Avenue
During implementation of the curbside recycling program, West Side Pickup will have their first recycling collection the week of June 1st to June 5th. East Side Pickup will have their first recycling pickup the week of June 8th to June 12th.
Please note: A different truck is used to pick up recyclables. It may be several hours between the time your trash cart is emptied and the time your recycle cart is emptied.
To find out what day or what week, you may call the Public Works Department at 340-6339.
- Where do I set out my recycling cart for collection?
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Recycling carts should be placed in the same location you currently put your bin for trash collection. Follow these guidelines:
- Set trash and recycling carts out by 6 am.
- Make sure the cart lids are closed
- Place carts at the curb or along the alley with the handles pointing towards your residence.
- Keep the carts at least 5 feet away from other carts, mailboxes, fire hydrants, low-hanging trees or shrubs, parked cars, or utility poles.
- Remove empty carts from the street within 24 hours.