By Howard Packowitz and WMBD-TV
BLOOMINGTON – Change is hard, and that’s apparently been the case in Bloomington where hundreds of residents continue to pile up bulk waste even though the city has stopped offering free pick-up every other week.
The free service is now available just twice a year to cut costs. Bloomington Public Works Director Jim Karch said despite the city’s best efforts to get the word out, not everyone has received the message.
“They’re going about their day to day jobs and they don’t see any of that. So there’s still a lot of people that put out thier bulk waste at the curb, thinking we’re going to collect it for free, and so there’s been a lot of different education we’re going through,” Karch told our news partner, WMBD-TV.
Karch said people might want to reconsider throwing out their large items. Perhaps they might want to donate them to people in need.
“Is this something you really need to throw out? Is this something that could be used in our community by our non-profits? Is it a chair that could be reused by somebody? Is it a mattress? There’s a lot of people in need, and not just our community, but in Central Illinois,” said Karch.
If bulk waste is not moved from the curb in two weeks, the city will pick it up, but will charge property owners $25 per bucket. Each bucket holds 2.5 cubic yards of waste. Residents can also haul the bulk waste themselves by taking it near Bloomington City Hall at the Citizens Convenience Center.
Howard Packowitz can reached at [email protected]
