Residents Asked to Bag Trash Before Placing in Cart to Protect Sanitation Workers, Limit Spread of COVID-19

Bloomington, Ind. - As part of ongoing efforts to protect residents’ and employees’ health and safety during the COVID-19 crisis while continuing to provide core services, the City of Bloomington reminds residents to take particular care to bag trash before placing it in their cart for curbside collection.  Because the COVID-19 virus can live on trash items for up to three days, trash should be placed in a bag and the bag should be tied before being placed in the cart.  

Residents’ trash and recycling continue to be collected weekly on a regular operating schedule.  As always, the lid must be completely closed and cart placed at the curb no later than 5:00 a.m. on the resident’s regularly scheduled service day.  For more information or a schedule, please visit the Sanitation Division website.

As a reminder, recycling and trash carts must be placed at least four feet apart from one another at the curb to facilitate automated pickup.  All recycling items should remain loose in the cart and should never be bagged. In addition to bagged items, styrofoam, pizza boxes, plastic film, and grocery bags will not be collected.  Items placed in recycling carts must be rinsed and free of food contamination.

“We appreciate the public’s cooperation in properly following these sanitation regulations and guidelines,” said Rhea Carter, Sanitation Director.  “Bagging your garbage before placing it in the cart will help protect the health and safety of sanitation crews, which will allow trash and recycling collection operations to continue uninterrupted, and help keep our whole community safe and healthy.”