City of Bloomington Sanitation Surveys Complete and Frequently Asked Questions

Bloomington, Ind. - Over 8200 Bloomington households responded to the City of Bloomington Public Works Department’s request to select cart sizes for the new sanitation modernization effort. Responses were received via online submissions, mailer responses, and call-ins.

The breakdown of cart size selections for both trash and recycling services will allow staff to perform the financial analysis necessary to determine the final rate structures that will be presented for approval by the Board of Public Works during their August 8 meeting. The following is the breakdown of selected sizes:

Cart delivery will begin in early September, and pickup with the new containers will begin in early October. As a reminder to residents, the fees for the modernized sanitation service will be added to their City of Bloomington Utilities bill, so purchasing trash stickers will no longer be .

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the Sanitation Modernization project. More information can be found at bloomington.in.gov/sanitationmodernization.

What is single stream recycling?

Single stream recycling means that residents can include all of their recyclable materials in the same bin. Residents will no longer need to separate their fiber materials (cardboard, paper, etc.) from other recycling, and all recycling will go into a single cart provided by the City. Residents still will need to separate recyclable materials from regular waste.

What happens if a household has a party or does spring cleaning and has more trash than will fit into the container?

For those occasional weeks when residents generate more waste than their cart can accommodate, the City will offer additional pickups. Residents should call the Sanitation Division at 812-349-3443 to schedule these pickups, which will take place the first Friday after the phone call is received. The cost for the extra pickup will be finalized by the Board of Public Works in August.

What happens if you decide that you have chosen the wrong size container? Who pays for the new container? Who buys a new container when the old one is damaged?

If residents determine that their cart sizes are not the right fit for their household, carts may exchanged for the desired sizes. During the first 60 days of the new sanitation operations, one exchange per cart can be made at no additional cost. All exchanges made after this grace period will incur a $50 exchange fee, which covers cost and delivery of the new cart. If a cart sustains damage caused by City services, the City will cover the cost of replacement. All other damages to the cart such as vandalism or mutilation will result in a $50 charge to the resident for a full cart replacement.

Who chooses the size of the container for rental homes, the landlord or the tenant?

If the landlord’s name is on the utility bill, they will receive priority for cart size determination. If the tenant’s name is on the utility bill, they receive priority. When a new tenant moves in, they have the option to contact the Sanitation Division and request a different cart size if their name is on the utility bill, however, they would be responsible for the $50 cart exchange fee beyond the 60 day grace period. If the landlord’s name is on the utility bill, they are in charge of responding to any change in tenants’ sanitation needs.

What happens at the termination of a lease, or a resident moves out and there is a lot of extra trash?

As stated above, Sanitation will provide additional pickups for an extra charge and pickup of large items is also available. The charge for pickup of any large item or appliance is $10, and residents should call the Sanitation Division at 812-349-3443 to schedule a collection time for these items. Large items will be picked up the following service day, and appliances will be picked up on Fridays.

If a resident has a significant amount of trash, occasional removal of bulk trash associated with construction, moving, or seasonal cleaning does not require authorization to utilize a commercial enterprise, other than for approval of dumpsters within the right-of-way.

Why didn’t the City consider an “opt-out” or “pay-as-you-throw option”?

A predictable and sustainable model of funding was necessary for such a large-scale change to an essential City service. The Public Works Department has committed to analyzing the data collected with the new system within the first three years of implementation to determine if a true "pay-as-you-throw" system is possible in the future.

Our goal for this new, modernized sanitation system is to improve the quality of our City by increasing the efficiency of our operations, improving the safety of our workers, and preserving the well-being of our environment, and these new operations are critical in achieving these goals.

###