Windham converts to new system collection system Sept. 9

By Ed Pierce

A big change is coming to how trash is collected in Windham, and it won’t be very long before new tote carts will be wheeling up and down driveways across town.

Each residence in Windham will be
issued a 64-gallon trash cart and a
64-gallon recycling cart as the town
converts to a new trash collection 
system on Sept. 9.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE

Near the start of 2023, members of the Windham Town Council reached an agreement with Casella Waste Systems, also known as Pine Tree Waste, to convert the town to an automated trash removal system. Casella was the only refuse contractor to bid for Windham’s services and told town officials that ongoing labor issues and expenses required a conversion to a system with trash collected curbside by a driver using an automated retrieval system.

Under the current system, trash and recyclable waste is manually collected at the roadside which requires a trash truck driver and a trash laborer for more than 5,400 stops in Windham and also uses the Pay As You Throw (PAYT) system, requiring the purchase of blue bags for residents.

Windham Town Manager Barry Tibbetts said this new collection system will be a big change, but he believes residents will find it efficient and convenient.

“This process began in 2023, when the town was informed by Casella that they were moving away from traditional manual trash pickup to the new automated truck system,” Tibbetts said. “Since then, town officials have been meeting with Casella regularly to coordinate the rollout of the new program, and to ensure that we can make the transition as smooth as possible for Windham residents.”

He said that the blue “Pay As You Throw” trash bags will no longer be needed as of Sept. 9 and thereafter.

“The use of the Windham trash bags has been required as a way of controlling the total volume of trash deposited at the curb,” Tibbetts said. “Once implemented, the cart system will accomplish the same volume control that the trash bags now create and is what Casella has contracted with the town to do.”

The new system was supposed to be in place last fall but was delayed as Casella Waste Systems purchased and waited to obtain new automated trucks with mechanical retrieval arms from an out-of-state manufacturer.

According to Tibbetts, the “Pay As You Throw” trash bag program continued into the Town’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget as Casella experienced a delay in new truck delivery but the revenue from the trash bags went to the town’s fund balance which will assist in reducing expenses and the overall Fiscal Year 2025 budget. Windham blue trash bags are sold at 15 different locations in town and priced at $13.50 for either ten 13-gallon bags or five 30-gallon bags. Tibbetts said residents possessing blue bags after the new system is implemented will be able to sell unused bags back to the town.

Casella officials say that all trash routes in Windham have been evaluated before the new system becomes effective and that includes trash removal for some roads in Windham that Pine Tree Waste does not travel on right now because of truck size limitations or roadway obstacles. It does not expect to make any changes to the current trash collection day schedule.

Chris McHale of Casella Waste Systems said that the company may purchase and deploy a smaller trash collection truck to service roads and streets in Windham that are not accessible by the new automated trash vehicles. He said that the company intends to work with residents to provide the best service possible, but because of rising operational costs and advances in technology, the trash removal industry is converting to automated systems and unfortunately can no longer continue to provide a similar system to the one used in Windham and nearby communities for years.

Tibbetts said that the new trash collection program is available to all single-family residences and all multi-family residences with four or less dwelling units.

“That amounts to about 7,600 dwelling units being able to utilize this program. As for other effects, most people will not see any changes to their collection day or locale,” he said. “However, some roads will see changes to their service. Some narrow, less improved roads, which cannot be serviced with the full-size truck, will receive service with a smaller “Pup” truck, which utilizes the same automated collection system, just on a smaller chassis. Some residences in town may need to place all their carts on one side of the street or gang pile the containers at or near the intersection of their road. As a way of easing the transition, for the first two weeks of the program, Casella crews will be out ahead of the collection trucks, insuring carts are properly placed and leaving educational notes if they are not.”

Each residence in the town will be issued two new durable carts on wheels, one for trash and the other for recycling. The new contract calls for residential pick-up service which is scheduled once a week Monday through Thursday using designated routes and should a pick-up fall on a legal holiday or on severe winter storm days, the schedule would be pushed back one day. Funding was included in the town’s annual budget to purchase the new trash carts and recycling carts for residents.

Around Labor Day, before the new automated trash system begins, residents will receive one 64-gallon trash cart and one 64-gallon recycling cart. Elderly residents using less trash may request smaller 48-gallon carts.

“If you have more trash than the cart will hold it will need to be held into the next week,” Tibbetts said. “If that is not an option, network with your neighbors and see if they have space in their cart. Otherwise, you will need to take the trash to a transfer station or to Ecomaine at a cost. If this is a consistent repetitive problem, contact the Windham Department of Public Works for assistance.”

Discussions have been held with the towns of Falmouth and North Yarmouth to share cart maintenance service costs for the trash carts as those towns are also converting to automated trash pick-up with Casella.

The automated trash system contract between Casella and the town runs through June 30, 2028 with Windham then having an option to renew the contract for an additional five-year period by providing at least six months of advance notice to Casella before the contract expires. <