Oct. 25, 2022

This paid piece is sponsored by Novak Sanitary Service.

Few want to go there yet, but it won’t be long before our driveways are covered in ice and snow.

That means it’s timely to think about how and why taking out the trash could help you, your garbage hauler and even the community.

“We’re encouraging curbside pickup, and our customers have been responding,” said Chris Wehde, operations manager at Novak Sanitary Service.

“We have a lot of people who were doing valet service switching to curbside, and I think they’re seeing how, because of how we save time and fuel and hours for our drivers, we’re able to pass that cost savings on to them.”

At a time when the price of nearly everything is going up, curbside trash pickup is one way to help everyone save – including you.

But the bottom line is even bigger than that.

Here are three other reasons to get on board with curbside service as we head into winter:

1. It requires fewer trucks on the road.

The speed of curbside service requires fewer trucks – which means less fuel, less maintenance and less environmental impact.

“The more people who adopt curbside service, the more we’re able to reduce and eliminate routes, which is our ultimate goal,” Wehde said.

How much of a difference can it make? A typical curbside pickup takes a Novak driver 10 seconds as the truck’s arm grabs and dumps the can easily and efficiently. Compare that to up to 90 seconds for a driver to retrieve a container from a home, dump it manually and return it.

“Especially in the winter – the less time they spend on the roads, the better,” Wehde said.

2. It leads to more satisfied drivers – who stay in their jobs.

We all know how hard it is to attract and retain workers. The garbage industry is no exception.

But thanks to curbside service, “our routes are shorter, and our drivers aren’t on the road as long,” Wehde said. “They’re not as worn out. And that’s absolutely helped our retention.”

Even more important, drivers aren’t as likely to get hurt. That’s especially true in the winter when they’re forced to walk up and down driveways to collect containers.

“And that’s if we can get to the container,” Wehde said. “Sometimes, there isn’t a path cleared, we means we can’t pick up. If the driver doesn’t have to leave the truck, we’re eliminating slips and falls on the driveways and sidewalks.”

3. It’s an easy adjustment for most customers.

All you need to do for curbside service is wheel your container to the edge of your driveway and place it at the curb.

“Our arm can only reach 3 feet from the curb, so we need it that close,” Wehde explained. “And the same goes with putting your container next to a mailbox or tree. We need that much clearance.”

One thing to note: If you’re placing trash and recycling containers out together, they need to be at least 3 feet apart too.

“But you also can place them on opposite sides of your driveway,” Wehde said. “They don’t have to be next to each other because separate trucks pick them up.”

His advice: When winter weather hits, bring your container out the night before if ice or snow is predicted overnight.

And if circumstances prevent you from bringing a container to the curbside, valet service is still an option.

“We appreciate the community’s willingness to work with us to provide curbside service,” Wehde said. “It’s definitely proving a win-win, and we think that will become even more clear this winter.”

To get connected

When winter weather impacts trash collection, your Novak app is ready to alert you! Click below to learn more on what it can do and to download it today.

From trash pickup to recycling 101, this app gets you connected