Wednesday was a regular trash pickup day for Republic Services, the town鈥檚 new solid waste and recycling provider. 鈥淓verything should be back on course this week,鈥� said Town Administrator Thomas Younger.
The town contracted with Republic Services after Gloucester-based Hiltz Waste Disposal hastily informed several North Shore communities last week the company would no longer be providing their trash and recycling collection. Hamilton, Wenham, Swampscott, Gloucester, Marblehead and Manchester were among the affected communities.
Hiltz issued a statement last week that it planned to restructure and reduce its workforce as its residential trash collection 鈥減roved economically unfeasible.鈥� The company had previously told the communities it would stop trash and recycling pickups at the end of this month.
Most communities had already started the bidding process to find new trash and recycling vendors, but even still were left scrambling for pickup coverage after Hiltz鈥檚 abrupt announcement.
Republic picked up missed trash routes in Swampscott on Saturday, though Younger said some recycling left curbside did not get picked up.
鈥淭oo much, basically the timing,鈥� said Younger about Republic trying to catch up. 鈥淭hey were actually doing two combined routes on the first day on the job. The main item you wanted to be picked up was the trash.鈥�
The Swampscott Board of Health issued an update on the town鈥檚 website that missed trash collection from Saturdays was expected to be picked up on Tuesday.
鈥淲e will try to catch up with recycling but if the Thursday and Friday routes residents can wait until your next scheduled pick-up at the end of the week it would helpful,鈥� the Board of Health said in its update.
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