A. Compliance With Chapter: Except as provided in section 10-1-15 of this chapter, only refuse generated from buildings and/or premises qualifying for residential refuse collection shall be set at curbside for collection. Such refuse shall be placed at ground level next to the curb and/or in the boulevard area adjacent to the street in such a manner as not to impair pedestrian and/or vehicular traffic. All refuse placed at curbside shall be contained, prepared and packaged according to the requirements of this chapter. Residential refuse collection shall be limited to a maximum quantity of one (1) cart (95 gallons or 45 gallons) per week, unless the customer is paying for an additional cart, wherein the volume per week will be the combined volume of the two (2) carts (a maximum of 190 gallons). All refuse shall be contained completely within the provided cart(s); any additional volume shall be subject to additional charges as set forth below.
B. Acceptable Containers: Except as provided in section 10-1-15 of this chapter and subsections C, D and E of this section, only those containers commercially manufactured for the express purpose of garbage containment will qualify as an acceptable container in which to hold garbage, rubbish, and/or other refuse when placed at curbside. All City refuse customers shall only use the cart(s) as provided by the City; the following standards shall be met for any residents/properties who are not using the City as their refuse disposal service:
1. All containers shall be in reasonably good condition without holes, cuts, or tears which are dangerous or which will allow contents to spill out of the container.
2. All containers shall have at least two (2) usable handles on the outside.
3. The containers shall have a capacity of not less than twenty (20) gallons (2.5 bushels) nor more than ninety five (95) gallons.
4. All contents of the containers shall be covered with a tightfitting lid while at curbside awaiting collection unless all contents are enclosed in one (1) or more plastic bags as specified in subsection C of this section.
5. All non-City provided containers used at a building or premises that has more than one (1) dwelling unit (i.e., a duplex, triplex, fourplex, etc.) shall have the address number and unit number clearly labeled on the side of the container in four inch (4") black letters. City provided carts will be provided with serial numbers that are specific to each refuse collection account; labeling City provided carts is prohibited with anything other than removable stick on black lettering of four inches (4") or less in height on the backside (hinge side) of the cart. Spray painting, engraving, or otherwise defacing or damaging of City provided carts is strictly prohibited and subject to penalties in section 10-1-20 of this chapter.
C. Plastic Bags: Plastic bags will qualify as a suitable container in which to contain garbage, and other refuse when placed at curbside for collection provided that the following standards are met:
1. The plastic bag shall have a capacity of not less than twenty (20) gallons (2.5 bushels) nor more than thirty three (33) gallons (4.1 bushels) with the contents thereof not weighing more than twenty five (25) pounds.
2. The plastic bag shall be at least one and zero tenths (1.0) mils thick for a twenty (20) gallon (2.5 bushels) capacity bag. Larger capacity bags shall be thicker commensurate with size and the weight of the contents.
3. The plastic bag shall be watertight and have no holes or tears present and shall be tightly fastened at the top so that it can be grasped and supported from the top with one (1) hand without the bag failing.
4. The plastic bag shall not contain broken bottles, mirrors, window glass, sharp metal, or other like objects which might cut through or puncture the bag resulting in injury of workers or passersby unless such objects are appropriately shielded to prevent such an occurrence. All medical syringes, needles, and other similar products shall be properly capped and sealed within "sharps" containers that are designed for the safe disposal of these items; failure to comply with this requirement shall be cause for citation and fines per section 10-1-20 of this chapter.
D. Oversized Residential Refuse: Other residential refuse which, because of the size of the items, will not fit within the provided cart(s) may also be set at curbside for collection provided that all items are presented in a neat, clean, and sanitary condition and meet the standard set forth below. Additional charges shall be imposed for refuse that does not fit completely within the provided cart(s), these charges shall be set by resolution of the City Council as "extra volume charges" and shall automatically be added to the monthly refuse and utility bill.
1. Appliances, white goods, and tires are recyclable and cannot be disposed of as refuse, these items can be disposed of through the City's Special Waste Program.
2. Miscellaneous building materials shall be cut to a length not to exceed five feet (5') and tied into bundles or packages not exceeding twenty five (25) pounds in weight so as to allow them to be handled by one (1) person.
3. Furniture and other similar nonpackagable refuse shall be placed in a manner which will prevent blowing or strewing on public and/or private premises.
4. Cardboard boxes which will not readily fit in a qualified container or cart shall be broken down and tied into bundles not exceeding twenty five (25) pounds in weight. At no time will a cardboard box be considered as a qualifying container to hold refuse. Clean cardboard boxes can be recycled and should be placed at the curbside within or next to your recycling bin(s).
5. Automobiles and similar sized objects shall not be placed at curbside for collection.
6. Construction debris generated by a contractor cannot be disposed of as refuse.
E. Recyclable Materials: Whenever a curbside recycling program operated by the City or a special collector authorized by the City is in effect, persons occupying dwellings producing residential refuse may place recyclable material at curbside provided that the items are presented in conformity with the following:
1. The recyclable materials shall be placed in recycling bins provided by the City or special collector.
2. Only those recyclable materials specifically authorized from time to time by the MES Manager shall be placed at curbside for collection.
3. Within the recycling bins recyclable materials shall be sorted into different categories as specified from time to time by the MES Manager (for example, the MES Manager may specify that all recyclable metal containers shall be separated from glass containers and from newsprint).
4. When setting out recycling bins for collection, care should be taken to prevent recyclable materials, especially paper products, from being blown or strewn about.
F. Time Restrictions: Persons placing refuse at curbside for collection shall comply with the following time restrictions:
1. Except as provided below, refuse carts and containers shall not be set at curbside earlier than six o'clock (6:00) P.M. of the evening prior to the scheduled pick up day but shall be set at curbside no later than seven o'clock (7:00) A.M. on the morning of the scheduled pick up day. Said containers shall be removed from the curbside and returned to a location permitted by section 10-1-8 of this chapter as quickly as possible after pick up, but not later than eleven fifty nine o'clock (11:59) P.M. on the evening of the scheduled pick up day.
2. Refuse in qualifying plastic bags shall not be set at curbside earlier than six o'clock (6:00) A.M. on the morning of the scheduled pick up day, but shall be set at curbside no later than seven o'clock (7:00) A.M. on that morning.
3. Recyclable material set at curbside for collection as part of a recycling program provided by the City or a special collector shall not be set at curbside earlier than six o'clock (6:00) P.M. of the evening prior to the scheduled pick up day, but shall be set at curbside no later than seven o'clock (7:00) A.M. on the morning of the scheduled pick up day. Recycling bins shall be removed from the curbside and returned to within a completely enclosed building as quickly as possible after pick up but no later than eleven fifty nine o'clock (11:59) P.M. on the evening of the scheduled pick up day.
4. Refuse and/or recycling that is not placed at the curbside prior to seven o'clock (7:00) A.M. on the morning of their collection day shall be subject to a callback fee, as determined by resolution of the City Council, should it be necessary for the collection truck(s) to make a return trip to collect refuse and/or recycling from a premises or property. Said fee shall be automatically imposed and become a part of the regular refuse/utility bill for the premises or property. Callbacks can only be requested by the resident or property owner on their regular collection day. Refuse and/or recycling placed curbside on any other day shall be removed via the procedures and fees as outlined in section 10-1-18 of this chapter.
G. Responsibility For Spilled Waste: The property occupant and owner remain responsible for garbage and other refuse (including recyclable material) placed at curbside until collected. Thus, for example, if a refuse container is knocked over or a plastic bag is torn open, the occupant/owner remains responsible and is responsible for picking up any garbage, other refuse or recyclable material that falls out of a container, bag, bundle or package.
H. Defective Containers: Defective containers and plastic bags may, at the discretion of the collector, be rejected for collection. Collectors may refuse to empty containers with holes, cuts or tears which are dangerous or which will allow the contents of the containers to spill or containers without proper handles. They may also refuse to pick up plastic bags with holes, cuts or tears or that are so heavily overloaded that they are likely to break open. If the collector refuses to collect the refuse for these reasons, the occupant/owner will be notified to replace the container or bag or rebundle and/or repackage the refuse and again place it out for collection on the scheduled pick up day.
I. Refusal To Accept Materials: Collectors of recyclable material may refuse to accept materials which are improperly sorted, cleaned, prepared, packaged or otherwise not in compliance with the requirements of this chapter including such other rules as the MES Manager establishes pursuant to this chapter. If the collector refuses to collect the recyclable material, the occupant/owner will be notified to correct the deficiency.
J. Improper Day Curbside Placement Violation: Except as permitted elsewhere in this chapter, the placement of any garbage, refuse, recycling or other household items curbside within the corporate limits of the City of Carbondale on any day other than the regularly scheduled collection day for that property is a violation of this Code. Upon posting of this violation the property owner of record and/or resident shall have twenty four (24) hours to properly remove and dispose of all items from the curbside. Any items remaining at the curbside after twenty four (24) hours shall hereby constitute permission for the City to cause the removal and disposal of all items and bill the property owner of record and/or resident as per the rates outlined in section 10-1-18 of this chapter. (Ord. 2017-24)