Lakewood Requests Residents Skip Trash Day Due To Extreme Cold

LAKEWOOD, OH — If your trash and recycling bins are empty enough to skip a week, the City of Lakewood is asking citizens to please consider NOT putting your trash out this week due to extreme cold temperature predicted for Wednesday and Thursday.

The city made the request in a statement released on Monday, saying that skipping a trash day would protect the City’s Refuse and Recycling Division employees.

“It’s hard on our guys. They’re out there doing the best job they can to get the job done,” said Glen Bleich, manager of Refuse and Recycling Division in Lakewood. “We’re asking residents if possible, that if you don’t need to bring your carts out, please don’t. We can get them next week.”

• Tips on Staying Safe in the Cold

Not only does the brutal cold affect city employees, it also takes its toll on the equipment. Extreme cold can cause the hydraulic lifts to freeze according to the city's news release. When the equipment fails, recycling and refuse crews are forced to manually empty the carts instead of using the hydraulics of the trucks. Extended time outside in negative degree weather puts the City’s employees in an unsafe scenario.

Residents that are able to wait one week for collection should not be concerned about having extra refuse for the next collection. Any extra bags or items on the tree lawn will be picked up. Please share this information with your neighbors and on social media.

For more information on the Division of Refuse and Recycling, please visit https://bit.ly/2S4xJvt or call (216) 252-4322.

Photo by Lori Uldricks