New Berlin Trash Pickup Delays: Answers To Your Questions

NEW BERLIN, WI — New Berlin Mayor Dave Ament and city staff met with waste management leadership to discuss trash and recycling pickup delays and released a list of answers to residents' questions Monday after months of trash pickup delays.

New Berlin residents saw trash pickup delays for at least the last seven weeks. The city fielded resident complaints and found Waste Management in violation of its agreement to pick up residential trash on time. The city has told the company about the violation and could consider other service options as a last resort.

Is Waste Management In Breach Of Its Contract With The City?

The company breached its contract because of "chronic service failures, both in prolonged delays in pickup and poor customer call service experiences," the city said. It added that it passed its concerns onto the company.

Can The Company Be Held Responsible For Issues Associated With Pickup Delays?

Waste management can be held responsible for issues associated with pickup delays, the city said. It added that the company has 24 hours to pick up if it misses a regularly scheduled day without violating its contract with the city.

Why Are There Trash And Recycling Pickup Delays?

Waste management told the city it dealt with equipment failures and a labor shortage, which resulted in trash and recycling pickup delays, the city said. It added that the company said it experienced data migration problems, which affected service calls.

What Has The Waste Management Company Done To Address Delays?

The company brought five rental trucks to the New Berlin area to make up for equipment issues, the city said. The company also held a recruitment campaign to add truck drivers, repair technicians and call center representatives. Any new hires require training despite the campaign's success to draw in workers.

Could New Berlin Start A New Contract With Another Waste Management Company?

All options are on the table; however switching contractors wouldn't be easy because of legal and logistical reasons, the city said. It added that there are limited options for other service providers and that it would consider switching as a last resort.

The city contracted Advanced Disposal for citywide residential pickups in 2015. Waste management acquired that company in November 2020, the city said. Waste management is now the city's sole contractor.

What To Do If There Are Future Delays

The city asked residents to keep their garbage out on regularly scheduled pickup days until 8 p.m. If carts are not picked up by then, residents should make sure the carts remain out the following day.

If there are further delays, the city encouraged residents to call Waste Management at 262-369-3080 or fill out an online complaint form.

See Also: Brookfield City Reports Long Call Holds With Waste Management

The city posted a full list of questions and answers on its Facebook page.

The city also posted updates on trash pickup delays since May. It added that Waste Management is providing the city with updates and timelines for improvement.