The Director of Public Works always has a lot to say on “Trash Talk Tuesday,” his weekly Facebook Live chat with residents about the services in his department.
Khalif Thomas has an important message for residents this week and beyond. There’s a new date for overnight garbage collection. Instead of June 14, the date residents recently received with doorknockers, Director Thomas said the collection of garbage at night will begin Aug. 2 for residents who live in Zone A and Nov. 2 for residents who live in Zone B.
“We apologize for any inconvenience,’’ Director Thomas said. “We’re trying to reach as many residents as we can to get the word out.’’
Director Thomas will be doing that at noon on Tuesdays during his program. You can check him out on the city’s Department of Public Work’s Facebook page, and his workers will revisit neighborhoods with the new information when they hand out new doorknockers.
The change in plans, Director Thomas said, is to make sure all residents are aware of the new initiative that makes garbage collection more efficient.
“Our biggest problem picking up trash during the day is traffic. By picking up at night, we don’t have traffic.’’
And, workers do not have to spend a lot of time at the Essex County Incinerator. Director Thomas said they’re only there for about 10 minutes to dump trash before heading back to neighborhoods in Zone A. Those areas include the Weequahic and Ironbound sections, North Broadway, Lower Broadway, University Heights, Central Business District, and the Belmont section.
Director Thomas said collection for these areas is Monday and Thursday, but residents should put their trash out the night before from 6 to 10 p.m. After 90 days, Thomas said overnight collection will then start Nov. 2 for residents who live in Zone B, which includes neighborhoods around Roseville Avenue, Branch Brook Park, Sussex Avenue, Ivy Hill, Fairmount, Clinton Hill, West Side and Lincoln parks.
If residents in either zone forget to set their trash out the night before, Director Thomas said several trucks will come through the neighborhoods during the day to pick up the garbage. The goal, however, is for residents to follow the new garbage collections rules.
Overnight garbage collection was supposed to start in March, but Director Thomas said those plans were upended by the Coronavirus.
“But on August 2nd, we’re putting our foot on the gas with the collection of household trash,’’ Director Thomas said.
For more information about overnight garbage collection, call the Department of Public Works at 973-733-3644.
