'Residents Have Just Given Up': In Des Plaines, Garbage Gripes Regarding New Trash Cans
CHICAGO (CBS) --Dozens of Des Plaines residents are blaming the city's new trash and recycling company for bins blowing down the road.
And delivering broken containers.
CBS 2's Brandon Merano spoke to neighbors about their garbage gripes.
The biggest complaint from people is the wheels falling off their new containers. And they're lighter than the old ones. So on windy days, they've seen their neighbor's trash and can blowing down the street.
"Our garbage cans did not blow down the street. So we haven't had to go retrieve all of our garbage, but we've witnessed our neighbor's cans doing that."
Dozens of Des Plaines residents like Kathy Horton also complaining the new trash containers are cheaply made and less durable, after the city completed switching trash providers this winter.
"You can tell the residents have just given up," Horton said. "Because you see they've just left their garbage cans at the end of the driveway. Because the wheels have fallen off."
Lakeshore Recycling Services, one of Chicagoland's biggest trash and recycling providers, said the problem lies with the trash can manufacturer Tote, based out of Texas, who rushed delivery and assembly of the bins after falling behind due to their winter storm.
"I feel like a senior citizen, sitting her complaining about garbage pickup days," Horton said. "Like I don't have anything better to do with my time."
"There's been a lot of complaints."
Daniel Domaracki's biggest gripe? Confusion over the new company's police.
"I always thought if it ain't broke don't fix it," he said. "The other guys picked up our garbage perfect. I don't know about these new ones. I read somewhere you only get one big item pickup, otherwise you have to call."
Leaving residents hoping for some answers.
"More clarity about the type of pickup we can expect," Horton said. "And what to do with the larger items."
LRS has issued an apology and is giving all customers a free week of service even if they didn't experience any issues.
