City of Duarte Extends Burrtec Waste Services Contract to 2017
The Duarte City Council recently voted to extend an exclusive contract with Burrtec Waste Services to provide trash hauling services to residential and business customers through Dec. 31, 2017. The contract was to have expired Jan. 1, 2011.
As a result, Burrtec has agreed to not increase rates in 2009. It has also agreed to add several valuable new services at no additional cost to customers or the city that will help promote the proper disposal of hazardous waste materials and increase commercial recycling.
The original agreement between Burrtec and the City of Duarte for solid waste, recyclables, and green waste collection, transportation, disposal, composting, and processing was instituted on Sept. 18, 1996. Under the newly amended agreement, prior to Jan. 1, 2010, Burrtec will also provide household sharps collection, used oil collection, e-waste collection, and institute and maintain a program for commercial recycling. Businesses and other commercial users will be provided barrels for commingled recyclables, which the City expects to result in increased commercial diversion.
The “Household Sharps” collection program will make it easier for customers at single-family residences to safely and within the law to dispose of hypodermic needles, intravenous needles, lancets, and other devices that are used to penetrate the skin for delivery of medications.
Burrtec will provide residents with free contains and set convenient locations in the community where containers can be dropped off.
Burrtec will also make available to residents containers for the collection and recycling of used oil. Customers in single-family residences will be permitted up to three times per year to set out containers of used oil in the approved containers for convenient curbside collection.
Disposing of electronic waste, including computers and computer equipment, digital photographic equipment, entertainment electronics, mobile phones and home and auto electronics will also be made more convenient for residents. Burrtec will collect E-waste during the City’s twice-a-year community clean-up events.
Burrtec will also institute a construction and demolition waste collection system using roll-off equipment to allow demolition and building contractors and owner-contractors to avoid separation of construction and demolition waste. Since 2004, a City ordinance has required construction contractors to sort and separate debris. Burrtec will now collect the commingled materials to be sorted at a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). In keeping with the City’s “green” commitment, Burrtec has agreed to transition from their existing diesel fleet to new alternative fuel trucks by Dec. 31, 2011.
“Burrtec has a proven track record in Duarte and has continued to be a stellar example of a community partner by participating in local events, hiring local residents and proposing creative and cutting edge programs to respond to our City’s unique and specific needs,” said Deputy City Manager, Karen Herrera. “The number of customer complaints received in City Hall is few and always addressed quickly and effectively by Burrtec staff. On top of this, a recent survey of surrounding communities conducted by City staff confirmed that Burrtec’s rates continue to remain one of the lowest in the San Gabriel Valley,” she said.
The City of Duarte was recently awarded a $57,550 grant for the implementation of a new multi-family recycling program that Burrtec helped the City design. The program will be promoted to the 67 multi-family buildings, and 1,556 multi-family units in Duarte, including apartments, townhomes, and condominiums in which residents share a common refuse bin. Multi-family dwellings amount to approximately 30% of all housing units in Duarte.
For more information, call Duarte City Hall at (626) 357-7931, ext. 221
