Portsmouth DPW Implements Changes to Downtown Trash Collection Schedule
April 12, 2017
Last year, the Department of Public Works began updating the City’s Solid Waste Ordinance, last revised in 2003. On October 17, 2016, the City Council approved an update to the City’s Solid Waste Ordinance Section 3.201 to better accommodate the Downtown Business District curbside collection times and update the ordinance language to reflect current practice and industry standards.
Public Works crews will continue to collect trash and recycling from commercial establishments within the defined Downtown Business District (shown below) Monday evenings at 4:00 p.m. Commercial properties are required to keep sidewalks clear of trash and recycling until 2:00 p.m. Beginning on Monday, May 1st , Public Works will start to collect downtown residents’ trash and recycling on Tuesday mornings. All properties are limited to 300 U.S. gallons of solid waste per week.
Previously, with pickup for both groups occurring on Monday evenings, problems have occurred when the majority of residents put their refuse out on the streets in the morning before work, when pickup does not occur until the evening. With a windy or hot day, this has led to messes and odors within the Downtown District. By collecting downtown residents’ trash on Tuesday mornings, trash collection will be more organized and streets will be left cleaner throughout the day.
For more information, visit http://cityofportsmouth.com/publicworks, or contact Jacob Levenson, Solid Waste and Sustainability Coordinator, at (603) 766-1412 or jalevenson@cityofportsmouth.com.
