The City of Omaha understands the importance of having a clean environment. Omaha strives to take care of the environment through the various programs listed below. These programs follow the guidelines given by the Environment Protection Agency and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.
FAQs
Collection FAQs - From Wasteline (November 2012)
Q. I didn’t get my garbage out in time last week so will I be able to put out twice the amount next week?
A. No, the limit is still 5 containers.
Q. My material was tagged as overweight. How do they know it was over weight? I got it to the curb, why can’t they collect it?
A. Each crew picks up the waste from over 2,000 households per day. The 45 pound limit is a federal guideline to protect the workers from injury. They are very experienced and will give the benefit of the doubt to the resident unless it’s grossly overweight.
Q. My material was tagged as Over Weight but that’s just because it rained last night and it’s wet. It’s not my fault.
A. The weight limit on cans is 45 pounds. The containers will need to be less than 45 pounds to be collected next week. To avoid this situation in the future, we suggest using trash cans with lids or switching to bags instead.
Q. My material was tagged as Over Weight, but now I’ve divided it up into more containers. When will they be back to pick it up?
A. Your next day of collection.
Q. Animals tipped over my can and there is litter everywhere. Why wasn’t the litter picked up?
A. The contractor is not responsible for litter in the area prior to their arrival.
Q. My garbage can was emptied but there is still trash in the bottom of it. Why didn’t they dig out the trash at the bottom?
A. The contractor is not required to dig out trash that is stuck in the bottom of the can. It is not safe for the collector to reach into a trash can. To avoid this problem, you could use plastic bags for garbage and the special paper yardwaste bags.
Q. I had branches bundled and when the crew picked it up the string broke and they just left it. Why didn’t they go ahead and take the branches?
A. Branches need to be securely bundled to avoid this. The crew is not responsible for picking up branches that are not bundled securely.
Q. My trash was tagged because it is in a black bag. I’ve always used black bags and never had a problem before. Why didn’t they take them today?
A. The City’s municipal code and our contract with Deffenbaugh prohibits the use of black bags, however, it is the discretion of the contractor to risk penalties at the landfill if unauthorized items have been discarded in a black bag.
end faq