Residents in Metro Detroit have been wrestling with prolonged delays in trash pickup, as heaps of refuse to attract pests and concern across multiple communities. According to WWJ News Radio, Priority Waste, which recently took over from GFL Environmental, has been inundated with complaints about missed collections, and some garbage being left to fester for a couple of weeks. The company acknowledges the issue, attributing part of the problem to receiving a fleet of broken or damaged trucks through the takeover deal.
In remarks made public by ClickOnDetroit, Priority Waste has emphasized its commitment to remedying the situation. With residents in Ann Arbor, Howell, Clinton Township, and other locations facing pest infestations due to the mounting trash heaps, the company is tracking the uncollected trash and working through the backlog. With many trucks out of commission and undergoing repairs, responses to the crisis have been hampered, but pickups are anticipated to resume this week.
Compounding these issues, a mixture of lingering trash and the summer heat is creating a health and nuisance problem, attracting flies, maggots, and rodents. Priority Waste, which now handles 700,000 residential customers, assures residents that they are working extra hours to address the massive backlog and fix the fleet deficiencies. Still, the escalation of unattended waste presents a vexing sight in one of America's foremost metropolitan regions, as per WWJ News Radio.
Mary Glowe, a Melvindale resident, expressed her skepticism and frustration. Referring to the garbage still stationed in front of her house well past the scheduled pickup date, she bluntly directed her dissatisfaction at the waste management provider. Glowe relayed the severity of the rodent issue and the complications arising from overfilled bins that invite further scavenging by animals. "You bought the contracts, do your job. If you couldn't handle then you shouldn't have bought all the contracts," Glowe said, as cited by WXYZ.
Matt Allen of Priority Waste addressed the logistics, stating, as per WXYZ, "We took over all of the contracts from GFL plus 70,000 subscription customers on that Monday and part of that acquisition was 500 vehicles that we purchased". Unfortunately, on discovery, most of the vehicles were not operable, a rather daunting flaw to have encountered, as per the company. But Allen confidently affirms, "Absolutely, so are all of the municipalities we talked to, they have faith that what we were doing in 49 communities prior to that is going to happen to the 73 communities that we're acquiring".
