Recycle pick ups in Waukesha cut to bi-weekly

The collection of recyclables in roadside blue bins will be cut to every other week, beginning Jan. 18 Waukesha Public Works Director Fred Abadi said today.

By decreasing recycling pickups from weekly to bi-weekly, the city saves about $300,000 in its new three-year, $2 million contract with trash collector Veolia, Abadi says. The pact has an option for a two-year extension.

“Some people are asking for more bins and the county has ordered for more,” he said. “It was a cost cutting measure to fill the city budget’s $2 million deficit.”

The new $2 million garbage-collection contract is up 4.5% over the previous contract, he said.

The first bi-weekly pickup will be Jan. 18, which, before then, allows weekly pickups of holiday recyclables.

Since many apartment and condo complexes hire private contractors to pick up garbage, the bi-weekly initiative may not affect them.