Trash bags vs Trash Cans

Trash cans page

Lake Jackson residents have had an ongoing conversation about trash bags. We have a segment that wants us to collect trash in cans rather than bags. Others prefer collection in bags. They believe cans are a waste of money. 


We dedicate this page to helping our residents understand how and why City picks up your trash in bags.  

As a City any changes to a sanitation process mean we must change embedded systems. Changing from trash bags to trash cans is more than a policy decision. It is also a financial one that has implications for resident utility bills. 

Current List of Services: 

  • Lake Jackson collects trash twice a week for its residents 
  • Heavy trash and brush disposal occurs on a regular schedule
  • The city offers a convenience center for residents who need to dispose of heavy trash.  This service is available outside of the pickup schedules.  The convenience center will accept a list of items.

These services are among the most robust in the county. Several cities collect trash once a week. Furthermore, residents must dispose of heavy trash and brush on their own.

A Brief Historical Discussionbags vs bins

Why doesn’t Lake Jackson have trash cans for its citizens?


Residents know that many surrounding cities have trash can service. These residents have it because they pay third-party for-profit vendors to collect trash.  

Trash can supporters might ask, "Why doesn't Lake Jackson outsource to them?" 


Even though a city has trash can pickup, it has a lower level of resident service. The kind of attention that Lake Jackson has comes because we own our own process. A trade-off occurs, and a different set of risks comes into play. 

Lake Jackson has more control over the costs and quality than these cities. 

Cities that outsource sanitation are bound by the contract they have with a vendor. It is the only piece of trash collection that they control. 

Throughout history, Lake Jackson city councils have prioritized cost control and quality control. They shun outsourcing because:

  • Costs for running your own collections are lower

  • The city controls quality issues faster

  • Pivots to save taxpayer money happen faster

     

Cost to convert the system

The cost to change the fleet or retrofit would cost millions of dollars. 

cost for truck -1

New Truck Costs

To begin collecting trash cans, the city will need to convert its fleet. Conversion costs vary. A truck can cost between $396,000 and $532,000.  The range represents the type of truck and its features, including whether it is gas or diesel. 

Lake Jackson has six regular trash routes and four recycling routes. Each needs a truck. 

The cost to convert the system for the first year would range in the millions. Maintenance and service costs for the annual upkeep are not included in this figure.

trash can

Trash Can Cost

To convert to trash cans, Lake Jackson would need to buy trash cans for every resident. Then, the city would need to maintain an inventory for those that get lost or stolen over time. The city has 9,400 households.  

Wholesale trash cans cost about $45 each. It would cost about $425,000 to start the program. The city would need to budget $75,000 each year to maintain lost or stolen garbage cans.

The city would also need storage for the cans. The current estimates do not include an inventory and storage system for 10,000 trash cans.

can flipper

Manual Lifting 

At one point, the council considered retrofitting the fleet to allow crews to dump cans into bins. 

The city studied the issue. The results showed that workers' injuries increased.

The heavy lifting, repeated motions, and varying weights were difficult on the crews.  

Once the study was complete, The city council determined the concept was unsafe.

RHONDA PAGELoss of service becomes a  major risk

When disputes with third-party vendors happen


 

The Unfaithful Vendor Case Study

Residents are at-risk when the vendor gets into a fight with the city over trash collection. Lake Jackson city councils have heard about disturbing cases. 

A real-life example happened in a nearby southern Brazoria County community. The dispute became so heated the vendor stopped collecting residents' trash. 

A Grim Reality

Once outsourcing occurs, it becomes more expensive to bring the service back in-house.  Switching vendors proves difficult.  The choices are few.

When contract disputes happen, city councils end up in lawsuits. The city scrambles to cover trash collection through yet another party. The city loses all forms of leverage and pickup issues are within the power of the vendor.

the trash bag guyWe know it's not you. Could you please tell your neighbor?

Where most of the problems with trash bags occur: Human behavior


The city has learned a few simple guidelines to make trash collection easier. 

Councils worked with staff through the years to learn what works for bag collection. They learned that trash bags can work well for residents.

Staging Trash: Three Steps to 

Mind the Dirty Business


The time trash bags are set out makes a difference. 

To keep weather and animals from scattering trash, do the following:

  1. Put your trash out on the morning of our scheduled trash pick-up. Leaving it out overnight is a mess waiting to happen. It must be out before 8 a.m. 

  2. Shut trash-filled white kitchen bags tight. The city has learned this is a good deterrent for animals. Birds of prey, like vultures, are much less likely to bother the bags.  

  3. A thick, heavy-duty trash bag works well. The city sells mid-weight black bags in rolls of 50 for $9. The city makes $0.66 per roll sold and reinvests the money into the general fund. Residents can also buy rolls from a for-profit seller if they prefer.  

We hope this information helps explain the decision to remain trash can-free in our city.