A new era in trash collection begins today in St. Paul.

For the first time since the 1970s, residential collection will be organized through a municipal contract, with private haulers assigned to separate routes and sections of the city by neighborhood.

In fact, many residents already received their first bill from their new hauler, which will cover the first three months of service.

That means St. Paul residents won’t wake morning after morning to find a series of competing trash haulers in their alley.

In many, but not all, cases, trash collection will take place on the same day that Eureka Recycling empties recycling carts.

There will be fewer trucks in the alleys. And, at least for the immediate future, there will be more questions about billing, add-on services such as yard waste and how to switch cart sizes or dispose of sofas and other large items.

The city is asking residents to keep in mind that more than 73,000 new trash carts have been distributed citywide. With a system change this large, there are bound to be some wrinkles to be ironed out in weeks ahead.

Meanwhile, opponents of the city’s approach toward organized trash collection have coordinated two petitions to block the new system from moving forward. With nearly 6,000 signatures, the first petition was delivered to the Ramsey County Elections office on Thursday.

Those signatures would have to be verified by the county before a question appears on the public ballot. A second petition is likely to be delivered in late October. An unrelated lawsuit questions whether the billing rates — which charge less per gallon for large carts than small carts — do enough to encourage recycling.

In addition to reducing garbage trucks in the alleys, the overall goal of the new system is to create uniform billing rates and cut down on illegal dumping by assigning a hauler to every small property.

Below, St. Paul Public Works has helped answer 16 “frequently asked questions.” For more information, visit stpaul.gov/garbage or call the city’s garbage information line at 651-266-6101.

HOW MANY HAULERS NOW SERVICE THE CITY?

When the contract was signed by the consortium of private haulers — St. Paul Haulers LLC — and the city of St. Paul, there were 15 licensed haulers serving the city. It’s a consolidating industry, and that number has dropped almost by half as haulers buy and sell off their St. Paul accounts.

For instance, Highland Sanitation recently bought all the Triangle Rubbish accounts on the city’s West Side. It also bought out routes that had been assigned to Krupenny and Sons Disposal. R&M Sanitation sold its new routes to Republic Services.

Yes, you’re losing your old hauler, but you may see your new hauler change, too.

City officials say the contract with St. Paul Haulers was set up, in part, to help protect the smaller, family-owned companies from takeover by national players. With eight haulers left in the small residential market, time will tell.

Look up your new hauler and trash and recycling collection dates online at tinyurl.com/StPaulGarbageCollection. Click on your neighborhood or type your address into the search bar for information.

WHO PICKED MY HAULER?

The haulers, mostly. The goal was to allow each hauler to retain roughly as many customers as they had before organized trash collection. Under the city’s contract, the licensed haulers retained their existing St. Paul market share, and the initial zone maps were proposed by the hauler group.

WHY DID I GET THIS SIZED CART?

In May, property owners were mailed a postcard and asked to select their new garbage cart size and service level. According to Public Works, more than 54 percent of property owners submitted their choice via postcard, online or by phone by the June 8 deadline. Related Articles MN woman facing murder charges for ignoring daughter’s medical alarms

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For the properties that already had garbage service but did not indicate a cart size, they received the same size cart they’ve been using. Property owners who did not have garbage service and did not indicate a cart size were assigned a medium cart.

WHAT IF I WANT TO CHANGE MY CART SIZE?

This is a big frustration for some residents. The city is asking for patience as the new system rolls out. Residents will need to contact their new garbage hauler after Monday, to order a cart-size change for 2019. Beginning Jan. 1, property owners can change their cart size once a year for no fee.

HOW MUCH AM I PAYING FOR THIS SERVICE?

There are four different service levels — and three different cart sizes. Rates can be found online at stpaul.gov/garbage.

They range from $60.83 per quarter — for every-other-week collection of the smallest cart — to $102.44 per quarter for weekly collection of the largest cart. The standard prices include all fees and county and state taxes. Property owners will receive a quarterly statement from their designated hauler.

WHAT’S WITH THE ANNUAL ADMINISTRATIVE FEE OF $24.60?

While haulers handle their own billing, the city will collect an annual fee of $24.60. The fee will be added to property owners’ Ramsey County property tax statements to help cover costs for carts, staffing and program administration, outreach and education efforts.

The fee is expected to generate nearly $1.8 million annually for the city — an amount that some residents have called excessive, given that the private sector is doing the heavy lifting, literally.

It’s possible that fee could drop with time.

CAN I OPT OUT OF TRASH COLLECTION ENTIRELY OR SHARE A CART WITH A NEIGHBOR?

No. Under the city ordinance, all residential properties of one to four units — including rental properties and townhomes — must each have their own garbage service and carts. There are no opt-out or sharing options.

Residents who currently share carts or produce limited amounts of trash — including some “zero wasters” and tenants of small apartment buildings — have circulated two petitions against the city’s organized trash plan.

Several city council members have called the lack of sharing options the weakest part of the new system, but changing the contract with the private haulers would require renegotiation and agreement from both sides.

Otherwise, the current contract runs for five years.

DO I NEED TO CANCEL MY GARBAGE SERVICE WITH MY CURRENT HAULER?

No, but you will need to cancel automatic payment withdrawals if you had them set up with your previous hauler. Otherwise, your new service begins Monday. If you prepaid for garbage services after Oct. 1, your previous hauler is expected to issue you a refund.

WHAT IS A ‘BULKY’ AND HOW DO I GET RID OF IT?

Bulky items, such as furniture, appliances or electronics are hard to get rid of because they’re too large to fit in a garbage cart.

With the new citywide garbage service, property owners can have one large, bulky item picked up from their property in 2018 at no cost.

In 2019, depending on their cart size, property owners can dispose of two or three bulky items per year. Additional bulky items can be collected for a small fee. (See below for a special contract clause regarding Christmas trees.)

Property owners must call their hauler at least 48 hours before their regular garbage collection day to schedule a bulky item pick-up. They will give you specific instructions for when and where to put it out. Do not place bulky items in your garbage cart.

For a list of accepted “bulky” items, visit stpaul.gov/garbage.

DOES THE NEW PROGRAM INCLUDE DISPOSAL OF CHRISTMAS TREES?

Yes. Property owners can have one live holiday tree collected, at no additional cost, between Jan. 1 and Jan. 15 each year. This is a separate service from bulky-item collection and does not count as a bulky item. Again, visit stpaul.gov/garbage.

WHAT HAPPENS TO MY OLD GARBAGE CART?

Depending on the condition of the carts, garbage haulers will reuse the cart in different cities they serve, use them as yard waste carts, recycle them or dispose of them.

I’D LIKE TO COMPOST MY APPLE CORES, LEFTOVER HOTDISH AND OTHER ITEMS. WILL THE CITY START COLLECTING ORGANICS, TOO?

The official word from St. Paul Public Works on curbside composting is basically “wait and see.” Ramsey County maintains several organics drop-off locations already, and they’ll have to do for now. At the moment, the focus is on making sure organized trash collection rolls out with minimum drama.

According to a written statement from Public Works: “Composting is great, and many residents utilize the organics drop off locations already! The city hopes to establish a residential curbside organics program in the coming years.”

WHAT IF I HAVE A BILLING INQUIRY OR A HAULER MISSES MY COLLECTION?

Property owners should contact their new hauler for any billing questions or customer service issues. A list of the haulers and their contact info can be found at stpaul.gov/garbage.

WILL MY HAULER PICK UP MY LEAVES?

Yes, all the haulers offer yard waste services for an additional fee. Property owners can contact their new hauler to sign up for a 2019 seasonal subscription, or put closed, compostable bags out for collection at $3 per bag or bundle. If properties already have yard waste service, it will continue through Nov. 30.

WHERE DOES MY TRASH GO?

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WHAT DO I DO WITH MY OLD CART?

From Sept. 24 through Nov. 2, haulers will swing by your home to remove your old cart.

Make sure it’s empty, or otherwise it probably won’t be removed.