Adios, junk piles: Phoenix will pick up bulk trash by appointment only (2024)

Editor's note: The initial version of this story misstated the first day residents can schedule collection appointments. That day is Aug. 30.

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Last December, while many homeowners in Phoenix awaited the arrival of Santa Claus, residents of the North Park Central neighborhood were on the lookout for garbage trucks.

Just as Christmas approached, so did one of the neighborhood's four periods for bulk trash pickup. Heaping piles of trash lined the streets for weeks during the holiday season, giving the Central Phoenix community a less-than-festive air.

“It’s so hard to have neighborhood pride,” said local resident Daniel Duran, “when this constantly happens.”

Indeed, trash pickup delays and the garbage pileups they cause have been a subject of consternation in neighborhoods throughout Phoenix. That’s why Duran applauded when he learned that the City of Phoenix will make what he feels is a much-needed change.

On Wednesday, the city announced a plan to combat growing frustration over bulk trash collection. Beginning on Sept. 30, bulk trash pickup will be scheduled by appointment.

According to Phoenix Public Works Department superintendent Robert Lopez, the change was prompted by feedback residents provided about the present system. Currently, bulk trash pickup operates on a quarterly schedule, allocating four collection days each year. Those days vary by neighborhood. But pickups don't always happen on time, and Lopez said concern about the lax collection schedule — especially around holidays — has been mounting since 2022.

To address the issue, Phoenix worked closely with the City of Peoria, which rolled out its own appointment-based bulk trash program last year. Lopez is optimistic that the new program will improve trash collection for both residents and Public Works employees — resulting in fewer streets lined with detritus and pickups that occur when they’re supposed to.

“We’ve already determined how many collections we can do on any given day,” Lopez said. “If we start to run into staffing issues, we can reduce the number of available collections per day, but that still won't impact customers.”

How will the program work?

Beginning Aug. 30, according to a press release from the city, residents can schedule a collection date online. Those without internet access can schedule appointments by calling the city’s Water Service Department at 602-262-6251. Pickup times will be available between one month and three days in advance.

Bulk items can be placed curbside no more than seven days before the scheduled pickup time. Up to 10 cubic yards of trash is allowed per collection. That amounts to a pile that measures approximately 17 feet wide, 4 feet tall and 4 feet deep.

The new program will not allow for pickups to be scheduled on dates surrounding Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Additional blackout dates may apply around special large-scale events. General guidelines on bulk trash placement and permitted/prohibited items will remain the same, as will the number of bulk trash collections allowed per resident — up to four per year.

To notify residents about the change, the city is adding a bulletin to upcoming utility service bills. Lopez said the Phoenix City Council has been informed, as have homeowners associations and neighborhood groups. He did not specify which residential areas were contacted.

Additional information about changes in bulk trash collection can be found on the Public Works Department website.

‘A safety issue’

The city said the frequent pickup delays it experienced in 2022 and 2023 can be attributed to labor shortages. Duran said the delays often resulted in trash piles sitting on the street for weeks, forcing pedestrians and cars to navigate around them.

“In our neighborhood, we don’t have sidewalks,” he said. “It became a safety issue for people driving and walking through the area.”

As the former president of the North Park Central Neighborhood Group, Duran and his colleagues previously met with the Phoenix City Council in an attempt to resolve the issue but found little traction. The recent policy change took Duran by surprise, and he said he was “elated” after hearing the news.

“(The new policy) is going to go a long way with making people feel like they want to stay here,” he said, “and don't live in a dump.”