NOTIFICATION HAS BEGUN TO SOUTHEAST AREA RESIDENTS WHO WILL EXPERIENCE GARBAGE DAY CHANGE IN JULY

June 4, 2008 - The Solid Waste Management Department has begun notifying residents in the Southeast of upcoming changes in their garbage and yard trimmings collection day. The Department is utilizing a variety of communication methods such as direct mail, newspapers, phone bank, and attending community meetings to spread the word.

Residents who will experience a service day change should have received a letter the first week of May notifying them of the change. Volunteers and staff have gone into the affected neighborhoods with door hangers to reinforce the message. Information will also be available on the Solid Waste Management Department’s website, www.houstonsolidwaste.org for residents to confirm their service days.

On July 14, 2008, the City of Houston will be changing garbage days in some Southeast Houston neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are Garden Villas, Gulf Freeway Oaks, Gulf Meadows, Hobby Allen Farms, Meadowbrook Freeway, as well as Clear Lake’s Meadow Green, Oak Brook and Oak Brook West. Earlier this year, several thousand homes that were previously under private garbage collection service switched to City of Houston solid waste service. To accommodate these new customers in a short time frame, the department quickly placed these homes into the daily workload without disruption to the surrounding area. However, to best service the entire southeast area most efficiently, the neighborhoods will be re-routed to optimize efficiency and reduce cost.

In order to take maximum advantage of the route optimization, some customers will experience a service day change for automated garbage and yard trimmings collection beginning July 14th.

The Solid Waste Management Department provides solid waste service to the citizens of Houston through the collection, disposal and recycling of discarded material in a manner that is safe, efficient, environmentally sound and cost-effective.