The city of Rochester is using new technology on their garbage and recycling trucks to help make pickup more effective and efficient.
But they're also reminding residents to stick to a few time-honored practices.
Each refuse and recycling truck now has a tablet in it that shows operators all the route information they need in real time. That includes navigation information, service updates, and the ability to record collection issues in the field.
"So if they come across something, maybe it needs a different piece of equipment. We can find that out now, put that on somebody else's route, take care of their problem right then," said Karen St. Aubin, director of operations for the city’s Department of Environmental Services. "Huge improvement to customer service. Huge improvement for our drivers."
St. Aubin said the the new system replaces a "very paper manual system."
City officials also emphasized that for truck operators to do their jobs, they need residents to do some specific things. For example, households should ensure that only recyclable materials — not trash and not things that may seem recyclable but are not — go in the blue bins.
And how the bins are put out matters, too.
"First off, just let me just remind people to make sure that you have your bins 3 feet apart," Mayor Malik Evans said, using the length of a golf club to demonstrate how far apart the bins should be.
He said that spacing makes it easier to use the trucks' technology. Evans also said bin handles should face the home — and everything should be at the curb before 6:30 a.m.
"Then you don't have to call 3-1-1 and say 'Someone didn't come pick up my garbage."
