INDIANAPOLIS — There are lots of trash bins sitting out on city streets that have not been touched for weeks. Many of the bins are overflowing with trash that needs to be collected by Republic Services.
Republic is contracted by the city to collect trash for more outlying areas outside of downtown Indy. Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett is urging Republic to start getting on the ball with picking up trash.
“I will tell you if things are not remedied in short order, we would not be responsible if we did not look for alternatives that would be more effective — more efficient,” said Hogsett to WISH-TV.
Republic says they are suspending heavy trash pick-up until Sept. 4, meaning larger items that are being thrown out will not be collected for the next week or so. Republic says it’s so they can focus more on regular trash collection.
They say the slow turnaround in trash pick-up is due to staff shortages, a larger amount of trash than usual, and supply chain issues.
“Most every home in my neighborhood has the yellow top, which means recycling and Republic and those trash cans have been out in the street for some time now,” said Hogsett. “At the end of the day, the trash has to be picked up. Now we just have to insist that Republic provide the kind of service that residents of Indianapolis deserve.”
Complaints to the city have skyrocketed in the first three weeks of August. The city and Department of Public Works have received more than 13,000 calls complaining about Republic. That’s six times the average number of complaints.
DPW handles trash pick-up for the central and some parts of southern Indianapolis. Republic handles the bulk of Marion County in most outlying areas. Waste Management handles the upper northwest corner of Marion County and Beech Grove, Lawrence, and Speedway handle their own trash pick-up.
