Garbage day gets smarter

By Anna Dunbar

If you’ve ever lost track of garbage day or raced outside after hearing the garbage truck, you’re in luck. Residents of the City of Waco can download a free smartphone app called “Waco Curbside Services” to get notified of all things waste-related. For your home address you can get notifications for your specific trash/recycling pick-up day, what goes in your carts, how to contact us and much, much more! 

Available for free on Google Play and the Apple App Store, smartphone users can get waste and recycling collection information, calendars, and the latest updates, in English or Spanish, on their phone or tablets. Residents can choose to receive a garbage day reminder, whether it’s 6 p.m. the day before, or 7 a.m. the day of collections.  

As the person responsible for outreach, I am so excited to introduce this new app to our residents. Personally, I have found myself using mobile apps more and more and mobile websites less and less. This app is easy to use and offers tools to help you do the right thing while setting out your trash, recycling, or yard waste.

As described, the app has the City of Waco Solid Waste calendar with blue and green weeks and holidays.

What about getting rid of a broken vacuum cleaner? Use the “What Goes Where” tool in the app to learn what your options are. There are even links to the request form for a replacement trash cart, new blue or green cart, and a form to request bulky waste collection.

Also, the app can send you reminders about setting out your carts or special days on the calendar, such as a Wednesday collection day due to a holiday. If there is critical waste collection information that needs to get out quickly, Waco Curbside Services app subscribers will be the first to know.  

The City of Waco’s goal is to provide everyone with easily accessible information about what to do with your “stuff.” We know everyone is busy and some folks do not have time to call our customer service number during 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. 

I think this will help us all do the right thing with our trash, our recyclables, and our yard waste. Residents will be able to get answers to questions in a more convenient manner.

What if you do not own a smartphone? Don’t worry, information will still be available at Waco-texas.com as well as in the City Limits newsletter.  The wonderful City of Waco Solid Waste Services customer service representatives at (254) 299-2612 will continue to be available to answer your questions in English and Spanish. Those services are not changing! The app is just another tool to help you! 

Anna Dunbar is the solid waste administrator for the City of Waco Solid Waste Services. She is responsible for informing Waco residents and businesses about recycling and waste reduction opportunities as well as solid waste services in Waco. Her husband is a Baylor professor and her daughter is a Baylor University alum who works at Horizon Environmental Services, Inc. Anna is an active member of Keep Waco Beautiful and The Central Texas Audubon Society.

The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.