The cans were bought with money from a New Jersey Clean Communities grant
TRENTON -- Fifty new trash cans have been placed throughout the city in hopes of deterring residents and visitors from tossing their unwanted trash on the ground.
The effort was spearheaded by Councilman-at-Large Duncan Harrison, who last March called on the city to buy an additional 250 to 350 trash cans for city streets, parks and public property.
Mayor Eric Jackson's administration agreed to purchase 150 new cans -- the first 50 of which have already distributed. The rest will be placed outside in the spring.
The cans were bought with money from a New Jersey Clean Communities grant, city spokesman Michael Walker said. Each costs about $200.
"Trenton residents, visitors and members of our business community need to work together to keep Trenton clean," Jackson said in a statement. "Increasing the availability of trash receptacles will help all of us keep refuse off the streets, sidewalks and parks, and serve as a reminder that it is up to each of us to create a more appealing city."
Harrison said new cans have been placed in every ward and it's a good first step.
"We really want a clean city, but you have to give people the tools to do that and to put their trash somewhere," he said.
He said residents had asked for more cans, in part because some had been stolen.
"We really want to encourage residents to use the trash cans, take the initiative to keep their neighborhoods, streets, blocks clean," Harrison said. "If you see trash, take the initiative, pick it up and put it in its proper place and help keep the city clean."
Harrison also hopes to better educate residents on simple things like when they should put their trash out, when they shouldn't and proper trash disposal.
Councilman George Muschal on Tuesday night said the cans won't do any good if public work crews don't empty them. He said street sweepers haven't passed through neighborhoods in weeks and trash cans in every ward are filled and overflowing with trash.
"The city streets are filthy dirty," he said at council's agenda session. "We just purchased new baskets, but what good are the baskets when we don't have anybody to empty them?
"You want people to come in and invest money in the city and you take one look at it and you run," he continued.
Council President Zachary Chester, who said he was also fed up with the problem, suggested sitting down with the administration to get to the bottom of the issue and work toward finding a solution. He pointed to one example when trash cans along Cadwalader Park were full on Sunday following a kickball game, but on Monday, the garbage trucks rode past them on their way to the Hiltonia section of the city.
"Maybe the policy needs to change that it's not just pick up residents' trash and then somebody come at some other point to empty the public trash cans," he said. "It only makes sense if you're passing them, to pick them up."
But Muschal said his and other council members' concerns and suggestions have gone unheard.
"We've got meetings on top of meetings on top of meetings and nothing's done," he said. "What are you going to do? Sit down, complain again and nothing's done. ... This has been going on for years. It's an administration problem."
In the meantime, residents with questions about the proper disposal of trash, furniture, TVs, mattresses and recyclables or those who require special pick-ups are asked to call the city's Department of Public Works at 609-989-3175.
The city is also reminding residents that the new cans should not be used to dump household garbage, furniture, leaves or other items that require special pick-ups.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include comments from Tuesday's council agenda session.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.
