Trash troubles: Fort Worth says garbage contractor missing hundreds of pickups

The City of Fort Worth says its garbage collector is missing hundreds of pickups every month.

Eli Sanders has lived in his North Fort Worth home for eight years. Recently, he said, trash service has changed.

“The last three months or so, it’s been kind of iffy. Sometimes, our stuff wouldn’t get picked up at all, and it frustrated me and my wife because we’re like, ‘Where are we going to put our stuff?’” he said.

He said his trash has been missed three or four times in the last few months, and he's noticed the same for his neighbors, too.

“We got trash cans all up and down the street and it kind of looks terrible," Sanders said.

He's not alone: The City of Fort Worth said it's a citywide problem.

In a report to city council members at Tuesday's work session, Environmental Services Director Cody Whittenburg said they found an average of 1,600 missed pick-ups per month for the past six months.

The industry standard, he said, is to keep missed pick-ups under 1,100 a month.

He said neighbors with disabilities are experiencing even worse service, with a higher missed-pick-up ratio than their counterparts.

City Council Member Charlie Lauersdorf has been vocal about his frustrations.

"I'm tired of it," he said during an April 16 meeting. “I’m absolutely ready to declare war on this whole process.”

In a post on Facebook, he said he's also had missed pickups several times.

“We are the highest levels of the city. We need to hold them accountable. I understand they are being fined, but they are garbage. All pun intended. We’ve got to do something about it," he said on April 16.

On Tuesday, Whittenburg said that staff was working closely with the city's contractor, Waste Management (WM).

He said they have a plan to address the problem, including better communication and using technology and route monitoring for customers with disabilities.

“It’s become a new normal that your trash is missed. And we want to undo that new normal," Whittenburg said.

In a statement to NBC 5, WM said they're aware of the problem and confirmed that they are working with the city.

“At WM, our practice is to service our communities in an efficient and timely manner. We are aware there is a problem with residential waste service in some areas of Fort Worth and are working closely with the City to keep them informed and resolve the issues. From time to time, there may be service delays due to unforeseen circumstances. WM is working to address the issues and get back to what we do best – servicing our customers." - WM

He said neighbors should report their missed trash pick-up the next day.

The best way to report, according to Whittenburg, is through the City Call Center at (817) 392-1234.

You can also email 1234@fortworthtexas.gov, use the chat feature on the city's website, or report it on the MyFW app.

The city says residents should leave their carts at the curb and report a missed pick-up after 7 a.m. the next day.