For the cheat-sheet version of this, jump to the Melrose Place Quick Guide to Out of Cart Waste. For the full scoop, continue reading! Everything discussed below is based on changes to the Baton Rouge's collection rules that went into effect on September 1, 2023 when the city's contract was renewed:
If you aren't familiar with those rules, you're in good company: many Baton Rouge citizens are unaware of what can and can't be put to the curb these days even after nearly a year of service changes. The confusion was predicted last July:
Why this matters: Avoiding the appearance of neighborhood neglect
Unfortunately, this lack of compliance is leaving our curbs blighted as materials pile up and stay there for a long time; this sends a bad message to fellow neighbors and potential home buyers. Instead of waiting for a miracle pickup, let's spend a little time making ourselves aware of the new waste disposal rules. Knowing these rules and complying with them collectively increases our neighborhood's value.
What's changed?
The most significant difference is that boom trucks are no longer used for regular out-of-cart waste collection. Those are the big trucks with a mechanical arm and claw that would pick up oversized piles of whatever you had (well, mostly). Now, all items are picked up BY HAND, and this has necessitated the new rules. In a nutshell, types and quantities of materials have been dramatically restricted to only those that can be dealt with easily by manual handling.
The New Rules
Please see Melrose Place Quick Guide to Out of Cart Waste. This covers all the most common stuff. The rules that impact us the most:
Tree trimmings must not exceed 6 inches in diameter and must be cut into pieces no longer than 5 feet in length. The pieces must be stacked neatly into manageable bundles for easy pick up.
Bulk construction debris (fencing materials, ripped out floors, etc.) will NOT be picked up, even if the resident did the demolition work. Residents are responsible for having this hauled off in all cases, for example, by a private waste management company.
No single item or bundle can be over 40 pounds.
The ugly truth: being in compliance now takes more time and costs us more money.
We fully acknowledge the hardships these changes have imposed on residents. Take construction debris for example; none of this will be picked up under the new contract. The only way to have this removed is by hauling it to the city dump yourself or hiring someone to do it for you. If you have logs as a result of cutting down a tree or large limbs (more than 6 inch diameter) on your property, that will also require you to get it hauled away on your own dime - even if you've done the work yourself. With smaller woody waste, branches must fit size guidelines mentioned above. Having an arsenal of tools for sawing branches into pieces or hiring out the work are all new headaches for most folks.
Make it easy for our service providers.
Hardships notwithstanding, the key is to make things as easy as possible for the out-of-cart collection crew. When making piles or stuffing lawn bags, ask yourself: would I be able to pick this up by the armful? The 40 pound limit per pile/item is based on OSHA standards to protect workers. Do not mix types of waste and resist the urge to consolidate everything into one big mega-pile. Instead, put items into distinct, easy-to-pick-up piles, especially when they fall into different categories. As a rule, it's not going to be a mechanical arm and claw picking this stuff up - it's someone jumping off a truck and picking it up by hand. When the driver of a collection truck sees a massive pile of mixed waste that extends for 10 feet, they're just going to move on as if it weren't there. Bottom line: make it visually and physically easy for our service providers to do their job.
Staggered collection
Have more than 10 items (bags, bundles, furniture, dryer, tires, etc.) that need to get collected? Our advice is to only put the maximum of 10 items on the curb and keep the rest in your back yard until the next collection day. When there's more than 10 distinct items in view, it's likely the whole load will be seen as a compliance violation and ignored.
311 it!
Whether its woody waste, bulk items like bags of clippings and discarded furniture, or recyclables like washers and dryers, it's a great idea to call 311 (or preferably, use the Red Stick 311 app) to notify the city that an out of cart pickup is required. From our experience, this gets faster results than simply waiting for the next pickup day.
Exceptions to the Rule
We have a lot of trees in our neighborhood, and when the occasional storm blows through, it can takes out limbs everywhere. This is a case where the city may provide additional assistance in picking up large woody waste that is not in compliance with the regular rules. Also, if a tree or large limbs fall in the road, the city will take care of removing the obstruction and should be responsible for hauling off the debris. Similarly, when Entergy cuts down limbs to clear power lines, the city should be held responsible for removing that waste as well. When in doubt about a situation, let us know, and we can help clarify responsibilities and expedite the removal. Alternately, you can directly call DES Solid waste customer service:(225) 389-5457 option 3.
Your waste goes to your curb - no exceptions.
Do no unload your out-of-cart waste onto Waverly Dr. along the woods or any other unoccupied area in the neighborhood. As a rule, the city will ONLY pick up waste at residential addresses that have an active water bill; they ignore everything else unless it's been called in and approved. We get that a pile of waste may blemish your curb temporarily, but it's disrespectful to the neighborhood and puts more work on the rest of us when its dumped in a public area or a vacant property.
Tidy up after the pickup.
When the city picks up our out of cart waste, small bits may fall out and get left behind. Please rake up the leftovers and place them in your trash cart.
Need Help or want to share your experiences?
The Melrose Civic Association is here to help and pass along any info you may have to other residents. If you or your neighbor have out-of-cart waste that is in compliance with the rules but is still not getting collected, please let us know - we'll work with the city to ensure it gets addressed. If you need consultation or recommendations for professional hauling, please contact us. If any of the rules present a hardship for your unique situation, we want to hear from you - we're all in this together.
David West