Red Phone: Trash drop-off rates vary

“I want to complain about the transfer station rates at Recology. For the last two years since I’ve been using the transfer station location I have never been charged any more than $25 for a load in my mini truck. Earlier this month I was charged $42.50 for a load that was generally smaller than most of my loads. This was yard cuttings, wood and cardboard. This charge was 75 percent more. It is unreasonable. I usually do the right thing by layering and going to each station so that the facility can efficiently handle my debris.”

Red Phone: Dear Debris Dumper, Recology South Valley charges vary depending on the type of materials  that are dropped off.  Fees are charged by the cubic yard, which means length x height x width, said Recology General Manager Phil Couchee. 

The amount charged hasn’t increased, he said. There are a couple possible reasons for the increase. It could have been the type of material that was included or it could have been the way that the material was loaded into the vehicle – loose and bulky instead of compact, Couchee said. He couldn’t say for certain without seeing the load that was dropped off. 

“If a customer has a question about how the charge was determined the pay-shack operator will gladly show the customer how the calculation of cubic yards was determined,” he said.

The San Martin Transfer Station at 14070 Llagas Ave. is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday. 

They accept appliances, furniture, yard waste, construction debris, household garbage and wood items for a fee. Yard waste can’t be in plastic bags or mixed with other garbage. And no dirt, rocks, concrete or bricks can be mixed in with construction debris.

Recology accepts recyclable materials at no charge including aluminum and tin cans, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, mixed paper and plastic containers with a number 1 through 7 marked on the bottom. The recyclables can’t be in plastic bags and need to be sorted before you drop them off.

Contact Recology at 842-3358 or visit recologysouthvalley.com.