Princeton residents whose homes are set back at the end of long driveways will have to take their trash cans down to the curb for collection, instead of placing them next to the house for weekly pickup.
Solterra Recycling Solutions, Princeton’s contracted trash collector, sent letters last month to the affected homeowners informing them that it will not send its garbage trucks down the long driveways to pick up household trash, as of Jan. 1, 2019.
Solterra’s decision caught Princeton officials by surprise, although they pointed out that “backdoor” trash collection has never been included in the town’s contract with the trash hauler.
The town’s contract with Solterra, formerly known as Central Jersey Waste & Recycling Inc., has always been for curbside collection only, Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert said.
The hauler’s contract with Princeton allows the company to negotiate separate agreements with residents for backdoor collection, Mayor Lempert said, but the town has never been part of those deals.
“The ‘backdoor’ refuse service is provided by Solterra through individual private contracts,” Administrator Marc Dashield said. “We first heard about Solterra’s intentions to withdraw ‘backdoor’ services from individual residents (who contacted the town).”
“We have reached out to Solterra on behalf of our residents,and Solterra has indicated that it is discontinuing ‘backdoor’ services to Princeton residents for business reasons,” Dashield said.
The company has indicated that it could continue to provide that service to residents at a cost of $45 per month for once-a-week collection, but it would need at least 100 contracts with Princeton residents, Dashield said. It is the town’s understanding that Solterra has about 80 or 90 signed contracts thus far, he said.
Prior to consolidation of the former Princeton Borough and the former Princeton Township in 2013, trash collection was provided as a municipal service in the former borough, but township residents had to make private arrangements to have their trash collected. The consolidated town provides trash collection as a municipal service.
Residents who are interested in backdoor trash collection can contact Solterra Recycling Solutions at 609-883-7119 for more information.