New Way of Picking Up Garbage

Written by Shannon Dillon

Monday, 12 May 2008

THERE'S A NEW WAY TO GET THIS DIRTY JOB DONE...21-ST CENTURY TECHNOLOGY'S MAKING ITS WAY TO THE CITY'S SOLID WASTE GARBAGE COLLECTION TRUCKS...COMPUTER CHIPS DOING WHAT ONCE TOOK THE MAN-POWER OF FOUR WORKERS. ONLY ONE OPERATOR'S NEEDED TO RUN THE TRUCK...HELPING THE CITY TO CUT COSTS. "Reasons we went to the automated is manpower and reduces in the long run costs, and most of the efficiency of trucks than we're using now," says Victoria Solid Waste Manger, Benito Ortiz Jr. TWO OF THESE $200,000 GARBAGE EATERS HIT VICTORIA NEIGHBORHOODS....COLLECTING TRASH ON TWO ROUTES IN THE NORTHCREST SUBDIVISION. EIGHT ROUTES ARE INCLUDED IN THE FIRST PHASE OF THE SERVICE...WITH 20 TOTAL ROUTES BY THE END OF THE YEAR. THE AUTOMATIC TRUCK IS MORE EFFICIENT -- ALLOWING WORKERS TO MAKE FEWER GARBAGE COLLECTIONS --- RUNNING ONCE A WEEK INSTEAD OF TWICE. BY THE END OF THE YEAR ALL OF VICTORIA WILL BE USING THE AUTOMATED SYSTEM....FOR NOW THE TWELVE OTHER ROUTES WILL CONTINUE TO USE THE EXISTING THREE-MAN GARBAGE COLLECTION SYSTEM. CITY OFFICIALS SAY THE MACHINES WIN ON THE SAFETY TEST, TOO. "Theres an automatic ring if you don't pick the arm up right it gives you a warning, if you don't take off with the brace on it gives you a warning," says Ortiz. A LEVER CONTROLS THE ARM --- EXTENDING UP TO NINE FEET --- WITHOUT THE OPERATOR HAVING TO LEAVE THE TRUCK.  ALTHOUGH WHAT THEY'RE PICKING MAY BE NASTY --- OFFICIALS SAY THESE NEW TRUCKS ARE ANYTHING BUT --- PERFECT MACHINES, NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT THEM.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 13 May 2008 )