The Public Services Department is
responsible for implementing the City’s solid waste
programs. A variety of solid waste program and service
opportunities are available to the public. Solid waste
programs managed by the Department include:
1. Oversight of the Solid Waste Contract
2. Recycling Programs
· Curbside Recycling
· Drop-off Recycling
· White Goods Recycling
· Christmas Tree Recycling
3. Spring Clean Up
4. Fall Clean Up Program
5. Leaf Collection Program
6. City Litter Barrel Program
7. Litter Clean Up Program
· Oversight of Solid Waste Contract
The City of Florence contracts out solid waste removal
services. The Public Services Department prepares solid
waste bid specifications, performs bid analysis,
recommends contractor selection, and acts as the point
of contact for the solid waste removal company and to
residents regarding waste collection issues. Customers
should contact the waste hauler directly to set up waste
collection services. The waste hauler is responsible for
billing each customer.
The solid waste contract is bid out based on the
exclusive franchise concept. This means the solid waste
contractor is guaranteed collection for all waste
removed from the city limits including, but not limited
to, residential, multi-family, office, commercial,
construction and industrial customers. Historically,
bidding waste collection services in this manner allows
the City to secure the lowest waste collection rates in
the region for similar collection services.
· Recycling Programs
Curbside recycling is available to all residential
customers through the solid waste contractor. The
customer must contact the waste hauler to establish
curbside recycling service for a cost of $3.12 per
month. The recycling collection occurs on the same day as
trash collection. Plastic bottles and jugs regardless of plastic number (no lids)
, glass jars and bottles (any color), aluminum and steel cans,
empty aerosol cans (lids & tips removed), brown grocery bags,
mixed office paper, envelopes, junk mail, magazines, newspapers
with inserts, paperboard (such as cereal boxes), telephone books
and cardboard including clean pizza boxes (broke down to 3'x 3') are materials
accepted through the program.
The drop-off recycling program is a also offered by the
Florence Public Services Department. Two drop-off
recycling bins are located at the Public Services
Maintenance Facility, 7850 Tanners Lane. Drop-off
recycling is provided at no cost to the user and is
available to all segments of the community. Glass,
aluminum and bi-metal cans, paper and plastics regardless
of plastic number (no lids) are accepted.
The Public Services Department also makes a white goods
drop-off recycling program available to Florence
residents. White goods such as washers, dryers stoves,
refrigerators, air conditioning units, and other items
containing freon (CFCs) may be taken to the Public
Services Maintenance Facility, 7850 Tanners Lane
throughout the year during normal business hours. The
Public Services Department works in cooperation with the
Boone County Public Works Department who removes the
freon at no charge. All such items are then recycled.
The Christmas tree recycling program is available
through curbside pick up or at drop-off locations in
early January of each year. Public Services crews drive
snow routes on a designated day in early January and
remove any Christmas tree at the curb. Residents may
also dispose of their Christmas tree at a drop-off point
later in the same week.
All Christmas trees collected as part of this program
are chipped into mulch and made available to residents.
The Christmas tree recycling program is a joint program
between the Florence Public Services Department, the
Boone County Solid Waste Department, and the Boone
County Public Works Department.
· Spring Clean Up
The Spring Clean Up Program was re-established in 1997
in an effort to encourage Florence residents and
businesses to dispose of debris or any unwanted
materials (hazardous materials excluded). This week-long
program now occurs in spring of each year. Program
participants may bring their unwanted items to the
Public Services Maintenance Facility located at 7850
Tanners Lane for disposal. Dumpsters are provided and
Public Services Maintenance personnel are available to
assist participants. Large items such as white goods,
refrigerators, air conditioning units, household
furniture, garbage, brush, and other general debris are
acceptable.
· Fall Clean Up Program
The fall clean up program was established in 2002 and
offers the same services as the spring clean up program.
· Leaf Collection Program
The Public Services Department established a curbside
leaf collection program in the fall of 1991. The leaf
collection service is available to residential customers
in the city limits. For safety reasons, the leaf
collection service is not available to residential
customers along state routes. The leaf collection
program runs for 10 consecutive weeks beginning in
mid-October and ending in mid-December. All leaves
collected during the program are delivered to area
property owners for use as compost. On average, more
than 2,000 cubic yards of leaves are collected, recycled
and ultimately diverted from landfills. Property owners
who prefer not to participate in the program may still
bag their leaves for the waste hauler to collect. This
program helps achieve solid waste landfill reduction
goals for the community.
The program has evolved from leaf collection without a
schedule to collection according to a daily schedule.
Customers are now provided with three specific leaf
collection dates for each street. Leaf collections are
scheduled Mondays through Thursdays. Fridays are used as
a make-up day, if necessary, and for equipment
maintenance.
· City Litter Barrel Program
In striving to maintain the beauty of the City, the
department faces several challenges. One such challenge
is the accumulation of litter on public rights-of-way
around the City. The Public Services Department has
developed two programs to control this problem. The
first program is a litter clean-up program and the
second is the litter barrel program.
The City litter barrel program was established in 1995
as the Public Services Department’s proactive approach
to litter control. The theory behind the program is to
place trash receptacles in locations containing high
volumes of pedestrian traffic, or in areas that attract
pedestrians on a regular basis. Making trash receptacles
available provides a method for residents to dispose of
trash instead of discarding it on the ground.
The current litter barrel program now includes 78 litter
barrel locations City wide. Litter barrels are located
at bus stops and other high pedestrian traffic
locations. As part of the program, the solid waste
contractor empties the litter barrels once per week and
Public Services crews empty the litter barrels as
needed.
· Litter Clean-Up Program
The City litter clean-up program is the Public Services
Department’s reactive approach to litter control. Under
this program, whenever trash/debris accumulates on
public property or on the public right-of-way, a work
order is generated for Public Services crews to remove
the trash/debris from the affected area.
The City of Florence contracts with
Rumpke for all residential, commercial, and industrial
solid waste collection and disposal services for all
customers in the City. Service must be set up with Rumpke
by contacting them at (877) 786-7537. You will be billed
directly from Rumpke for this service. Currently, the rate
for residential trash service, one curbside pickup per
week, is $3.12 per month. One 96 gallon tote for garbage
collection is provided to each household by Rumpke at no
additional cost as part of this service. Additional totes
can be rented from Rumpke for $1.00 per month per tote.
Please contact Rumpke for commercial and industrial rates.
Refer to
Garbage & Recycling Schedule for residential
curbside pickup day.
A voluntary residential
subscription recycling program is also available from
Rumpke. This must also be set up with Rumpke by contacting
them at (877) 786-7537. You will be billed directly from
Rumpke for this service. Currently, the rate for
residential recycling service, one curbside pickup per
week, is $3.12 per month. One 65 gallon tote for recycling
collection is provided to each participating household by
Rumpke at no additional cost as part of the service. Additional
totes can be rented from Rumpke for $1.00 per month per tote.
Commercial and industrial recycling is not included in the
contract, but is available. Please contact Rumpke for commercial
and industrial rates. Residential curbside pick up occurs on
the same day as your trash pickup.
No collections will be made on
Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. Waste service will
occur on all other holidays as applicable. In years when
Christmas Day and New Year’s Day falls on a regular
collection day, the remaining collection day(s) will be
delayed by one day.
