Doylestown Township Seeks Public Opinion on Trash Collection

On any given weekday, trucks from as many as seven different trash haulers could be criss-crossing Doylestown Township, spewing exhaust fumes and taking their toll on roadways.

With one truck having the same impact as 1,000 automobiles, according to Assistant Township Manager Sandra Zadell, the environment takes a beating because of the “redundant situation.”

That’s why the township’s Environmental Advisory Council is asking residents to give their opinions about trash hauling in the township. Depending on the results, the council could recommend the township switch to a single-hauler system.

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“The volume of trash trucks creates havoc with our roads,” said Township Manager Stephanie Mason. “The question is how can we reduce the impact on the roads and the air.”

Like most surrounding municipalities – Doylestown Borough, New Britain, Plumstead, Buckingham and Plumstead townships – Doylestown Township residents are on their own to choose from a list of licensed haulers (four residential, three commercial) for trash pickup, including recyclables.

Most companies offer their customers a choice of services, including twice-a-week collections, which a majority of residents choose, said Zadell.

One of the survey questions asks residents to rank how important twice-a-week collections are to them.

“That’s really a Southeastern Pennsylvania speciality,” said Zadell. “We want to know if it is important or not.”

While the EAC’s motivation is preserving the environment for future generations, Mason said she has heard from some residents about the differences in costs among the haulers. Some people have gotten their fees lowered by threatening to switch to another hauler, she said.

“There’s no consistency,” she said.

So far, the township has received about 300 responses, which appeared in the township's spring newsletter and will run again in the fall. Zadell said she hopes to have at least 600 responses – about 10 percent of the households in the township – before the council makes a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors, probably in November.

“We want to give people a lot of time to give us their opinions before moving forward with any recommendations,” she said. “We want a good response rate on this survey.”