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MikeS1
Posts: 521
Posted:
Tim - Maybe you have some insights on this. We're in Fairfax County.

Today, I was advised by own of by coworkers that his town home community in Prince William Count has always mandated that all trash be placed out in toter/cans with attached lids. They will not pickup trash in plastic bags.

Most of the time, the owners who live in the middle of the row doesn't want to deal with the task of wheeling the toter around to the front of the building. We've got a real problem in our town home community, with folks putting about white, clear, or black flimsy bags with organic material, so the animals tear through the bags. Our trash vendor is great about picking up the mess for the most part, but it's getting old. Our guidelines currently read as follows "Trash/Recycle Containers. Containers shall be placed for pickup not earlier than 6:00 p.m. on the eve of scheduled pickup day and not later than 7:00 a.m. on scheduled pick-up day. Trash is to be placed in appropriate plastic containers manufactured for trash storage. Dark, heavy-duty plastic bags shall be used to combine smaller, whitetrash bags and other small, loose items to prevent trash from blowing away on windy days. It is recommended that wet trash (kitchen garbage, etc.) be placed in covered containers as a deterrent to scavenger animals, domestic and wild."

This time of year, the racoon, possums, wild cats and other animals are tearing through the bags and it's a mess. Fairfax County requires that residents store there trash outside in a suitable toter can with a lid, but we still have residents that store their trash in bags on their upper level deck and then complain to Animal Control about the Raccoon that climbs up on the deck.

Even with all the new, different types of bags (force/flex, contractor grade etc), I'm not sure that the current guideline is strong enough and we'd really like to require the use of a toter/can with lid when it comes to the residents putting their trash out.

I'm wondering if other communities require the use of the cans and if you all think that it's too much of an imposition to require the use of the can.

What's the consensus?

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059
Posted:
Mike,

We looked at getting a contract with a company that would provide the large totes. We then discussed the likelihood that those who own homes in the center of the row would actually haul them around the back all the time. Since all of our homes have some sort of a hill to navigate to get around the back, we concluded that although members would likely comply in the beginning, the number of people that tried storing them in the bushes would likely climb after the first good storm (rain or snow). Therefore, we have chosen not to investigate this further.

I think the reality is that most people won't keep it stored in the rear of the property. Additionally, if the Association went to such a method, they would likely need to make arrangements to keep paths cleared between and behind the town homes in bad weather so there would be no excuse for not hauling cans around the back. This would be an added expense for the Association. Worst case, what happens when someone falls hauling a full container up the hill?

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059
Posted:
By the way, where did you find that County regulation on trash containers?
SteveM9 (Massachusetts)
Posts: 3,699
Posted:
We require trash bins. Bags placed on the roadside are not allowed. Animals would tear it apart and scatter it everywhere. I even have a clip on my bin because they figured out how to tip it over.
MikeS1
Posts: 521
Posted:
Thanks Steve.
GlenL (Ohio)
Posts: 5,491
Posted:
I remember back in the day when we had problems with raccoons getting into our trash, mom brought home some concentrated Lysol in the little brown bottle and put a few drops around the cans. End of raccoon problem.

I don't know if Lysol in the brown bottle is still available but here are two recipes for raccoon repellant from ehow.com:

Mix one small bottle of hot sauce (like Tabasco) or one can of cayenne pepper with one gallon of water that has had one teaspoon of mild dishwashing detergent added to it. The soap will help the pepper water adhere to the plants and other places you spray. The pepper spray will need to be reapplied after a rain or watering. Make sure you thoroughly wash any fruit or vegetable you harvest that has been sprayed before you eat it.

One tablespoon of Cayenne pepper
One chopped Jalapeno pepper
One chopped yellow onion

In two quarts water, boil the ingredients for 20 minutes. After the mixture has cools, strain it through cheesecloth. Spray the strained liquid anywhere you want to repellent raccoons or any other wildlife. It is very effective, but must be reapplied every three to five days.


Studies show that 5 out of 4 people have problems with fractions
MikeS1
Posts: 521
Posted:
Thanks Glen!

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