Complaints pile up in Cape Coral as garbage sits curbside uncollected

Reporter: Taylor Petras
Published:
Smelly, trash awaiting pickup by the garbage company. Photo via WINK News.

Last year more than 800 complaints were filed with the city against Waste Pro USA Inc. for things like trash and items sitting at the curb for weeks not getting picked up.

While some people have seen improvements, they say more needs to be done to keep their curbs clean.

An old couch, mattress, and box spring have been sitting at the end of Matthew Hicks’ Cape Coral driveway for nearly a month, “You come home and it’s embarrassing to see this stuff in front of your house all the time.”

Several items awaiting pickup at the end of Matthew Hicks' driveway. Photo via WINK News.
Several items awaiting pickup at the end of Matthew Hicks’ driveway. Photo via WINK News.

His family is looking for a new home, but is having trouble getting their old furniture picked up by the City’s trash collector Waste Pro.

“I told my wife if it doesn’t go, we’re gonna have a big bonfire in the back yard come next week.”

He says he’s been calling each week to have it picked up, “They didn’t give any kind of reason as to why it wasn’t being picked up or why it wasn’t being tagged.”

Hicks says everyday it gets worse because there’s always more stuff, and his home isn’t the only one on the block with trash waiting at the curb.

And it’s not the only neighborhood in the Cape Coral that’s had issues with Waste Pro.

In west Cape Coral Sam Yaffey says she’s seen improvements in her neighborhood over the last few months, but adds trash from the holiday was picked up three days late.

“I was really worried about it because we had a New Year’s Eve party here with many people. Not only was my can full from the party, another neighbor’s can was full from a party.”

In 2018 more than 800 complaints for missed trash pick up were reported to the city with a quarter of those happening in June alone.

The number of complaints have gone down since then.

Hicks who didn’t have any issues with Waste Pro before says, “I just want it gone. That’s it. If I can just get it picked up so I don’t have to mow around it and look at it when I come home, then that’s it, I’m happy.”

Even with more than 1,000 complaints to date for missed pickups, the City still hasn’t issued any fines against Waste Pro. The City’s contract with the company goes until 2020.

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