The following is the full article quoted from _The Falmouth Enterprise_ published on 5/15/26, page 6, entitled, “Trash Cart Rollout Experiences Initial Hiccups; Committee Continues Messaging Efforts”.
The rollout of Falmouth’s new automated trash carts got off to a “less than satisfactory” start after a few residents received dirty and improperly labeled used carts during the first day of deliveries. Town staff have since worked with Nauset Disposal to remedy the situation and limit future issues.
“They’ve got it all sorted out now,” Recycling and Solid Waste Coordinator Mary B. Ryther said at this week’s Solid Waste Advisory meeting.Ryther said the launch on May 8 was a “stumble coming out of the blocks” as Nauset Disposal’s subcontractors began distributing the new 65-gallon carts that are part of the town’s transition to fully automated trash collection.
According to Ryther, because of the tight rollout schedule, Nauset Disposal supplemented shipments of new carts with a supply of used 65-gallon carts, while new carts were coming from the factory. However, she said, several residents complained that some of the used carts arrived dirty and in some cases still contained trash.
“Unfortunately, no one from Nauset checked to see if the carts were clean,” Ryther wrote in an email. She did note that she “assumed the majority were acceptably clean or else I would have gotten dozens of complaints.”
After learning of the complaints, Ryther inspected the staging yard at the Department of Public Works, where the subcontractor had been receiving trailer loads of carts for distribution. During that inspection, she said, an estimated 10% to 15% of the used carts were incorrectly labeled as recycling carts.
Ryther has been working with DPW Director Peter M. McConarty, as well as Nauset Disposal, to get a representative on site to ensure “this doesn’t happen anymore.” All used carts will be washed before distribution, which was an agreed-upon plan.
Despite the early hiccups, the town said it remains on schedule to complete the distribution of all carts within approximately three weeks.
Each cart distributed through the program is tied to a specific household and the serial number on the cart.
The town’s new automated collection program will eventually limit households to one official town-issued cart per week, though residents will be allowed to use a second compliant trash cart during a summer grace period that extends through Labor Day.
After Labor Day, Nauset Disposal will begin collecting and recycling unwanted resident-owned trash carts. Ryther said during the Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting that residents may also bring old carts directly to rigid plastic recycling areas of the town’s waste management facility sooner, or repurpose them for home, work or garden use. Retired trash carts cannot be placed inside curbside trash or recycling for disposal.
The automated collection system is part of the town’s expanded contract with Nauset Disposal and is intended to improve collection efficiency and worker safety through standardized wheeled carts and automated pickup equipment.
The advisory committee is also continuing to expand its public outreach and education efforts surrounding the transition to automated trash collection.
In partnership with the Department of Public Works, the committee will host two additional informational sessions on the trash-cart program on Tuesday, May 26, at 4 PM and 7 PM in the Hermann Room at the Falmouth Public Library.
Committee members have also created an informational chart outlining recycling and reuse options for common household items that frequently end up in curbside trash carts. The guide is intended to help residents manage within the town’s new one-cart limit by highlighting materials that can instead be recycled or dropped off at the town’s waste management facility and other locations, as many items currently placed in curbside trash can be recycled.