Customer Updates – Residential Newsletter Summer 2024

Carts are Coming!  Delivery Details

The City of South Lake Tahoe, El Dorado County, and Douglas County’s new 3-cart curbside collection program begins soon! Delivery of the new carts to residents’ homes will start August 26^th and will continue through early October.

This new semi-automated collection program will be safer for our workers, and the California program is designed to comply with California’s Senate Bill 1383.

Crews will drop off a locking, animal-resistant trash cart to all accounts that do not have a bear box, a blue-lid recycling cart, and a green-lid yard waste cart curbside to every single-family home in the City of South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County. Douglas County cart deliveries will be based on your service level and the preferences indicated on the survey.  All deliveries will include an instructional packet

It’s important to remember that although the garbage cart has a locking mechanism, each jurisdiction has guidelines in place prohibiting trash from being placed at curbside until the morning of your collection day.

Important Notes:

• Start using your carts once you get them. They will start to be serviced the following week.
• Most residential collection pickup days will remain the same, however recycling and yard waste will alternate weeks being picked up the same day as your trash. You will receive a calendar with your cart delivery. Please note while your pickup day may remain the same, pickup times may vary.
• Details on what materials go into each cart will be printed on the carts.
• Please separate your waste as indicated and on collection day place your carts at the curb by 7 am. Note that for California customers, Senate Bill 1383 requires the material to be separated properly; it is not optional and jurisdictions are required to monitor for contamination.

STR will post notifications on the delivery schedule through social media and the STR app – be sure to download the app by scanning the QR codes to the right and opt in for service alerts to receive the updates about your neighborhood schedule. Updates will also be posted at:  https://tinyurl.com/3cart-STR.

Did you Know?  In 2023, we recycled 2,234,000 pounds of cardboard!

Top 5 Cart System Frequently Asked Questions

The transition to a 3-cart collection system is a big change for our community and we understand there are a lot of questions. Below are five of the most frequently asked questions and answers. You can find more at: https://southtahoerefuse.com/resources/3-cart-system/ and a set of FAQs will also be included in the educational packet that comes with cart delivery.

What if I didn’t choose my cart sizes? What will I receive?
For California customers, if the account owner didn’t respond to the survey mailed in 2023, you would receive 95-gallon trash (unless you have a bear box), 95-gallon recycling, and 95-gallon yard waste carts. Nevada customers will receive carts that mirror the size of your current service level.

What if I want a different size?
Information will be included in the delivery packet of how to request a different size. Please be patient as we anticipate a high volume of swap requests at the beginning of the program. We will not be able to accommodate any cart swaps before November 1st.

What if I have a bear box?
If you have a bear box, you will continue to use it as you currently do for trash only. You will receive a recycling cart and a yard waste cart for those material types. Recycling and yard waste carts will not fit inside a bear box.

Do I have to put my recyclables in the blue cart?
In California, SB 1383 requires that recycling is collected out of the blue-lid cart and yard waste is placed in the green-lid cart. For Nevada customers, recycling and yard waste programs are optional but encouraged.

What if I don’t want the carts?
In California the cart system is mandatory under SB 1383. In Nevada, service with STR is not mandatory, but if you are a subscribing single-family residential customer, the garbage cart is required; recycling and yard waste are optional.

Safety Tip: Disposal of Hypodermic Needles

STR’s Household Hazardous Waste program is permitted as a needle consolidation point and accepts hypodermic needles or other sharps from residents at no charge. You can bring sharps to the Transfer Station at 2140 Ruth Ave., South Lake Tahoe, CA anytime during operating hours (Monday-Saturday, 8am-5pm) as long as they are in a plastic puncture-proof container. Ideally, residents would use a container designed for sharps, as pictured below, but heavy-duty plastic juice jugs or laundry detergent jugs are also acceptable. Designated sharps containers can be found at many pharmacies and through online retailers. Questions? Contact our HHW team at 530-542-8368.