Category: Trash Pickup - page 2

Despite several mentions of this issue in the past 2 or 3 Informational Notices sent out to all homeowners and addresses, we continue to get broken glass, mirrors and other sharp items put into plastic garbage bags. A few weeks ago, we found a steak knife in a plastic trash bag, only because the blade end poked all the way out of the bag. This could easily have seriously injured one of our employees.

On Monday someone put a broken mirror in a plastic bag, the larger pieces of which poked out of the bag. Had there been any information in the bag with an address on it, the culprit would have been fined.  Shortly after the broken mirror, we found another trash bag, this time with pieces of broken window glass in it. We were able to identify where this bag came from and that individual was fined.

Any broken glass must be placed into a box and the box needs to be securely closed.

Despite several notices sent out to all residents about broken glass and uncapped syringes in trash bags, we had an incident this morning where one of our maintenance guys received a 2″-2 /12″ cut on his leg because a homeowner put broken glass into a plastic trash bag. Common sense would indicate that broken glass should be contained in a manner so as not to injure another person and failing to do so is willful negligence.  The homeowner admitted they put glass in the bag, something they normally would not do.

As a reminder, all broken glass, bottles, window panes, mirrors or other broken and jagged glass materials MUST be in a box that is securely taped closed. We have sent out sufficient warnings; any further instances of broken glass in plastic trash bags will result in an appropriate fine to the responsible party.

If this was not bad enough, from the very same street where the broken glass in the trash bag originated, we had another trash bag with 5 or 6 uncapped syringes and needles used with Insulin pens. This is also negligent and one of the guys got stuck by an uncapped syringe.

I am diabetic and I understand the concept of a bio-hazard. Not only do I cap all of my used syringes/pen needles, I also put them in a coffee can and secure the lid. It is the reasonable and responsible thing to do. And yet, we have had several instances of our residents not even bothering to put the cap back on the sharp end. This is a Health and Safety violation and can result in fines pursuant to Texas Property Code, Section 209.006.