Trash removal costs a pretty penny for Chicago residents, so one alderman's idea to trim the city's budget allocation to the service should not come as too much of a surprise.
But still, 2nd Ward Alderman Robert Fioretti's suggestion to reduce the number of monthly trash pickup days from four (weekly) to three (every 10 days) has already been met with mixed-at-best reviews from some residents who say garbage bins in many parts of the city are already overflowing and attracting rodents on the monthly pickup schedule, FOX Chicago reports.
In response to those concerns, Fioretti claims that "people will get used to it," according to FOX Chicago.
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Mayor Rahm Emanuel has already taken steps to change how the city approaches trash pickup and, as of last month, was looking to hire a private consultant to help develop a more efficient and cost-effective system. That system will likely be one that is grid-based rather than the current ward-by-ward pickup schedule, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Last week, as part of their report [PDF] that outlined ways to save the city $242 million annually, the Chicago Federation of Labor suggested that the city should pick up garbage from small businesses, not just residents, in order to generate more revenue. They also argued that city workers in trash collection and other areas are actually cheaper than private companies in many cases, despite Emanuel's decision to hire companies to take over half the city's recycling business.
Emanuel said he was "happy" that the unions had offered their ideas.