INDIANAPOLIS — Trash troubles continue for central Indiana residents, this time people who live around the Washington Square Mall are saying they're concerned about an overflowing recycling bin. They join a growing number of voices across the area from people who say they are facing a similar struggle.
The city-owned recycling bin near Washington Square Mall is an eyesore. Social media posts show the bin bursting with boxes and other items people are recycling as well as trash in the lot around it.
13News went to the bin Wednesday to check it out. Our crews ran into several people who were stopping by to use the bin.
One woman said this has been a problem for years.
"Something needs to be done. It's so messy I can't do anything about it," Cathy Durham told 13News, "but, you know, there used to be a fella here who cleaned it up but that's been months. And, it's a nice idea, but if you can't use it, what good is it?"
13News reached out to the city about the issue. The city said it would get the trash cleaned up Wednesday morning and, while our crews were on scene, a worker did stop by.
But the trash issue isn't just isolated to the east side where that bin was found overflowing. The problem is being seen across the area.
Residents in a Brownsburg neighborhood told 13News on Tuesday that their trash hadn't been picked up since Dec. 16. Residents in Mooresville and Avon expressed a similar sentiment.
Uncollected trash is also piling up at apartments across the city. A resident at one of those apartments, Cheswick Village Apartments, told 13News last month that they've long had issues with trash pickup and exclaimed, "They're turning this into a slum."
And on social media, it's being called a "crisis." The account for Big Lug Canteen took to Twitter to call attention to the problem.
The business wrote that it's the "most overlooked problem in Indy right now. Literally mountains of trash everywhere."
Part of the issue derives from Waste Management's purchase of Ray's Trash Service in September. Ray's provided trash and recycling services to 17 counties in central Indiana.
A Waste Management spokesperson told 13News the transition would take time, as many of the acquired trucks were deemed unsafe.
"WM was aware that the fleet would need to be addressed. A significant investment to support fleet improvements has been allocated and immediately implemented, including the deployment of 75 assets that have either been received or are in transit to support the Indianapolis area," said Mia Jankowiak, communications manager with WM.
WM says by early February, the company should be fully operational.
But residents say, they can't wait that long.
"We can't wait until February for somebody to give us notice on what's going to happen with our trash. We need to know now," said Lisa Pherson, an Avon resident who said piles of garbage are on the curb in her neighborhood.
In the meantime, trash keeps piling up.