“It’s like we have become a destination for some people that just want to get out of the house, which we don’t want to be,” said Bob Downing, the county’s Environmental Services assistant director.
The number of customers at the facility soared in March by 1,766 over the same period last year. The increase is largely attributed to state’s “stay-at-home order,” Downing said.
It’s obvious people are sifting through their yards, basements, garages and attics, he said.
Jimmy Webb of Dayton pulled into the transfer station on Tuesday with unwanted content from his property, including scrap wood, buckets, limbs and an old toilet he tossed from the bed of his pickup.
“I got plenty of time on my hands, so it’s time to clean out the garage,” Webb said.
During March, the facility handled 2,805 tons a day on average – or 12% above the 2,500-ton daily average during 2019, according to Environmental Services records. The number of customers in March reflected a 6% increase over the same month last year.
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With many businesses shuttered, commercial waste tonnage has actually decreased, indicating the uptick is primarily the result of residential cleansing, county records show.
The biggest concern, Downing said, is so many people are lining up to dispose of so little trash. On the last Saturday of March, more than 40% of the 681 public customers paid no more than $5.
“We’re talking a couple of bags, something that fits in a car, not even a pickup,” Downing said. “Unless it’s essential, please put your trash by the curb for your weekly pick-up or consolidate trips.”
Late last month, county commissioners approved a resolution to temporarily allow $2,500 in cash to be kept on hand by scale operators at the transfer station so they could make change.
Montgomery County Commissioner Debbie Lieberman said she’s taken many calls from county residents wondering whether the transfer station at 1001 Encrete Lane in Moraine was open.
“People are cleaning out their houses,” she said. “It’s still open.”
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But 28 municipalities within Montgomery County all have residential trash pickup with the exception of Washington Twp., where residents contract with their own private haulers, Downing said.
“Every household in Montgomery County has trash pickup,” he said. “It’s causing the longer lines needlessly.”
The facility is open and will remain so, but the amount of traffic remains a safety concern for both county employees and transfer station customers, said Megan O’Leary, a Montgomery County Environmental Services spokeswoman.
“We have no intention of closing the public scales because demand is still high,” she said. “We do believe the demand will taper off, as people finish cleaning.”
The six-foot physical-distancing guideline can be safely maintained between people because they are in vehicles, O’Leary said.
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Matt Hilliard, interim director of Environmental Services, said while the facility remains open to the public, residents need to use good judgment planning and making trips to the transfer station during the coronavirus outbreak.
“Our essential staff at the Montgomery County Solid Waste District is working hard to accommodate our residents during the pandemic,” he said. “While we are here to serve residents, we ask that households limit the amount of trips they take to our facility to protect not only their health, but the health of our employees.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has indicated that residents should only leave their homes to make essential trips,” he said. “We ask that residents think about this guidance before they make their decision to leave their homes.”
Dayton Daily News photographer Jim Noelker contributed to this story.
The Montgomery County Solid Waste District Transfer and Recycling Facility at 1001 Encrete Lane in Moraine remains open for area residents. But due to the coronavirus pandemic, officials say to use the facility only if necessary, and if so, consolidate loads to limit trips.
Trash disposal, recycling and yard waste hours of operation
Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Closed Sunday
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