City of Rochester
News Release
(Thursday, May 7, 2020) – Effective Monday, May 18, the
City of Rochester’s Department of Environmental Services will resume bulk
refuse collection as part of the initial reopening of our community. Bulk
Refuse collection was initially paused to preserve the City’s ability to
continue normal refuse and recycling pickup and protect employee and public
health during the COVID-19 crisis. Fortunately, as time has progressed, the
City has not seen the level of illness initially feared among its DES employees
and is able to reinstate this important service. Normal refuse and recycling
collection will continue on its normal schedule.
“I want to thank our residents for their patience and
assistance during this difficult time and I’m thrilled to announce that we will
restart bulk refuse pickup on Monday, May 18,” said DES Commissioner Norman
Jones. “It may take a week or two for us to catch up with all of the material
people have stored. However, we will be working diligently to do so.”
Bulk items include furniture, tree branches and other
large items that don’t fit within the usual refuse toters. Garbage bags and
other smaller items that can fit into residents' refuse toters must be placed
within them to ensure pickup. If there is an emergency need for bulk refuse
pickup before May 18, residents should call 311.
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News Media: For more information, contact the Communications Bureau at 428-7135.