June 8, 2017

For Immediate Release

Prince George’s County Councilman Mel Franklin Releases Results of 45-Day Survey on County’s Change to Once-A-Week Trash Service

County Residents Overwhelmingly Express a Desire to Return to Twice-A-Week Service

Contact: Mel@melfranklin.net

Upper Marlboro, MD – Today, Prince George’s County Councilman Mel Franklin (D-District 9) released the full results of a 45-day countywide, online survey gauging the satisfaction of county residents with last year’s change from twice to once-a-week county trash removal service. A large majority, 74.4% of the 2,011 county residents who responded to the survey, expressed disapproval of the change in service and desire to return to twice-a-week service, while only 25.6% expressed support for the change.  Disapproval of the reduction in service was particularly notable in central (78.7%) and southern (75.1%) Prince George’s County.  Finding cost savings and pushing more residents to recycle were the primary reasons for the service reduction.  Councilman Franklin issued the following statement:

“While our change to once-a-week trash service had good intentions, the residents we serve have responded with overwhelming disapproval for this reduction in service.  While trash service might seem like a mundane or insignificant issue to some, it is one of the few ways that nearly all of our residents feel the impact of their local government on a weekly basis.  I have particularly heard a great deal of negative feedback from our seniors, who have found physically adjusting to the change in service challenging, and from residents who were extremely disappointed with the lack of public discussion before the decision to reduce twice-a-week service was made.  It is admirable that more people are recycling because of the change, but to reduce twice-a-week service without the people we serve feeling a significant benefit was a mistake that we should correct as soon as possible.  I will work with like-minded leaders and residents in an effort to restore twice-a-week trash service.”

The full survey results, including by region and zip code, are available at https://tinyurl.com/finalresults-trashsurvey.  Residents who live in a municipality that provides their trash service were unaffected by the county’s reduction in service.

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Overall Survey Results

Councilman Mel Franklin’s 45 Day Survey on Once-A-Week Trash Service

Last year, the County changed waste pick-up service from twice-a-week to once-a-week to save money, promote recycling, and match other nearby jurisdictions. This was a very controversial change with many residents. Do you support the change in your waste pick-up service from twice to now once per week?

COUNTY SURVEY RESULTS – OVERALL

COUNTY SURVEY RESULTS BY REGION

COUNTY SURVEY RESULTS BY ZIP CODE

*Note: 3 respondents completed the survey but were not county residents.