Some of the half-a-million residents in outlying areas of Bexar County may soon have other options to dispose of bulky items.
Residents inside the City of San Antonio can place bulky items on the curb at certain times of the year for pickup or haul them to a city-operated bulky item drop off center. They can take advantage of those services because they pay an environmental fee on their CPS Energy bills.
While residents in the county are CPS Energy customers too, they don't pay the same environmental fee, so it's not as convenient for county residents to dispose of bulky waste.
County residents must pay their individual waste collector for a curb service pickup or participate in a homeowner's association plan for neighborhood bulky collections. Or they can pay a landfill fee to rid their properties of bigger items.
Precinct 3 County Commissioner Grant Moody said commissioners are working with county staff to bring bulk refuse pickup in neighborhoods of Precincts 1, 2, 3, and 4 that don't have options.
"These things take time to iron out the details ... what the timing looks like, a communication plan, and start identifying locations," he explained.
The county has been working with Tiger Sanitation to provide roll-off services to neighborhoods. That's where a large dumpster is dropped off for an entire neighborhood to fill.
County health officials say the move could curb illegal dumping in unincorporated areas.
Unlike in the City of San Antonio, where city garbage trucks pick up trash, there is no county-operated garbage service. County residents must choose from a handful of independent contractors to pick up their garbage for a fee.
