Elderly Residents Raise Concerns About Tulsa's New Trash Service

Tulsans have just 16 days to pick their next trash plan. Elderly or disabled residents are worried about how they're going to manage some of the larger containers.

You have three choices for trash but only one choice for recyclables and it's the largest container available.

News On 6 talked with a woman who says her medical condition and small stature make that size, too big.

Alon Soderfelt is taking one of Tulsa's new recyclable containers for a test drive.

"It's not to heavy, but it doesn't have anything in it," Soderfelt said.

Soderfelt is a recycler. She often takes her newspapers to bins and delivers her aluminum cans and plastic bottles to the MET.

Select Your Service Plan

But she's worried about the size of these new containers. Each one holds 96 gallons, and at 43 inches tall, is 11 inches shorter than Soderfelt herself. She is concerned that she may not be able to manage such a large container.

"I can't deal with anything real heavy or handle anything real heavy," she said.

The city says it has a course of action just for people like Alon. The Special Services plan allows anyone who is physically limited or disabled to have backyard service at the curbside price.

The plan covers anyone with either a temporary or permanent disability. You need to produce a doctor's note detailing the disability and show that there's no one else living at home who can help you move the container.

"Well that seems like it would take care of the problem," Soderfelt said. "It's still awfully big for recycling."

That's another problem for Soderfelt. Why is the recycling container so big? She says, even with all the recycling she does, she doesn't need one that big.

05/18/2012 Related Story: Tulsans Can See Sample Trash Carts At Some Libraries

Soderfelt's glad the city is emphasizing recycling but hopes it takes a second look at the size of recycling containers.