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Coco Warner ReportingWith Fall comes the change in leaves, a drop in temperature, and for many Salt Lake residents, their neighborhood clean-up. The city picks up your large stash of trash, that is if someone else doesn't get to it first.
Residents in the area are already starting to put out their trash for this year's cleanup. Most piles are made up of leaves and branches, but people will also put out items they no longer want, and as we know, one person's trash is another's treasure.
Cathie Henriod: "We thought this was a great time to get rid of it, so they could haul it to the dump instead of us."
Cathie Henriod had a few struggling Aspen and Birch trees she wanted to get rid of. For others in her neighborhood it's boxes, old toys, even a lawnmower. Everyone seems to appreciate the chance to get rid of their old junk, but cleanup week also seems to attract people other than the dump-truck operators—scavengers. The most popular item is anything made of metal.
Cathie Henriod: "A few people will come during the day, but most of them come at night at like 3 o'clock in the morning. And if you sleep with your windows open at all you can hear people rummaging through here at night."
Nikki Bown, S.L.C Public Services: "If people see something on the side of the road that they just can't stand not to have, we would suggest that they get permission from the owner before they take it."
To avoid any scavenging in the first place, the city recommends people recycle unwanted items through the D.I. or Salvation Army. The city also wants people to be on the lookout for any illegal dumping. The cleanup program does not include the removal of any construction or flammable materials or hazardous waste. But they will pick-up an unwanted couch if someone doesn't happen to get to it first.
Cathie Henriod: "We actually kind of place bets on how long something on the pile is going to last."
