Stay Informed This Winter

Stay Informed This Winter

We at Waste Management would like to thank you for allowing us to service you. Along with being good stewards of the environment, our core value is the safety and protection of our customers, employees, and the general public.

We train our drivers and managers on a variety of safety techniques to be ready for emergency situations. In addition, our commitment to safety occasionally leads us to make the decision to temporarily suspend servicing certain areas. This can include incidents of inclement weather where the potential for injury and accidents is greater during these times, making it necessary to hold off on service until the all-clear is given.

We understand that weather events can be an inconvenience, and sometimes weather hits local areas harder than others. We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

To help our customers better understand our commitment to safety, we have included a brief list of winter weather facts and tips along with our observed holiday list.

Stay Informed

A few times per year, holidays may affect regular pickup schedules. If your service day falls on or after a Waste Management observed holiday, your service may experience a delay. We update service delays due to holidays and inclement weather through your online account portal. (If you haven’t already, go online and register for a Waste Management account today.)

Observed Holidays

● New Year’s Day
● Memorial Day
● Independence Day
● Labor Day
● Thanksgiving Day
● Christmas Day

How Inclement Weather Can Affect Service

Common factors that may lead a driver to be unable to service your location during inclement weather:

● Unable to access trash/recycle container due to it being plowed in
● Snow/Ice too deep to push trash/recycle container to truck
● Steep hill or winding road that may be difficult to navigate during snowy or icy conditions
● Poor visibility due to snow/high winds
● No place to turn around due to areas not being plowed
● Your trash/recycle container may have been covered or buried in snow and not visible to the driver
● Your trash/recycle container may have been placed on or behind a snow mound and may have been inaccessible to the driver/helper
● In the event of a declared State of Emergency

When inclement weather occurs, we’ll be better able to serve you when you keep the following in mind:

● Check www.wm.com for weather-related alerts and updates.
● Allow a little extra time for our drivers to arrive at your location before contacting our office.
● Keep the area in front of and around your container salted and clear of snow and ice.
● Remember that if your container is in a gated enclosure, you will need to ensure clearance when the gates are fully opened. We’ve found that a quick conversation with your plowing contractor at the beginning of the season can eliminates many of the issues that might prevent us from accessing your containers.
● Our standard roll-off truck will need a safe clearance of at least 45’ in front of the container/compactor to be able to service the equipment.
● Please understand that our vehicles are different than yours, and don’t handle the same way in snowy or icy conditions. Our drivers make everyone’s safety their first priority, so they may on occasion decide not to service a particular road to protect everyone from potential injury or property damage.

We’re here for you

We are always available to assist you with any comments, concerns or inquiries you may have regarding your service. Please feel free to contact our customer service department at 800 972 4545.