Medford Mayor โฃFaces โResident Backlash Over Bi-Weekly Trash Pickup Plan
MEDFORD, MA – โ Medford Mayor Breena Lungo-koehn is facingโฃ notable opposition from residents after announcing a โshift to bi-weekly trash collection, beginningโ July 1, 2027.โ The โmove, framed by โthe โmayor as part of a broader “zero-waste” initiative, has sparked concerns about increased rodent โpopulations and unpleasant odors.
Lungo-Koehn, โคa Democrat, touted the โฃchange in โคa recent press release, stating the plan isโค intended “to restore or renewโ value, eliminateโ waste, โand decrease pollution.” The city secured $200,000 in grant funding to support these zero-waste initiatives.
The new schedule will seeโ residential 64-gallon trashโ cartsโฃ collected every other week alongside recycling, at no โคadditional charge. This equates to a 32-gallonโข per โฃhousehold โweekly baseline, meeting the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s โฃ(MassDEP) serviceโ volume threshold for a Pay-As-You-Throw (PAYT)โ program,โ making Medford eligible for related grant funding.
However, โresidents have โvoiced strongโ objections on social media.โข Concerns centre around a potential increase in the city’s existing rodent problem. “So more ratsโฃ willโค be coming. It’s awful there are soโฃ so many rats โขin our neighborhood,” one resident posted on a Medford community Facebook page. another resident expressed worry that โ”The exterminators’ business will increaseโฆThe rats โare taking โคover our neighborhoods.”
Other residents citedโ concerns about the smell โof refuse sitting for longer periods, especially during warmer months.”Nobody wants toโ smellโ two weeks of garbage, particularly โฃin the summer,” one commenter wrote.
Medford City โCouncil President Zac bears also criticized the plan during a recent councilโ meeting, noting the announcement was positioned at the bottom of the โฃpress release. “We’re not seeing any of the benchmarks that would lead usโ to believe that this is a good change,” heโ said,according to the Boston Herald. Bears added that the placement โคof the data “rubbed a lot of people the wrong way” and contributed to a lack of trust in the program.
Lungo-Koehn was previously recognized for her support of the city’s weeklyโข curbside composting program, โฃreceiving an “Outstanding Elected Leader” award from the National Recyclingโ Coalition last July and another โฃawardโ from the Northeast Recycling Council last month.
The Mayor’s โoffice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
