The Provo City spring cleanup is in full swing, allowing people to bring regular trash, green waste and metal recycling to centralized locations for free.
The Provo City account tweeted about the cleanup on March 16, announcing where the dumpsters would be located. As the cleanup began on March 20, the city tweeted a reminder, followed by a second reminder on March 27.
Bryce Rolph, sanitation manager for Provo City Public Services, said more than 700 residents typically use their services each year, with 60% of residents bringing trash and recycling during the spring cleanup, while 40% of residents use their services during the fall cleanup. “We haul just under 500 roll off loads, totaling around 1,000 tons of trash to the transfer station each year,” he said.
In addition to the 1,000 tons of trash every year, the spring cleanup also allows residents to bring green waste to deliver to the compost yard. This green waste, ranging from branches, grass, leaves and weeds, totals approximately 500 tons of material which is taken to the Provo City Compost Yard. Residents can purchase compost from the yard for $3 per yard, while non-residents pay $6 per yard.
In order to use the spring cleanup service, residents must bring a form of ID to prove that they live inside the Provo City limits. Without proof of residency, people could take advantage of the free service being offered. “Each year we have to send hundreds of drivers back home to get some form of proof of residency because they run out of their house without it,” Rolph said.
Genie Ruiz, a Provo resident, said she often takes green waste to the compost yard due to a large tree that requires a lot of maintenance. Her husband occasionally purchases compost from the Provo Compost Yard, but with the long winter weather, they have not done so this year. Ruiz planned to start cleaning up leaves a few weeks ago during a warm spell, but changed her mind. “It’s been a weird winter,” Ruiz said. “I kinda feel like waiting until it is over completely.”
The springcCleanup cannot take everything that Provo residents might need to dispose of. A list of unacceptable items is available at the spring cleanup locations. These items, which include automotive fluids, batteries and other hazardous waste, can be thrown away at the Southern Utah Valley Solid Waste District Transfer Station. Throughout the month of April, residents can drop off that waste for free.
The spring cleanup dumpsters are currently located at the Pole Yard in Provo, at 2027 W 820 N, just west of Trolly Trax Storage. On April 3, the spring cleanup dumpsters will be moved to 2620 N 1200 E, just north of Rock Canyon Park for two weeks.
