Trash Collection Update
Our New Trash and Recycling Containers
The Conversion to Automated Solid Waste Collection
The City of Laconia is converting from manual to automated curbside trash collection on May 1, 2023. Our trash hauler will use vehicles that allow the driver to control a mechanical arm that grabs and upends containers over the hopper. No one will be riding on the back of the truck to pick up cardboard boxes or non-conforming containers. Trash will continue to be collected weekly. Recycling will still be collected every other week. The first week of automated recycling collection is May 8th.
As part of the conversion, the City will provide trash and recycling containers to those property owners on public streets that currently have City-contracted solid waste curbside collection. The containers will be delivered sometime between April 17th and April 28th, 2023. Containers will remain the property of the City and will stay with the property when owners (or tenants) change. Each container will have a serial number that will be assigned to a specific address. Properties that have a dumpster will not receive any new containers. This includes businesses, apartments, and condominiums.
Single Family Homes
Each single-family home is authorized one 96-gallon container for recycling and one 64-gallon container for trash. If you live on a public road, and you are satisfied with receiving one 96-gallon container for recycling and one 64-gallon container for trash, you do not have to do anything. The containers will be automatically delivered to you. If all residents in a single-family home on a public road are over 65 years old or disabled, a 64-gallon recycling container may be requested (in place of a 96-gallon recycling container) by using the order form below. Additionally, those homeowners can request one 32-gallon trash container instead of a 64-gallon trash container.
Wheeled, stamped ("Laconia Recycles"), dark green containers, like the one pictured below, were sold to the public roughly 10 years ago. They are compatible with the new automated collection system. Residents who have these containers can help save tax dollars by using the order form to request zero recycling containers (instead of getting a new one). Note that only one recycling container will be collected per single family home.
Multi-Unit Residences
Public Works is using the City’s property records to determine the number of approved apartments/condominium units on a property. Owner’s that have added apartments to a property without obtaining the necessary permissions from the City will only receive the containers for the number of units listed in the City’s database.
Note that landlords and residents of apartment buildings do not have the option of selecting a smaller-sized container since they are sharing containers with other residents in the building.
Duplexes and Triplexes on public roads will receive one 96-gallon recycling container and one 64-gallon trash container per unit.
In other words, a duplex will receive a total of two 96-gallon containers for recycling and a total of two 64-gallon containers for trash.
A triplex will receive a total of three 96-gallon containers for recycling and a total of three 64-gallon containers for trash.
Apartments and Condominiums with more than 3 Units on public roads will receive a total of four 96-gallon recycling containers for recycling and a total of four 64-gallon trash containers.
Businesses
A property with multiple store fronts and apartments is considered a business. These properties are authorized a maximum of four 64-gallon trash containers and four 96-gallon recycling containers. Property owners of businesses receiving city curbside collection service need to complete the order form below to reduce the size and number of containers if they want fewer or smaller containers. Public Works has reviewed the commercial property list with the collection contractor and has adjusted the number of containers that will be delivered to commercial enterprises to reflect the quantity of containers presently collected at these properties. Otherwise, the property will automatically receive four 64-gallon trash containers and four 96-gallon recycling containers for the property.
Private Roads
Property owners of residences on private roads that currently bring their solid waste to the public street must use the order form below to request containers.
Similarly, those apartments and condominiums on private roads that do not receive curbside trash collection and currently bring their solid waste to a public (City or State) right-of-way will not receive the City’s curbside collection containers unless an order is placed by the property owner or his agent (landlord, property manager, HOA or condominium representative). These include properties on Hadley Road, Janna Way, Story Tyler Shore Road, Leighton Ave South, Haven Ave, Pendleton Beach Road, Boathouse Road, etc. On these roads, Public Works does not know which property owners are bringing their containers to the public right of way.
Laconia City Manager Presentation
See a YouTube video by the City Manager on the delivery and start of automated trash collection
Get More Information
See the answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's).
See a YouTube video that shows how automated collection works
Compare the new solid waste containers by size
Learn how to place the new containers along the street
See the new Curbside Collection Schedule Map to determine if you are on a backdown street. These are streets where solid waste containers will be collected from only one side of the street. (Note that the collection schedule has not changed).