Nesquehoning officials are hoping that making slight changes to the allowed colors of bags and cans for garbage and recycling will help alleviate some of the problems the borough has been having with its current sanitation contract.

Last week, Councilman Lou Paul reported that the sanitation committee met with Larry Wittig of Tamaqua Transfer, the company hired to collect both trash and recycling for the town.

Since the new contract went into effect last year, the borough has had some issues with residents putting out trash on recycling days and Tamaqua Transfer pickers collecting the trash with the recycling, effectively making the whole batch of recyclables unable to be recycled at the facility.

Last month, the borough spoke about the problem, since the pickers taking the trash with the recycling was not part of the recycling contract.

Paul reported last week that after meeting with Wittig, the borough will require residents to put recyclables only in clear bags or blue totes or cans without a lid. Trash can only be placed in brown or black bags or trash cans.

“That way we could tell the difference between garbage and recycling,” he said. “They’re getting confused when people are putting out trash on recycling days.”

Paul said they are allowing residents to decide if they want to use clear bags or purchase plastic blue bins at a discount store. It would cost the borough approximately $50,000-$60,000 to purchase enough blue recycling bins for the residents, and then people would be charged $30-$35 for a can.

“I would rather see if we can go on this route,” Paul said, adding that color coding the days would help pickers quickly find which items were for that day’s collection.

Councilman George Sabol said people will complain about requiring certain colors and asked if residents could use surveyor’s tape to tie around the bag instead. Paul said that the trash collectors are paid for the speed of their collection, so a colored bag is easier to see than a piece of tape.

Council President David Hawk said that this issue with the way Tamaqua Transfer was collecting the recycling wasn’t because they were missing picking up people’s recycling, but because they were picking up people’s trash with the recycling, then treating the load as regular garbage, but charging Nesquehoning as if it was recycling.

Councilman Michael Radocha urged people to not put the trash out on recycling days until the recycling has been picked up.

Tires

In other matters, council has set rates for a new tire pickup service hat Paul is looking to start.

Details on the start date and operation are still being finalized, but council approved a rate of $4 for a car tire up to 20 inches in size; and $9 for a truck tire over 20 inches in size.

More details will be released at a later time.