Progressive Waste intends to clean up Lehigh

By Staff | Apr 29, 2015

Jim Wheatley

An official with Progressive Waste Solutions whose firm operates waste removal and recyclable products from all of Lehigh Acres says Progressive plans to help clean up Lehigh. His firm was re-awarded the contract to continue collecting waste last week by the Lee County Commissioners.

“We’re going to do our best to help clean up Lehigh Acres, that is our number one goal,” said Jim Wheatley, an executive with Progressive Waste Solutions.

Wheatley said they will have trucks with the latest mechanical lift arms that will hoist waste tubs and recyclable tubs and the firm will provide one trash tub to each customer or household in Lehigh. After a few years, the ownership of the tubs will transfer to Lee County government which owns all the recyclable bins.

Instead of having an employee lift trash bins and tubs that the public has purchased on their own, and dump them into the back of a huge truck, big iron arms will lift the tubs and turn them upside down and dump the trash into the rear of the truck.

The public will be notified as how to pick out a trash tub to fit their family’s size and waste amounts, said Wheatley, who noted that the change is expected to begin in October.

MEL TOADVINE Jim Wheatley, a executive with Progressive Waste Solutions, stands in front of a long line of trash tubs that come in different sizes and will be provided to home sites in Lehigh. Customers will be notified by the company and offered a choice of sizes for their trash tubs.

“We have several samples of tubs that are from small to large that contain several gallons of trash. When the selection is made, that container will be provided to the homeowner and business owners and at a certain date, the removal of trash in Lehigh will change.

Wheatley says part of the reason there is so much trash blowing around on Lehigh streets and empty lots is because a third of the customers his company serves does not provide waste containers filled with trash. In the past, they have been provided by the resident.

“Instead, these people without trash tubs throw out plastic bags filled with garbage. They never purchased trash tubs.

“And what is happening from what we are gathering from our employees who pick up trash is that animals are tearing into the plastic bags and trash is being strewn about,” Wheatley said. His workers are under no obligation to run down trash and retrieve it after animals have torn open the plastic bags thrown out along the curbside.

“Lehigh has become known to many as a town with lots of trash and clutter. We believe much of that problem is due to those who do not use tubs to put their trash and garbage in and many are not recycling,” he said.

MEL TOADVINE Jim Wheatley, who oversees East Lee County and Lehigh’s trash removal, including Alva, next to a new truck that will lift trash tubs with mechanical arms.

Wheatley also said he and his firm are dead serious about the situation in Lehigh and are making it a goal to help clean up the community, to change the image of the town.

Progressive Waste Solutions has an office and site for its trucks in Lehigh, located at 5594 6th Street West. For more information anyone can call the firm at 239-368-2300 or Wheatley himself at 239-784-2061 for more information.

“What we’re moving into now is all mechanical collection of waste and recyclables,” he said. “It should be quicker and certainly much cleaner when people use the tubs that we will supply, he said.

Also, Progressive Waste Solutions will pick up residents’ recyclable bins and trash tubs on the same day, but with different trucks.

“We thought that may help with the confusion of a lot of people of not knowing when they have to put out their recycle tub and their trash tub,” Wheatley said.

The company also offers customers help in removal of certain other products. The firm accepted unwanted electronic on Saturday, April 18. During that time, those who attended got a look at the new tubs that come in all different gallon sizes.

Recycling is becoming an important practice and county residents are among the best known for recycling trash, Wheatley said. “That includes information from all over the U.S. and it includes all of Lee County. That is something to be proud of and we hope more people will throw out those things that can be recycled into their blue bins that were provided by the county some time ago.

When everyone uses the trash tubs, Wheatley believes the trash problems on Lehigh roads and properties will be cut at least in half.

He said the waste material that is picked up from residential homes goes to the county’s incinerator. Debris is inspected by workers who pull out those things that can be recycled before burning, Wheatley said.

While most people in Lehigh are just now learning of the new services to be provided by Progressive Waste Solutions, Wheatley said he has discussed the new plans with personnel at the East County Water Control District whose employees are responsible for cleaning up trash along the canals in Lehigh.

“They’re very pleased with what we are going to do,” Wheatley said.

The county contracts for this service and Progressive serves around 43,000 home and other sites in Lehigh.

There are 20 trucks in the fleet to mechanically empty the trash tubs and the firm serves Lehigh Monday to Friday with commercial pick- up on Saturday. No collections are made on Sundays.

Progressive says it employs 85 people in Lehigh and so far no plans have been made for layoffs, Wheatley said. “We hope we don’t have to lay off anyone.”

“Our goal is to keep this community clean and now with providing the one-third of home sites with new trash tubs, we think we can provide a great service in getting Lehigh really cleaned up,” Wheatley said. “And in addition, everyone else will get a trash tub that fits their family sizes.”

“Services are expected to begin October 1,” he said. “We will keep everyone informed.”

: MEL TOADVINE Jim Wheatley, a executive with Progressive Waste Solutions, stands in front of a long line of trash tubs that come in different sizes and will be provided to home sites in Lehigh. Customers will be notified by the company and offered a choice of sizes for their trash tubs.

: MEL TOADVINE Jim Wheatley, who oversees East Lee County and Lehigh’s trash removal, including Alva, next to a new truck that will lift trash tubs with mechanical arms.