Woodstock’s totes-only garbage pickup changes start Tuesday. Here’s what to know

Tuesday marks the first day of mandatory tote service in Woodstock.

The city approved a new garbage contract last fall that required residents to be signed up for the city’s garbage service, but the contract has created a lot of controversy in town.

Woodstock has been rolling out totes for the past couple of weeks. But that has had some wrinkles, and residents have complained about it online. Danille Tegtman, a city office assistant, said the main things people have called about have been what to do with old totes and people who were supposed to get totes but apparently got skipped.

Those who have been skipped can call Woodstock City Hall 815-338-4300 or MDC at 815-568-7274, Tegtman said.

People who have the old brown totes can call the garbage contractor, MDC Environmental Services, to pick those up. Those with blue bins or other old bins they want to get rid of can leave them at the curb with a note for the driver, Tegtman said.

Woodstock and MDC negotiated a few changes in the contract, in response to resident feedback. Among those was adding a smaller, 35-gallon tote option for garbage, though the smaller tote does not come with cost savings.

Residents who want to switch sizes have to call MDC and pay a $60 change-out fee, according to the city’s website.

Seniors will also pay a discounted rate of $10.50 per month. Senior households are those with at least one member of the household over age 65. Those eligible for the senior discount can apply online at the city’s website, but will need to submit a proof of eligibility.

Non-seniors will pay about $25.17 per month, but those who were already on the totes will see a small discount. Garbage stickers will be phased out as of Tuesday, but residents can still use the stickers for additional bulk items, according to the city’s website.

Woodstock is also offering a temporary assistance program for the garbage program. The program uses SNAP eligibility guidelines, according to the online application form.

Monday will also not be a garbage day in Woodstock going forward. Tuesday will now be the permanent garbage day for those who had Monday pickups, but everyone else’s pickup day will stay the same, Tegtman said.