Bulky waste drop-off to take place in March

There will be two bulky waste events held in March for the residents of Shafter and Wasco who need to dispose of items that don't normally fit in regular trash containers.

The event in Wasco will be held on Saturday, March 6, at Barker Park on Poso Avenue. It will be from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Shafter event will be on Saturday, March 20 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Richland School District.

During the pandemic, bulky waste drop-off events were not held and more items were dumped illegally, said Shafter Public Works Director Michael James.

The alleyways of Shafter can be popular dumping grounds for unwanted mattresses, chairs, tires, that residents don't want to haul to the landfill, James said.

When items are dumped illegally in the alleys of a neighborhood, funds have to be taken out of the city's General Fund to cover the act of picking up the items and disposing of them properly.

"We don't have a crew that is designated to pick up illegally dumped items," said James. "We have been fortunate enough in the past to have American Refuse hold a couple of bulky waste events in Shafter that allows the residents to dispose of those items not considered regular trash, without a fee for the service. Unfortunately, a couple of the bulky waste events that were originally scheduled for last year had to be canceled due to the coronavirus issue."

James said that the state is implementing a Bill that will stop the use of barrel cans in alley collection.

"Eventually, all residents will be given their own containers that they will be responsible for. We are hoping that this will help alleviate the issue of illegal dumping, with the absence of the big cans in the alleys," he said.