Whitetail Disposal is the new trash hauler in Salisbury Township.

Salisbury Township commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 at the Dec. 14 township meeting to approve a three-year, $6,061,719 contract commencing Jan. 1, 2024, with an option for a two-year extension, with Whitetail Disposal, Perkiomenville, Montgomery Township, for municipal solid waste and recycling.

Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve the refuse and recycling fund fee to increase from $93 per quarter in 2023 to $108 per quarter, or $432 for the year, in 2024.

Republic Services’ trash-hauling contract with Salisbury ends Dec. 31.

Whitetail was determined to be the lowest responsible bidder.

A lower amount three-year contract bid of $5,853,000, by LMR Disposal was rejected because Salisbury officials said LMR has not done five years of trash-hauling for a municipality of 4,000 or more residents, as required by the Salisbury Township bid specifications.

“They [the trash-hauler bidders] had to have five years of experience with municipal customers of more than 4,000 residents and they [LMR] did not meet that requirement,” Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said in a Dec. 15 phone interview with a reporter for The Press.

Whitetail is the trash-hauler for Emmaus Borough, population 11,627 (as of 2021) and Upper Macungie Township, population 24,764 (as of 2018).

The population of Salisbury is 13,949 (as of 2018).

LMR Disposal, LLC, Phillipsburg, N.J., is the trash hauler for Wilson Borough, population 8,222 (as of 2021).

Wilson’s contract with Waste Management ended Dec. 31, 2022, and the borough awarded its trash and recycling contract to LMR, according to the Wilson Borough website.

With the new trash hauler in Salisbury, there will be several changes.

Bonaskiewich said she was to meet with Whitetail officials Dec. 19 to work out details.

“The township is going to an automatic collection system,” Bonaskiewich told The Press. “It will be at the discretion of the company how much of it can be automated. It will be a majority of the township.”

Factors that could limit automated trash pickup in the township include narrow streets, trees and low-hanging utility wires.

Residents will be provided with 95-gallon containers for garbage and 65-gallon containers for recycling.

“The hauler is providing the containers. The township will own them. It’s included in the cost of the contract,” Bonaskiewich said, noting, “Everyone is going to be given one of each.

“On a case-by-case basis, we’ll evaluate if somebody feels they can’t handle a 95-gallon container and then we’ll make a 65-gallon container available,” Bonaskiewich said.

Other changes are in the offing for trash pickup in Salisbury.

“We’re going from a twice a week collection of trash to once a week. Recycling is already once a week. We don’t have the schedule yet. We’re meeting on Tuesday [Dec. 19],” Bonaskiewich said.

“They’re [Whitetail] establishing their routes. There will be changes. Information is coming,” Bonaskiewich said.

“Electronic and household hazardous curbside pickup is being eliminated,” Bonaskiewich said, adding, “There may be other events organized. Whitetail organized events for Emmaus.”

Bonaskiewich said new trash and recycling containers are expected to be delivered to Salisbury residents by Jan. 1, 2024. “They [Whitetail] just delivered 7,000 [containers] to Upper Mac,” Bonaskiewich said.

“The details are being finalized and will be shared as soon as we have them,” Bonaskiewich said.