Melrose Avoids Worst Of Delays As Trash Hauler Notes Regional Struggles: DPW

MELROSE, MA — Trash and recycling pickup disruptions that have hit other communities hard in recent weeks have been less severe in Melrose, city Deputy Department of Public Works Director James Troup told Patch on Tuesday.

Troup responded to questions after officials in Reading sounded the alarm this past weekend about a series of issues. Officials said several days of missed pickups were the result of problems with contracted waste hauler Republic Services following its recent acquisition of JRM Hauling and Recycling.

“We are aware of the issues that other communities have been experiencing as it relates to trash and recycling services,” Troup said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Fortunately, the City of Melrose and JRM/Republic have been proactive in our shared response to service interruptions,” he later continued.

Republic moved to acquire JRM earlier this year. It added a number of municipal clients in the process, including both Melrose and Reading.

Reading officials said elements of the purchase didn’t fully take effect until last week, though, contributing to logistical problems and several days of delays in some places.

Officials in other communities have raised their own concerns, with leaders in Lawrence sharing criticism of Republic over missed pickups in comments reported by the Eagle Tribune.

A Republic spokesperson recently acknowledged the problems, saying the company's Northern Massachusetts division “has experienced some service delays” during a “time of transition.”

“We understand the inconvenience this has caused to our customers, and we are working diligently to get back on schedule this week,” the spokesperson said on Monday.

The spokesperson didn’t discuss direct reasons for Republic’s recent issues. Troup, though, noted staffing shortages hitting across the trash hauling sector.

Troup said Republic officials have reached out to Melrose officials to warn them of possible service delays.

“In every instance, JRM/Republic has completed their trash pickups by the end of the service week,” Troup said.

“Although we continue to deal with individual customer service issues, we have not experienced the same level of delays as other communities, whether they are serviced by JRM/Republic or any other solid waste and recycling hauler,” he continued.

Republic is a national company based in Arizona. It bought JRM earlier this year and has indicated in federal Securities Exchange Commission filings that it intends to spend up to $500 million on additional acquisitions before the end of 2022.