All agree that special effort should be made to get intelligent drivers who are willing to take pains to do the work at each house in a cleanly fashion. Others urge keeping one man on the same route.
In planning districts and force, the findings of the Chicago Civil Service Commission may assist some officials. It required on an average under ordinary conditions three hours and fifty-five minutes to collect a full load of two and one-half tons. The average in summer was 3.9 hours and in winter 4.7 hours. The average rate of haul was 3 miles per hour in summer and 2.7 miles per hour in winter. Collections were at a minimum in winter and a maximum in summer, especially in September. The quantity collected from several districts for different years was not constant, but continually decreased or increased, depending upon local conditions, such as change of character of population, growth of residence, business and manufacturing. The fluctuations make it necessary that the organization be flexible and easily adapted to changing conditions.
As the quantity will vary from season to season, the collector assigned to a district should make daily reports of work performed and territory covered. By so doing it can easily be determined whether he is delinquent or the work has increased so as to require auxiliary equipment or extra assistance. The plan is also valuable for rearranging districts.
The Ohio State Board of Health has expressed the belief that the routes should be so arranged that each collector covers about the same mileage and so that each wagon is as near as possible to the point of disposal by the time the wagon is loaded in order that the productive time of the collector, or the time he spends in collecting from houses, may be as great as possible and his unproductive time, or the time he spends in driving his loaded wagon to the point of disposal, as small as possible. In some cities, owing to poor routing, the unproductive time has been as high as 40 per cent. of the collector’s working hours. Routes should also be so arranged that grades are climbed with light loads and descended with heavy loads.
Receptacles and Vehicles
Most cities specify a standard sized can. It is agreed that this is necessary to secure the best results. The size varies in different cities and with the type of system. All reports show that the can should be metallic, water-tight and as nearly air-tight as possible, and should be securely covered. A 20-gallon can, it is claimed, will take care of an average size family for a week and is easily handled by the collector. The size of the can should be limited so as to be easily handled by one man.
For collecting garbage many types of wagons are being used by American cities. The design materially affects the cost and efficiency of results. Most cities are now using a steel tank wagon with either a bottom or rear dump, depending upon the house treatment of the garbage and whether the system is combined or separate. All reports show that any garbage wagon to be sanitary and satisfactory must be metallic, fitted with covers, easily cleaned and disinfected, and as large as consistent with the grades and type of pavement on the routes traversed. Particular attention should be given to the loading height. This should be at a convenient distance from the ground so that the collector can easily empty the can. The arrangements for dumping are also important. They should be quick and simple. It is claimed that bottom dumping wagons are best, but these cannot be used for raw garbage unless wrapped. They can be used for mixed refuse. Many cities successfully use the rear dump wagon, which is tilted by a hand-turned gear at front.
The right kind of cover is also important. Greeley says the most satisfactory cover is the light fixed roof, arched over the top of the wagon at sufficient height to give a free space above the whole of the garbage, and to allow trap doors in the side of the wagon for emptying the can. Many cities use canvas covers. The Worcester Waste Commission reports that its inquiries show that wooden or iron covers are impracticable because they do not allow expansion of load during periods when the amount of garbage is greatest. It says that wooden covers warp, do not fit tightly and need repairs often and are much in the way during collection. Iron covers, it avers, are almost universally condemned on account of their weight, and if very light get out of shape easily, wear loose and in a short time become a noisy nuisance. Some types of wagons are equipped with rubber buffers to lessen the noise and others have automatic covers.
Wagons made for garbage collection range in cost from $150 to $375 each.
The capacity of the average garbage wagon has been from a yard to two yards cubic contents. The tendency in many large cities is to increase this to four and five yards and even larger. Greeley believes that a wagon having a capacity of about three cubic yards is desirable.