13 Investigates: Houston’s 311 line sees increase in requests for trash bins amid ‘Can Blitz’

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Kelvin Wagner said he’s had the same curbside trash bin at his home since he moved into his neighborhood in 2017.

When the bin started falling apart about six months ago, he says he knew it was time for a new one.

Wagner was at one of the City of Houston Solid Waste Department’s pick-up locations last Friday to get a replacement trash can in person.

“I’ve been trying to be patient, but I’m glad the mayor finally made a decision to give us an opportunity to come and pick up our home cans to alleviate the problem of the backup,” Wagner said. “It just got real smelly, really dilapidated, and the wheel started coming off of it. And me being disabled, I wasn’t able to actually get it out there like I needed to, so I called and called and called 311.”

13 Investigates: Thousands of Houstonians waiting on trash bins from the city, 311 data shows

Earlier this month, 13 Investigates reported on the thousands of Houstonians who had submitted requests to 311 for new bins this year but were still waiting on them.

One week after our investigation aired, the City of Houston announced a new “Can Blitz” program, allowing residents to pick up cans themselves, starting Sept. 5.

Now, 13 Investigates is looking at what kind of impact the pickups are having on the city’s backlog of requests.

So far, the Can Blitz has run on six weekdays and one weekend day. During that time, 311 data from the city shows nearly 1,700 requests for a new can have been closed.

Earlier this month, Mayor John Whitmire told 13 Investigates there was a backlog of nearly 5,000 can requests.

The closed cases don’t mean the backlog is down to 3,300 requests. Data from 311 shows nearly 1,000 new resident requests for a bin have been reported to the city since the “Can Blitz” began.

“You cannot fix something that’s been neglected for years in a very short time,” Mayor Whitmire said last week. “Didn’t get like this overnight, and it won’t get fixed overnight.”

RELATED: Houston offers in-person trash can pick up after 13 Investigates finds thousands requesting one

The “Can Blitz” runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month at one of three locations.

The pick-up locations are at the Solid Waste distribution centers at 5711 Eastex Freeway Feeder Road and 1506 Central Street, as well as at the Environmental Service Center at 11500 South Post Oak Road.

Residents will be required to provide a copy of their water bill for address verification as well as their 311 service request number. Residents who are replacing a can are asked to bring their damaged can to receive the replacement. Residents who want a second can as part of the Add-A-Can program are not eligible for pick-up.

The city says it will continue to deliver bins to anyone who puts in a request with 311 and cannot pick one up themselves.

In a statement Monday evening, the Solid Waste Department said it has handed out 783 containers since the “Can Blitz” began.

So far this month, they say they’ve closed out 1,806 backlogged cases.

“We are working diligently to deliver or allow pick-ups for a remaining 3,864 container services requests,” the department said in an email to 13 Investigates.

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