Home Depot to fix trash can mix-up

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- Home Depot officials have said their stores will

exchange any rubber trash cans that do not fulfill the city’s new

requirements for the correct ones.

The move comes after city officials had planned to ask the company to

exchange about 1,500 trash cans that don’t comply with new city

regulations that the store had apparently sold to residents with the

assurance that they did comply.

“We went [to Home Depot] and did see that they had the notices on the

wrong containers,” said David E. Niederhaus, the city’s general services

director. He added that other hardware stores in the area had not made

the same mistake and had marked the right cans.

The cans sold by Home Depot have movable handles. The city’s new

regulations, which were put in place to prevent injuries to trash

collectors, require fixed handles.

A company official said the Harbor Boulevard store in Costa Mesa had

only sold 500 trash cans over the last two months.

“We realize that Home Depot did not sell all [1,500] trash cans,” said

Chuck Sifuentes, a Home Depot spokesman. Still, the company had decided

to exchange the cans for anyone who can prove residency in Newport Beach.

Residents can exchange the cans at any Home Depot store in Orange

County, Sifuentes said.

City Manager Homer Bludau said in the meantime the city would not

enforce the new regulations until the issue is resolved. Oct. 16 has been

set as a new starting date for the enforcement of the regulation.

When the new regulation becomes effective, trash must be placed in

containers that:

* do not exceed 35 gallons in capacity;* are not made out of metal;

* do not have an attached lid;

* do not exceed 50 pounds when filled to capacity;

* do not have movable handles.

The city will not collect trash until it is placed in either approved

cans or plastic bags.

FYI

Veterans Charities of Orange County is offering to pick up old trash

cans and deliver a new one for $12.50. The price includes the cost of the

new can. Call (714) 547-0615 to arrange delivery.