In our continuing effort to identify cost savings and analyze all labor standards for efficiencies to serve the community best, Boulder Parks and Recreation (BPR) launched the WasteLess Parks pilot in nine sites in 2020.
The WasteLess Parks Pilot explored the city's appropriate level of service in smaller neighborhood parks by removing trash cans from nine sites. BPR labor standards outline servicing waste at each of these parks three times per week; however, during peak season (May to September) the sites often required more frequent service. The frequency increase was largely due to trash bags requiring daily removal despite not reaching capacity as a result of a large amount of dog waste and its associated weight.
Parks chosen for this pilot met criteria based on their small size, limited visitation and proximity to other facilities with trash services. Additionally, staff considered travel time and trash routes to each site when calculating potential savings. Staff estimate that removing trash bins from these nine sites will save 3.5 hours per week, for a total of more than 180 hours each year, and allow BPR to redirect this time to tasks at higher usage parks and critical care of turf throughout the system. The pilot was intended to inform additional service level adjustments.
The pilot was evaluated and discussed at the Parks and Recreation Board meeting in April 2021. The program will continue at these nine sites with the potential to expand to other sites. Signs will be posted before removal of any additional cans.
