Convenience Centers
Submitted by:
Parish Proud
The Problem
Currently, in Lafayette Parish, we have an issue with illegally dumped items. That means large mattresses, washers and other bulky items that citizens dump for various reasons. This type of dumping is harmful to our environment as well as our landscapes. While those that live in the city of Lafayette do have a bulky waste pickup, their local waste company picks those items up, but it’s on a set schedule rotating every five weeks. The problem there being that if your refrigerator broke at the beginning of the month, but your bulky waste pickup isn’t until the end of the month you have no choice but to either keep the item inside, place it on the side of the road for it to sit for weeks, or illegally dump the item.
The Project
This project would build out locations in Lafayette for large waste items. These locations would be set up to handle different intakes, such as tire disposal or mattress. This project, if funded, would employ 1-2 people per location to assist in intake and check identification. We know waste has increased with the rise of COVID, and with it, our capacity should for intake should as well. In addition, large dumped items can create health hazards as well if left to rot in the wrong place over time. Convenience centers would help mitigate that problem.
The Price Tag
$4,000,000 (With employee cost.)