Find yourself appreciating more and more hometown heroes these days? Well, be sure to add the Media Borough Sanitation Department to your gratitude list!

The three-member team is part of the larger Public Works Department and is responsible for collecting business and residential waste in the borough. Two trucks are used to collect trash in the borough twice a week (Mondays/Tuesdays and again on Thursdays/Fridays). The crew picks up waste from businesses first and residents second.  

How much trash is collected?  The Monday/Tuesday runs tend to be heavier and typically weigh in at seven or eight tons (for those of you measuring large quantities using elephants as reference, that’s about one large male African elephant). Once the trash is collected, it’s brought to a transfer station and ultimately to a county incinerator or landfill.

What can businesses and residents do to help operations? Use the correct size cans (30-gallon) and make sure the cans have lids to keep the inside free of water. Crews lift the cans by hand, so a large can or added rainwater weight creates an extra burden and slows down operations. 

“In general, the people of Media do a great job with separating their trash, recycling, and compost,” says Mike Green, a member of the Public Works Department. “Everyone doing their part adds up to less trash for the borough.”