There’s been misinformation circulating about bulky waste, and as irritating as the endless mattresses blocking sidewalks are, the blatant lies bother me more.

MYTH ONE: LUKE STARTED IT

First, let’s kill this idea that bulky waste was not a problem until Bronin took office.

It absolutely was.

That’s why Mayor Segarra ran Operation Clean Sweep for a minute in 2015. This was when everyone dumped everything all over the sidewalk at once, giving the entire city the appearance that it had been wholly evicted, and then the DPW would spend a full day in the neighborhood clearing out the scene.

Before that, in 2012, Segarra announced his legislative agenda. As per the press release: “Mayor Segarra is also a strong proponent of extended producer responsibility legislation, particularly a law that would require manufacturers to pay for proper mattress disposal. Hartford spent nearly $180K to dispose of approximately 18,000 mattresses in 2011; many of those mattresses are dumped illegally by residents of surrounding towns to avoid the payment of disposal fees. Over the past several months, City of Hartford staff have been working with interested stakeholders to draft model legislation; the Mayor lauded Environment Committee co-Chairs Sen. Ed Meyer and Rep. Dick Roy, for their leadership on Raised Bill 89, An Act Establishing A Mattress Stewardship Program.”

Plus, there’s ample photographic evidence that this issue pre-dated Bronin’s administration. Do an image search for “mattress hartford segarra” and report back.

The previous mayor attempted to fix the problem and saw no long term success. Our current mayor has taken a few swings at it and has made no progress either. We can hold Bronin accountable to an extent on this, but let’s not embarrass ourselves by presenting Hartford’s waste problem as one that came out of nowhere and only in the last couple of years.

MYTH TWO: PEOPLE HAVE NO OPTIONS

In an age when plenty of folks are content to get their information from the electronic version of the diner stool, there’s no mystery as to why still, even with so many attempts to correct rumors, there is a belief that there is always a fee to have bulky waste collected.

The City of Hartford has a page on its site dedicated to how to dispose of bulky waste. (The website also remains a tangled mess that needs serious attention from a designer for it to be more functional to the resident who might not know to use the search bar.)

In short, residential properties of six units or fewer are entitled to two free bulky waste collections per year. That does not mean two items. That means two collections.  Bulky waste includes, but is not limited to: bathtubs, grills, microwaves, toilets, sofas, and mattresses. The smart approach would be for all building residents to communicate with one another and coordinate which two days of the year they want to put all their junk on the curb. Then, call (860) 757-4955 to make an appointment for pick up.

It’s radical, I know, to suggest that people talk to their neighbors, but we’d find much of this issue disappear if we all practiced more communication and less general wastefulness.

There have been complaints that people have made appointments and the stuff has sat on the curb, but I know just as many people who have used the service and had no issue.

Got it so far? Make an appointment for collection, and they will come get your crap, for no charge, twice per year.

While I’m on my soapbox, I don’t for one minute think public money (taxes!) should be subsidizing the throwaway culture. Two planned collections is generous, especially when there are many free avenues for advertising your items. A mattress might not be a hot item, but desks, bureaus, and all the other many bulky items I see dumped can be gotten rid of through Craigslist, Freecycle, Facebook Marketplace, etc. Even if something is not in perfect condition, it can be worth getting the word out.

If those two freebies are not enough, tossing our trash out into the street, on dead-ends, and in parks is not the answer. Were you raised in a barn? C’mon!

Residents can get a transfer station permit for $10. This provides four visits to the transfer station for material drop off.

So, in all, as a regular resident — not a landlord or commercial entity — you get two free curbside pickups of bulky waste, plus  four (paid) trips to the transfer station. In one of those six-unit buildings? Talk to the neighbors and split that cost a few different ways.

If you do not drive and/or require all items get collected from the curb, then you need to think about that $75 additional fee per collection. It’s not applied to the first two collections and it can be avoided if you get that $10 permit and borrow someone’s pickup truck for an hour.

Another option is to check in with Bye Bye Mattress, a mattress recycling program. They can tell you where there is no cost to drop off mattresses in the area, and they provide information about retailer take back.

Our bulky waste problem is, undeniably, a problem. The trash often blocks sidewalks, forcing pedestrians to either traipse across bedbug-filled mattresses or dangerously step into the street. It makes our neighborhoods look damaged. It’s a problem. But to act like it started only in the current administration and as if residents have no option but to chuck their trash out anytime, anywhere . . . that’s garbage.