Oregon Public Broadcasting

Roads are clearing of snow in Western Oregon, but a lot of trash is still parked at the curb. And as April Baer reports, you may have to sit on your garbage bags a little longer.

Notably absent in the snow-bound days last week was the crash and rumble of trash collections.

Many main roads melted back to normal last Friday, but some side streets were still choked with ice and snowy sludge.

Washington's Clark County canceled its scheduled collections for trash and recycling a total of five days last week. Tanya Gray, with the City of Vancouver, says road access was only half the problem.

Tanya Gray  "If we have an automated collection route where an arm reaches out to grab a container, the snowbanks can be impeding that access the truck needs to collect properly."

Vancouver customers whose pick-ups were canceled will be allowed to set out extra trash, without being charged, but it must be secured it in containers, or stacked on the side -- not on top or in front.

Some haulers in the Portland area made their runs last week, but  most contractors took a hint from the city, and postponed garbage runs until this week.