Big's Owner Defends Hauling
Crews, Service in White Oak

Eori: On average, trucks miss fewer than five out of 3,100 houses

By Jason Togyer
The Tube City Almanac
October 23, 2019
Posted in: White Oak News

The owner of the contracted trash hauler for White Oak borough said Wednesday that charges made against his company at a recent council meeting were not accurate.

Joe Eori Sr., who has owned Big's Sanitation since 1999, said the company is not mixing waste with recycling --- in fact, he said, Big's is trying to encourage recycling.

"I want everyone to recycle, because (Big's) pays by the ton" for landfill disposal fees, Eori said Wednesday. "The more (residents) recycle, the less tonnage I take in."

At Monday's meeting, residents said Big's crews were dumping recyclables into a trash truck. Eori said Big's is using a trash truck to haul recycling.

The collection truck does say "recycling" on it, Eori said, but admitted the sign needs to be bigger.

"It does not benefit us to throw any recyling away," he said. Eori also confirmed that White Oak residents, for now, can continue to recycle glass bottles and jars, although many recycling plants are no longer processing glass.

"We’re the last of the trash haulers that's taking it right now," he said.

Other White Oak residents claimed that their trash cans were being left in the street and that refuse was being left behind in cans. One councilman said he was hearing complaints "absolutely every week."

Eori said in an interview he was stung by the criticism and wishes residents had called his office to complain.

"We are a family-owned company," he said. "We do not have an answering machine. You will never, ever get a recording here. And if they want to talk to the owner all they have to do is say 'Hey, is Joe Senior there?' We’re here five days a week."

The company's phone number is (724) 379-4331.

Although some residents also said that Big's crews have missed their house, Eori provided an internal report that showed the company is contracted to pick up from more than 3,100 homes in White Oak.

The most houses missed in any month so far in 2019 was 39 during July. On average, according to the report, the company is missing 0.132 percent of homes in White Oak, or fewer than five houses per week.

Eori said Big's trucks are equipped with cameras, and, he said, if residents think the company is missing collections or doing them wrong, they should take a picture and email it to bigssanitation@gmail.com.

"A picture is worth a thousand words," Eori said. "You can't make everybody happy, but we're trying."

The company also collects trash for Port Vue, Wilmerding and Whitaker, among other communities, and has a truck in the Mon-Yough area every day. "We will gladly come back," Eori said.

Something else that Big's will accept via email are resumes and job applications. The company is actively looking for truck drivers and trash loaders, and is recruiting from the municipalities where it has contracts.

"The throwers need to be in pretty good shape and able to run behind the garbage truck," Eori said. "Drivers need to have a (commercial driver's license). All employees need to be able to pass a drug test."

Originally published October 23, 2019.

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