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Frequently asked questions

general

  1. What is Pedal People?
  2. What kind of a truck is that?
  3. What kinds of things have you hauled?
  4. What do you do in the wintertime?
  5. Will you come talk to my group?

recycling/trash

  1. How should I separate & put out my trash & recycling?
  2. How does your pricing work?
  3. How do you handle billing?
  4. When will you come by?
  5. Do you ever have to postpone a pickup?
  6. Service guarantee and referral program
 Six Pedal People in the winter of 2007
(photo by Josh Freeman)

general questions

1. What is Pedal People?

Pedal People Cooperative Inc. is a worker-owned human-powered delivery and hauling service for items under 300 pounds in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. It was started in December 2002 by Ruthy Woodring and Alex Jarrett. We are now an incorporated cooperative business with 13 active workers as of May 2013.

2. What kind of a truck is that?

We now have 11 bike trailers in our fleet. Five are six-foot long Bikes At Work bicycle trailers with a hitch that attaches to the rear chainstay. The bed of the trailer is 19" wide and 64" inches long. It has a capacity of 300 pounds. We also have 96-inch trailers and an extra wide 64-inch we use for picking up the downtown trash. For pictures and more information, see the Bikes At Work web site.

3. What kinds of things have you hauled on the trailer?

Besides recycling & trash and groceries, we've hauled bicycles, couches, washers/dryers, futons, tables, computers, cats, friends, laundry, a king-size bed, lumber, windows, memorial stones, refrigerators, solar panels, a 100 square foot greenhouse, CSA shares, trees stumps and trunks, sand, leaves, and compost.

4. What do you do in the wintertime?

Keep riding! We have warm mittens, face masks and boots, and studded tires if need be. Over the last few years we've figured out what to wear to be comfortable in almost any weather. See our gear tips page for more details.

5. Will you come talk to my group?

We are in business not just to make a living, but to be a living model of a different way to do things in a car- and profit-centric culture. We like to share how and why we do what we do. We are generally available to go to schools, fairs, conferences, etc., that are within biking distance of Northampton. We ask for a sliding scale contribution of $0 to $500 - whatever your organization can afford. We are potentially available for more distant gatherings, but need help covering travel expenses.

recycling/trash questions

1. How should I separate & put out my trash & recycling?

We accept several different kinds of items, which must be separated from each other.

  1. Trash: Must be in closed bags. For single-family pickups, we'll take up to 60 gallons of trash (max. weight 60 lbs). Additional trash is $2 per 10 gallons. Your monthly cost is calculated based on the average trash volume and weight in the previous billing cycle. Recycling limit without prior arrangement is three 18-gallon tubs. Multi-family and business limits are set on an individual basis.
  2. Paper: Must be clean and dry. Can be in bins or open bags. Flatten all boxes.
    • YES: Clean papers, shredded paper, envelopes with windows, greeting cards and wrapping paper (no foils or metallics), paper bags, cardboard, paperbacks and phonebooks with covers, paper egg cartons, clean pizza boxes (turn inside out). Paperclips, staples and metal spirals are ok.
    • NO: Waxed cardboard, waxed paper, greasy pizza boxes, soda/beer holders or plastic bags.Must be clean and dry. Can be in bins or open bags. Flatten all boxes.
  3. Containers: Can be in bins or open bags. Empty and rinse all containers. Flatten if possible. Plastic caps are accepted if attached to their container.
    • YES: Metal cans, foil, milk and juice cartons, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and jars, tubs and jugs, clear plastic clamshells. Plastic caps are accepted if attached to their container.
    • NO: Molded plastic (ex: plastic take-out trays), plastic or styrofoam egg cartons, plastic cups, tops, or utensils, straws, dishes, Pyrex, styrofoam, plastic bags, plastic hangers, flower pots/trays, CDs, containers over 2 gallons, broken or other glass such as light bulbs, window or auto glass, motor oil or other hazardous product containers.
  4. Compost: This is an optional service that's included with trash pickup. Put in a closed container or paper bag-lined container (we will compost the paper bag). Our composting program does not deal with yard waste - contact us for special arrangements.
    • vegetables and fruits, peels and cores
    • egg shells and their paper cartons
    • hair / fur / feathers
    • freezer-burned foods
    • coffee grounds & tea bags
    • leftovers without meat
    • No meat, fish, poultry, fats, grease, oil, sauces, food inside plastic bags, dairy, pet poop or yard waste
  5. Other items: (separated)
    • Clothes, textiles and shoes for donation - must be in closed bags and marked as a donation
    • Scrap metal - small items. Heavy items or large quantities by arrangement only and for an extra charge.
    • Fluorescent bulbs and tubes - must be carefully packaged and labeled. There may be a charge for large quantities.
    • Christmas trees - for a $15 to $25 extra charge, depending on size
    • Leaves & weeds - by arrangement only, for an extra charge

2. How does your pricing work?

We have two levels of pricing for our single-family trash customers. If on average you produce 30 gallons (about one trash barrel) or less of trash per pickup, then our rates are $32 a month for weekly service and $22 a month for biweekly. If you make up to 60 gallons, we charge $40 for weekly and $28 for biweekly. This is based on the average, so if you normally produce 20 gallons of trash a week, and once in while you have 40 gallons, you'll still stay at the under-30 rate.

For single-family pickups, we can only guarantee to take three 18-gallons tubs of recycling per pickup, unless prior arrangements are made.

3. How do you handle billing?

We bill in advance, in 3 or 6-month periods. For the first pickup, we'll start right away, and you'll have 30 days to pay. Our standard prices are for single-family households. Additional bag charges are added to the next bill.

4. When will you come by?

Everything must be out by 8 a.m. on your pickup day. Trash & recyclables will be picked up anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

5. Do you ever have to postpone a pickup?

In the event of a major storm on your pickup day, we'll call or e-mail you to inform you of a postponement as soon as we know. On average, we postpone two times per winter season. If your pickup day falls on the following holidays, it will be postponed one day: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas. In some cases we might contact you to let you know of a different delay arrangement.

6. Service guarantee and referral program

If at any time you are unsatisfied with Pedal People's service, we will be happy to refund the remaining unused portion of your bill.

Refer any regular recycling & trash customer and you'll get a $15 credit.