LIVINGSTON, Ill. – World history covers the walls inside the Historical Hard Dog Café in Livingston, Illinois.
“Thursday, Friday, and Saturday are my busiest days,” owner Charles Mathis said.
Mathis collects newspapers. Lately, he’s been collecting trash. And not by choice.
“You can’t put anything in any trashcan all around my building,” he said.
Earlier this month, Republic Services bought Robert Sanders Waste Systems. Sanders picked up trash on both sides of the river since 1936. Mathis says it’s a case of the big guy buying out the little guy.
“And the little guy promised us everything would be the same, just as the new company,” he said. “That hasn’t come through at all.”
Mathis says the dumpsters outside his bar tell the whole story.
“That has to be dumped every week. If it’s not, sour beer, etc. That’s not nice. It’s nasty. It’s germs. You name it; it’s all there and it stinks bad,” he said.
FOX 2 contacted Republic Services of Illinois about Mathis’ concerns. A representative told us that like many industries right now, the recycling and waste disposal industry is facing staffing shortages.
In a statement, the company said, “Unfortunately, some of the drivers previously with Sanders were unable to transition over to Republic. Currently, we are leveraging resources from across the country to ensure services are caught up. We appreciate our customers patience and understanding during this time.”
Mathis understands the problem but he’s running low on patience.
“If someone comes and tells you, ‘Hey, Mike I’ll take care of you. I’ll mow your grass every Friday,’ and you’re not getting it mowed on Friday, then what?” he said. “But you do have a direct deposit going to them. Don’t you want your grass cut? I’m the same way. But it’s little bit different than grass because that can grow. This is stinky trash. This is really bad.”
The Republic Services representative FOX 2 spoke with said the company would contact Mathis about a resolution. If you’re a Republic Services of Illinois customer with similar questions or concerns, call 618-465-8461.