TRASH CONTROL

**NEW TRASH CHUTE RULES**

PROPER USE OF CHUTE

1. Use only 13 gallon (or smaller) trash bags

2. Trash bags MUST be tied closed

3. Cat Litter = Double bagging (2 bags) tied closed

DO NOT USE CHUTE TO DISPOSE OF THESE TYPE OF  ITEMS:  

1. Cardboard boxes 

2. Large trash bags over 13 gallons

3. Long items (mop, broom, poles & sticks)

4. Furniture (chairs, tables, all large or oversized items)

USE THE DUMPSTER OUTSIDE THE BACK DOOR

REMEMBER:  

• SMALL BAGS

• TIED SECURELY

• TRASH ONLY

**NEW TRASH CHUTE RULES**

PROPER USE OF CHUTE

1. Use only 13 gallon (or smaller) trash bags

2. Trash bags MUST be tied closed

3. Cat Litter = Double bagging (2 bags) tied closed

DO NOT USE CHUTE TO DISPOSE OF THESE TYPE OF  ITEMS:  

1. Cardboard boxes 

2. Large trash bags over 13 gallons

3. Long items (mop, broom, poles & sticks)

4. Furniture (chairs, tables, all large or oversized items)

USE THE DUMPSTER OUTSIDE THE BACK DOOR

REMEMBER:  

• SMALL BAGS

• TIED SECURELY

• TRASH ONLY

THE “FILTHY GAS STATION RESTROOM” EFFECT

How Trash Rooms Shape Resident Morale, Cleanliness, and Pride in Sangamon Towers

Everyone remembers that filthy gas station restroom.

You are traveling late at night and stop because you have no choice. You open the door and immediately feel discomfort.

The smell hits you first.

The room is dark and cramped.

The floor is dirty.

The walls are stained.

The mirror is cloudy.

The door slams behind you like a jail cell.

You notice smashed bugs near the doorway before you even step inside.

Suddenly, you do not want to touch anything.

You rush to get out.  Years later, you still remember those sights and smells.

Why?

Because places affect people psychologically.

Now imagine your elderly mother trying to enter that same room with a walker or wheelchair while a heavy self-closing door pushes against her and slams shut behind her.

Now imagine living with that feeling every single day.

At Sangamon Towers, there are 15 trash rooms — one on every floor.

When those rooms are dark, filthy, noisy, damaged, stained, smell like garbage, or show evidence of pests and neglect, they silently send a message to every resident:

“Nobody cares.”

“Nothing is going to change.”

“This is just how this place is.”

That feeling spreads throughout the building.

Residents begin avoiding the trash rooms as long as possible because the experience feels unpleasant and unsanitary. Trash stays longer inside apartments. People wait until they absolutely must go. Then they rush in and rush back out.

The room becomes associated with stress, disgust, embarrassment, and neglect.

This is not just a maintenance issue.

It becomes:

- a morale issue

- a sanitation issue

- a pest-control issue

- an accessibility issue

- a building image issue

The smashed bugs on walls and door frames become symbols of neglect. Residents, visitors, healthcare workers, maintenance personnel, firefighters, and inspectors all see these things — even if they never say anything out loud.

The emotional message is still received.

But this can change.

A clean and modernized trash room changes the emotional feeling of the entire floor.

Simple improvements can completely transform these spaces and moving forward we hope work with management and maintenance to influence, accomodate and upgrade the trash rooms with:

- brighter lighting

- fresh paint

- sealed door sweeps to block bugs and odors

- quieter door closers

- kick-down doorstops for easier access

- sanitation treatments

- odor reduction

- cleaner walls and floors

- visible signs of ongoing care and maintenance

The goal is simple:

Turn every trash room from a place residents avoid… into a clean sanitation station that reflects dignity, cleanliness, and pride in the building.

Residents notice improvement.

And when residents SEE improvement, they begin respecting improvement.

That is how morale changes.

That is how habits change.

That is how pride returns.

That is how the “new Sangamon Towers” begins. 

Trash Chute & Trash Room Awareness

One of the biggest quality-of-life concerns repeatedly brought forward by residents involves the condition of our trash rooms and trash chutes.

Overflowing trash, clogged chutes, loose garbage left on floors, odors, pests, and blocked disposal areas affect every resident in the building. These issues not only create unpleasant conditions, but can also contribute to sanitation concerns, insects, rodents, and unnecessary strain on maintenance staff.

Our new building management has recently distributed updated trash chute guidelines to all residents in an effort to improve conditions throughout the building. The Sangamon Guardians fully support these efforts and encourage all residents to work together in following these updated rules and procedures.

Simple actions can make a major difference:

• Properly bag and tie trash before disposal

• Make sure trash fully goes down the chute

• Do not leave trash sitting in the trash room

• Avoid forcing oversized items into the chute

• Report clogged or full chutes to management promptly

• Help keep trash room floors and surrounding areas clean

We understand that at times chutes may become full or temporarily clogged. These situations can be frustrating for residents and should be addressed as quickly as possible. At the same time, leaving trash on floors or in common areas only adds to the problem and affects the health, comfort, and dignity of everyone who lives here.

This is a shared building and a shared responsibility.

When residents and management work together, conditions improve for everyone. By showing a little patience, consideration, and community pride, we can help create cleaner floors, fewer pests, better sanitation, and a more respectful environment throughout Sangamon Towers.

The goal is not blame.

The goal is not to just complain.

The goal is progress.

Together, we can help make Sangamon Towers a cleaner, healthier, and more welcoming place to call home.

We have all had experiences with public restrooms and we invite you to make the connection between our TRASH ROOM issues and the restroom issue detailed in the brief story!

HELP KEEP OUR TRASH ROOM CLEAN AND SANITARY!