Burrtec Faces Off With Desert Consultant

The way waste haulers pick up your trash may have never been more controversial.

The largest privately held waste company in the state of California, Burrtec, versus Global Disposal Reduction Services Inc.

You’ve heard of the one with more than 60 years in the trash industry. The other one, not so much. It has just four years in the business, but on Wednesday, the underdog won the first round.

“They sued us,” said Josuha Allen, the CEO of Global Disposal, based in Palm Desert. “They were trying to file an immediate injunction, which wouldn’t allow us to go to the property anymore. Today, the judge denied that.”

Allen is not the guy who picks up your trash, but he is the one who says he can do it cheaply and green.

“Global has my full support,” said Jim Stilwell, the general manager and COO of the Desert Princess Country Club in Cathedral City.

Stilwell said he is always looking at ways to cut costs, and also maintain the quality of life for his residents.

Global Disposal seems to be that answer, and apparently Burrtec doesn’t like it.

“They’ve increased our diversion away from landfills from 50 percent to over 76 percent,” said Stilwell.

California state lawmakers have long wanted to decrease the amount of trash going to landfills, and encourage more recyling, Allen said.

Global Disposal’s formula seems to be working, said Stilwell.

A trash compactor now sits on the Desert Princess property. So, rather than Burrtec having to come by once a week to pick up 86 bins of trash, the haulers are now making only two to three trips a month to grab the compacted waste.

Besides, as part of its agreement with the homeowner’s association, Global Disposal also has two full-time employees doing daily door-to-door pickups to make sure the trash never gets out of hand.

Desert Princess is a private community with 1,084 condos, but Burrtec has a franchise agreement with Cathedral City, which means it’s the only company allowed to manage waste within city limits.

Allen and Stilwell agree that Global Disposal’s program is reducing Desert Princess’s costs by more than 30 percent, but that also means a major financial loss for Burrtec, which is why both guys say burrtec is suing.

Burrtec declined to comment for this report.

“If Burrtec loses, it basically lets homeowners’ associations decide how to manage their trash in the greenest, most efficient way,” said Allen.

Both sides are due back in court in August.