Up to 19 tons of waste per day! We explain how utility workers from the State Enterprise "Spetskommunavtotrans" keep the capital's courtyards tidy.

Every day, early in the morning, garbage truck drivers HEAD out to do their difficult but important job. They complete it promptly, precisely, and on schedule to ensure order always reigns in Minsk's residential areas. A correspondent for the newspaper "7 Days" joined waste collectors from the state-owned enterprise "Spetskommunavtotrans" to find out how difficult their job is and what situations they face on the road to cleanliness.    
A matchbox away, 
in a courtyard on Yakubova Street in the Serebryanka microdistrict, I spot a brand-new green MAZ truck with a raccoon sticker on the back, reminding everyone of the importance of waste separation. The emblem of the state-owned enterprise "Spetskommunavtotrans" is on the cab door. The company's special vehicle slowly moves through the courtyard, crowded with parked cars. Behind it, a loader deftly hooks a container onto the back of the truck, tips it over, lowers it, puts it back in place, and moves on to the next one. The movements are coordinated, almost automatic. The entire process takes no more than 30 seconds. 
I introduce myself to the loader and shake his strong, sweat-dampened hand. 
"Vyacheslav Mazurkevich," he introduces himself and explains, "We just need to assemble two more platforms in the neighboring yard, and then we can head to the sorting plant. The main thing is to avoid getting in line for unloading, otherwise we'll lose about an hour. Time is precious to us." 
The cabin of the special vehicle is clean and tidy. There's no smell of waste. The brand-new MAZ joined the company's fleet, along with 12 other vehicles, six months ago. The garbage truck is equipped with a rearview camera. The body holds 16.5 cubic meters of waste and is compacted using a hydraulic press. The container loading system is designed for all types of waste.  
We pull into the neighboring yard. The driver expertly cruises past the parked cars at low speed. In the rearview mirror, I watch as a twelve-ton special-purpose vehicle passes a foreign car 
, a matchbox's length away. We safely reach the garbage yard without hitting anyone. Such high skill comes with experience, and driver Pavel Egoshin has quite a bit of it: 29 years of driving experience, 20 of which behind the wheel of a garbage truck for the state-owned enterprise Spetskommunavtotrans. "When I first started, I drove Gazons and Zilkas with side loading, then I switched to MAZs. Our company updates its fleet every year. The current equipment is very good, the cabin is clean, and it rides smoother," notes Pavel Valentinovich, adding that people always admire the ability to control a large vehicle in narrow courtyards. "One day, a man came up to me and said, 'My wife told me to come work for you so I could learn to drive.' 
Only the brave conquer the courtyards  ."
We turn around near one of the buildings and begin reversing. The driver explains that it will be easier to exit the twelve-entrance, dead-end courtyard. He also noted that residential neighborhoods are roughly the same in terms of difficulty. More hassle comes from car owners parking on turns. 
"Former truck drivers come here, and even they get lost; not everyone understands the dimensions. And sometimes young guys with no experience after the army get jobs here, and they're quite good at handling equipment. Once, a former bus driver got into a garbage truck, drove around courtyards like these, and then said, 'No, it's not for me, it's too difficult.' I, on the contrary, feel right at home and have long since gotten used to the difficulties," Pavel Egoshin asserts.
Incidentally, the traffic police are looking for the owner who blocked access to the trash bins. If the owner isn't found, the vehicle can be towed to an impound lot. This process is lengthy, so the utility workers don't wait; they then collect the waste on the site. To avoid problems with complaints from residents, the blocked area is photographed. Car owners typically leave a phone number under their windshields and, upon receiving a call, come down and vacate the entrance. 
"Most people don't understand the specifics of our work until they experience its complexity. Recently, a driver came in, drove his MAZ truck around the courtyards for a day, and said he wouldn't park his car near the trash bins anymore. He'd rather park further away and walk the extra distance," Pavel Valentinovich shares, describing the impatience of some car owners. "We're standing there, loading, and people start honking from behind, like, 'We're rushing to school, to work, to the kindergarten—how much longer?' If possible, we try to position ourselves so the car can squeeze through. We understand that people are in a hurry, but we also have to do our job. Fortunately, such rude people are rare. Most of our people are conscientious and patient." 
A challenging, but necessary task.
I notice a paper map on the dashboard, with container sites marked with crosses, and their exact addresses listed on a separate sheet. The waybill also specifies the crew, service area, and type of waste collected: recyclable materials, municipal solid waste, and bulky waste. The company cleans containers in the Central, Soviet, Zavodskoy, Pervomaysky, Partizansky, and Leninsky districts of MINSK, as well as in organizations, schools, and kindergartens. 
"We usually arrive at work at six in the morning. If the assignment specifies a residential area, we leave for the site around eight. Until people have cleared out of their yards, there's no point in showing up earlier. But when cleaning the Central District, on the contrary, we need to leave before the trucks arrive for work at nine," explains Vyacheslav Mazurkevich, adding: "We collect garbage daily in all of our districts. For example, at one site, we collect solid municipal waste on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. At another, we collect municipal solid waste on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. In densely populated areas like Minsk-Mir, we collect garbage every day.
On the day of the visit, the assignment for the Spetskommunavtotrans garbage truck crew was to collect 188.92 cubic meters of solid municipal waste in the Serebryanka microdistrict, which is approximately 190-200 containers. Each container holds 1.1 cubic meters." " 
It's easier to work now," the driver joins the conversation. "When I started, there were no phones or GPS devices. You'd buy a map at a kiosk and use it to navigate. You didn't know the area, so there was no one to ask. You'd pull in on one side of the yard, and the dumpsters were on the other. Because of this, I often had to work late." 
We stopped at the trash bins. I got out with the loader, who, as he hooked up the container, noted that about 15-20% of the capital's residents now sort their waste. It makes the utility workers' job harder when, when they tip the container into the back of the truck, dust from vacuum cleaner bags, litter from the litter box, and other trash flies into their faces and eyes. It's also common for a bag of sour kefir or MILK to burst while compacting, drenching the loader from head to toe. 
"They throw out everything." For example, in Minsk-Mir, the containers are filled to the brim with construction waste or bags of dried mortar every day. "Usually, for this type of waste, you can order a 'boat' that's left on-site and then taken to the landfill," explains Vyacheslav Sergeyevich.
The loader notes that their job would be much easier if people at least threw away their trash in tied bags and put recyclables in designated containers. Their work is already difficult. They have to climb in and out of the tall MAZ truck numerous times a day, and walk dozens of kilometers in all weather conditions. The workers' job is also complicated by the haphazard stacking of bags next to and on top of the dumpster lids. 
"We arrive, open the lid, and the container is empty. Just a pile of trash around it. I can throw in one or two more, but that's it. Imagine if every landfill site had this kind of scene!" We have limited time; we need to clear out all the containers on the site by six o'clock so we can get the waste to the sorting plant before it closes at 7:00 p.m., explains Vyacheslav Mazurkevich.
Officially, the workday for a garbage truck crew lasts from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a lunch break. The shift usually ends at 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., depending on the day of the week. For example, there is more work on holidays and Mondays. According to Vyacheslav, the latest he ever had to return to base was 8:00 p.m. He washed up, changed clothes, got home—and it was already 10:00 p.m. That left only time to eat and go to bed, because it was time to get up again at 6:00 a.m.
Decent pay for
the work. The garbage truck's backseat is full. We're heading to the sorting plant to unload. On the way, having learned about the intricacies and complexities of the profession, I ask the crew: how does the company support its workers? 
- They provide us with 100% special clothing. The organization issues rubberized tires every month."Gloves , overalls, summer and winter boots, rubber boots, a raincoat, and padded jackets for cold weather," lists Vyacheslav Mazurkevich, adding: "Every Wednesday, we have a sauna day at the company's premises. The sauna is open until seven in the evening, and if we manage to clean up the area in time, we always go for a steam bath. We also have our own sports complex with exercise equipment and areas for billiards and table tennis. When the route takes you near the premises, you can stop for lunch in the cafeteria or grab a snack in the dining room, which has everything you need: a kettle, microwave, refrigerator, and water cooler. There are also a cloakroom, showers, and shoe and clothes dryers. Overall, the conditions are comfortable, and our salaries are decent. 
The collective agreement at the Spetskommunavtotrans State Enterprise provides lump sum payments for all public holidays." They also provide financial support for children's school fees, vegetable allowances , and New Year's gifts . Furthermore, each employee can spend 30% of the full cost of a trip on a HEALTH resort in the Myadel district. The union organizes excursions to historical sites in Belarus and museum visits. 
"Even before covid-19, I went to Karelia with my wife. Spetskommunavtotrans, as an employee of the company, covered 70% of the trip cost. Now, excursions and trips are organized mainly within Belarus. Our last trip was to Grodno," says Pavel Yegoshin.   Up to 19 tons of waste per day 
. Time flies while we're talking. I can tell we're approaching a landfill by the distinctive smell. We take our place in line behind two garbage trucks. 
"The trucks usually gather in the morning because everyone leaves for loading at about the same time, and the trucks are about equally full." Trucks arrive at the plant at different times throughout the day, so there's no congestion. "And it's rare to have to wait in line for more than an hour," explains Pavel Egoshin, noting that on average, three trips are made per shift. Four trips are made after weekends and holidays. Depending on the site, a garbage truck travels approximately 160-200 kilometers per day.
The specialized equipment pulls onto the scale . The display shows 16,880 kg, minus 12 tons of specialized equipment—that's 4.5 tons of solid municipal waste. When collecting municipal solid waste, the truck fills faster and weighs 6-7 tons. Garbage trucks typically transport between 12 and 19 tons of waste per day. 
"There's more garbage now. Everything is sold in packaging and cellophane on store shelves. Previously, milk and kefir bottles were returned, and groceries were wrapped in paper." A lot of containers are thrown away, so we won’t be left without work, says a garbage truck driver from the State Enterprise “Spetskommunavtotrans”.   
We unload waste in a covered workshop. A loader scoops it into a hopper, then it moves along a conveyor to the sorting line. Plant workers manually separate it into glass, paper, and plastic. Recyclable materials are pressed into bales and sent for recycling, while municipal solid waste is loaded into a separate truck and taken to the landfill. 
Vyacheslav removes any remaining trash hanging on the body and compactor with a broom. The crew also has a shovel among their essential tools. Some drivers even install a dashcam.
We hop into the cab, and the loader happily announces, 
"The unloading went well." Sometimes you have to climb into the truck bed to remove bags , scraps, or boards that are stuck or caught in the compactor. 
Before leaving the sorting plant for the city, the garbage truck's wheels are washed. 
In the capital, we begin loading from a platform where the container is overflowing and trash has spilled out. Vyacheslav, sighing heavily, gathers the bags and tosses them into the back. 
I leave the Spetskommunavtotrans garbage truck crew on Plekhanov Street. As I leave, I wish my new acquaintances the best of luck cleaning up the area before the sorting plant closes and returning home as soon as possible.  
Spetskommunavtotrans has its own service station, where a team of mechanics, welders, and turners ensures the equipment's proper functioning. Their skilled hands are capable of providing first-class, comprehensive repairs to both cars and trucks in the shortest possible time. The company also has a car wash to keep all its equipment clean.

Spetskommunavtotrans's fleet includes 183 vehicles, including tractors, liquid waste removal vehicles, loaders, and container trucks. Six districts of Minsk are served by 107 rear- or side-loading garbage trucks, equipped with GPS navigation and video cameras for convenient driving in courtyards.
Vadim KONDRATYUK, photo by the author