There’s been so much wrong with the city of Suffolk’s handling of its solid waste and recycling collection programs in the past couple of years that it’s hard to imagine city officials being able to do much to make things worse. And yet, this week, under the unilateral direction of City Manager Selena Cuffee-Glenn, TFC Recycling began hauling away bulk recycling containers from 12 of the 13 recycling centers that had been operating around the city.

When the Suffolk City Council voted in 2009 to put in place a bulk waste disposal fee, members quickly learned just how unpopular their decision would be, receiving phone calls and emails from citizens who were upset about the new fee, and from those frustrated they had received little notice of the change. That change turned out to be short-lived, having been repealed just a few months after it was initiated, when the city’s administration “found” surplus money to cover the cost of bulk trash pickup.

Earlier this year, when the council decided to institute a $17.50 solid waste fee at the same time they launched a citywide recycling campaign, they once again heard howls from citizens angry about being forced into a program that many neither understood nor desired. They also heard from others who were confused by the combination of the new fees being put into place for both the recycling program and solid waste collections. The resulting mixed message sent to the community has been damaging to the council’s credibility.

But the news this week that bulk recycling containers were being removed by order of the city manager actually presents an even more confusing message. On the one hand, city officials pitched citywide recycling as a way to alleviate pressure on the landfill. On the other hand, getting rid of the bulk recycling containers leaves many of those who live in apartment complexes, as well as many area businesses, without a place to drop their recyclables.

Bulk containers are being removed because people end up using them for mattresses, tires, furniture and other non-recyclable items, Cuffee-Glenn said in a letter to City Council. But the solution to that problem is not to remove the recycling containers. The solution to that problem is to provide the city’s apartment dwellers an easy way to deal with their bulk trash, short of leaving it on the side of the road or in the woods somewhere.

It’s also instructive to note that the only bulk recycling containers that will remain are those located near the police department, where, city officials say, people have not left many improper items. Again, instead of removing the containers entirely, a lesson should have been taken from the place where the program was working. Instead of removing them entirely, the city should have arranged to place containers at fire departments and other public spaces around Suffolk, where their usage could be monitored.

A city that truly sought to be responsive to its citizens’ needs would at least have tried another option before taking away the containers entirely. There’s still time for the city to reconsider its position. Doing so would help restore people’s faith in their local government.