Quote:
Originally Posted by bunt_q
It will very clearly exacerbate the problems. More cans and a financial incentive to (A) have the smallest black bin possible, and (B) clear opportunity (with minimal downside) to put any excess into (i) your neighbors' black cans or (ii) purple and green cans, polluting those with inappropriate refuse.
This is not difficult or complicated. Nobody is saying it can't work, or that it doesn't work elsewhere. But I do not know the first thing about those other systems.
The nuances of the system we are actually implementing very clearly (1) deny the realities of current issues (lack of acknowledgement of these issues is clear from both DOTI's statements and the discussions at Council; it's as if none of them live in the same City as the rest of us, which in the case of DOTI staffers, is frequently true, and (2) because there is no acknowledgement of today's challenges, there is not even discussion around whether the new financial incentive might serve to exacerbate those problems. Which common sense and the basic economics of personal incentives would suggest is beyond obvious.
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I'd also suggest that the system works better in the vast majority of the city that was laid out post 1940's (hint: the alley's are wide enough for bins to go on both sides and we don't write passive-aggressive notes to each other on that issue). Moving from dumpsters to individual bins in the pre-1940's area was a mistake in that regard. I think that some sort of centralized collection system is necessary again. Though screw the dumpsters- go Amsterdam style with their recessed bins.
As for the fee structure- there's definitely an incentive for abuse in the proposed system. I'm all for adding a few dozen code enforcement agents and dropping the hammer on non-compliance. Back it up with asset seizure and kick the scofflaws out of the city. If you can't manage your trash bin, there's no way you're responsible enough to manage a home.