Pretty much each building on the street has a different company getting it's trash.
Los Angeles City picks up our recycling, but they do not handle our trash. Trash pick-up is contracted out to a whole mess of other companies. Since we've been here these 5 or so years, I think I have seen our trash pick-up handled by 3 different companies. This is why I cannot get green waste containers, even though I want them. LA will not give them to us, because they don't pick up our trash and therefore do not care if green waste goes in the dumpsters or not. (I know, I have asked.) I've never counted, but I am reasonably confident that at least 3 or 4 different companies handle JUST OUR BLOCK.
Yeah? So? Well, here's the deal. This would be different if these trucks were all bio-diesel or some clean-fuel trucks, but they are your average gas-guzzling yuck-trucks. If one company handled all the building, or if we had the city picking up, this would mean a much more efficient system. As it is now, trucks come all times of the week and drive past buildings on the way to another street... yeah. I find this troubling. I knows. I need a new pastime.
I don't have a solution; I'm just sharing (venting) at this point. I wonder why I am the only one that seems to see this on my street. I suppose an option would be to go to ALL the building managers on the street and talk to them, one at a time, and see if maybe they would be interested and open to change if I can get reduced pick-up rates. I may be delusional, but it seems to me that if ONE company handled an area, there COULD be lower rates, because there would be efficiency. Yeah, OK, I know, I AM delusional. What's new.
Then again, I AM Italian.... and I've watched the Sopranos. Somehow I recall they knew their way around trash business in the Mafia.... hmmmmmmm....
I'm coming to this post from a unique perspective: I work for a hauler who is franchised within this County. The only market that is open here is commercial recycling. The only good thing I can see about it being open market (the way it is just across the river from us) is competition. But, otherwise, I really agree with you in that the way we do it is far superior. We have all the routes, so we also have an incentive to make them efficient. (Why drive a truck that gets terrible mileage all over the county, when you don't need to, right?) We also have a very unique system where the contract with the County and Cities stipulate that we have waste reduction educators (thus the reason for my position...and four others) This system has some flaws, just like any other, but I think it "works" in a whole lot of really cool ways.
ReplyDeleteMy kingdom for sane garbage policy!!! It just doesn't seem like it should be so difficult. Here's my rant about Denver's system: http://www.greeniacdigest.com/a-sad-day-for-municipal-compost-in-denver/2010/05/24/
ReplyDeleteTerra, I would love to learn more about where you are and what you do and how it works!
ReplyDeleteRebecca, thanks for sharing your experience!
If you worked for one of those trash haulers and started canvassing the neighborhood looking to consolidate, that would be Soprano-esque. But as a resident looking for cleaner air to breathe- if you have the energy to do it, DO IT! You could be the one person making a huge difference for your community, just like Majora Carter in the South Bronx.
ReplyDeleteLove this blog Green Witch, Just purused the entire front page and said Amen, and Yep about 4 times. Right ON!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mandy!
ReplyDelete