[Zeke]

An interesting thing is the cans nowadays are owned by the collectors, city mostly, but the large bins at apts and commercial are owned by the contracted collector. So, if city property is sitting on the city street or alley, is it fair game? One side of the story is that the house that the bin serves may not be done filling it even if they have taken it out, say the night before. And they do pay for the service.

I, OTOH, will place trash and debris anywhere I can if I can see or hear the truck coming and it's not first thing in the morning. I've been hassled a couple times but even though the trash in the can is technically theirs until picked up, is anyone gonna give me a citation?

I live where there is an alley so the alley is the designated place to put the can for pick up. Code says don't put it out there until the night before at the earliest. I don't know of anyone in 3 blocks that brings their bins inside the yard that has an alley. There must be a scant few, but if you look up and down the alley, all you see is bins. Therefore, at some point from very early morning, or the evening before, trash pickers are all over the place. No police action there. So I take it as unenforceable and do as I damn please.

But wait, there's more: now we have been issued a 3rd bin for "compostables." This includes scrap food. Given the amount of flies around many existing trash bins due to food, I see this new idea as actually unhealthy. I'm pretty sure this ain't Cliff's city and no one is gonna be on maggot patrol. The trash bill with the organic bin is now $110/mo.

At $1320 per year I'll put trash wherever I feel like it. For that kind of money they should be coming into the kitchen and emptying my trash can(s); recycle and normal trash. Personally, I toss an ounce of pool chorine on top of my trash if there is a pizza box that is not recyclable because it has a stain on the cardboard. If someone wants to dig around in there, go ahead. They constantly rip open black trash bags that are tied so there aren't flies in case some food is in there.

Plastic bags are not allowed in the compost bin to wrap food. Neither is foil. I see a complete sihtshow in the alley here on out. I've sprayed bins swarming with flies many times out in the alley from neighbors with yard insect spray.

I think I'll add some aromatics to my spray. Lysol might be part of a cocktail. Lime powder would be good too and won't hurt the compost. I wonder what their plans for all the garbage is. We don't have enough open land for the tons that they are expected to collect.