Natural Perspectives
Vic Leipzig and Lou Murray
As we were hauling our plastic trash containers to the curb the other
day, we noticed that the lid of one container is badly cracked from
having been run over by a car. These containers are over 20 years old. We
decided that it might be time to invest in at least one new can.
We wanted containers that were quiet, convenient and lidded. Lidded
containers are important for keeping crows, possums and other pesky
wildlife out of the trash. Putting kitchen waste in black plastic bags is
just asking for trouble. No way a thin layer of plastic will keep out the
wildlife. The skunks and possums and any roving dogs can smell what’s
inside, and the crows have learned that if they rip the bags, they
occasionally find food. If animals get in, the trash gets scattered all
over the street or yard. Food trash should be in lidded cans, not bags.
A good lid keeps the rain out, too. In August, it’s hard to remember
what rain is like, but water in the bottom of a trash container can breed
mosquitoes. And in the summer, an uncovered trash container can breed
flies. These are not good things.
I found many options at Home Depot. The first thing that caught my eye
was a round galvanized can with lid. I hate them. Too noisy. They remind
me of dawn in New York City, with a cacophony of bangs and clangs
rousting sleepers. Out of consideration for our neighbors, I avoided
those. I thought the round plastic 20-gallon containers were a bit small,
although they were a bargain at $7. I wanted a wheeled container with a
lid.
I also saw some really nice 44-gallon containers at Home Depot. They
had lids and wheels and would hold a lot. However, they’re also illegal
because they’re too big. Bet you didn’t know that. The law has been on
the books since 1972, but it’s just now being enforced.
No, they’re not illegal to sell, not illegal to buy, not illegal to
store trash bags in, just illegal to leave on the curb for the trash
hauler to empty. There was no point in buying any container over 32
gallons since we couldn’t use it. It would have been nice if there had
been a sign in the store warning unsuspecting customers that these
containers won’t be emptied by our trash haulers, but there wasn’t.
Caveat emptor. Fortunately, 32-gallon lidded trash containers with wheels
are also available, and they are legal.
What about people who already own a 33-gallon or larger container?
Your Rainbow Disposal trash collector has already put a red X sticker on
containers that exceed the volume limit, warning you that these
containers will no longer be emptied.
Why, you ask? Out of consideration for the health of the Rainbow
drivers, cans larger than 32 gallons, or any trash container holding more
than 60 pounds of trash, or any plastic bag holding more than 40 pounds
is not allowed. And if you have green waste such as tree trimmings, it
must be bundled in lengths of 4 feet or less and weigh less than 40
pounds. If you need more information, visit the Rainbow Web site at o7
https://www.rainbowdisposal.com/f7 or call customer service at (714)
847-3581.
At first glance, it might seem ridiculous to have these limits, but
think about the poor guy going house to house, picking up 50-60 pounds at
a time and hefting it to waist or shoulder height, dumping the contents,
setting it down, picking up another, all day long. No wonder the number
of back injuries among the drivers has gone way up. And it’s happened
since those 44-gallon wheeled containers became popular.
We’re lucky in Huntington Beach. We don’t have a limit on the amount
of trash we can set out. Households may have as many bags or cans on the
curb as they want, as long as each one is within the size limit. We also
don’t have to separate our recyclables into separate containers or set
out particular kinds of waste on particular days. You put it out, and
Rainbow picks it up. It’s that simple. Rainbow will take items larger
than 60 pounds, such as furniture or appliances, twice a year for free,
but you need to call them at least a day in advance so they can send out
a special truck with two guys.
Of course there are other systems. Costa Mesa gave out standardized
trash containers to each household, free of charge. These containers are
lifted mechanically, saving the backs of their drivers. But Costa Mesa
gets the tax revenue from all of us who shop at South Coast Plaza, so
they’re richer. Think about that the next time you take your purchasing
dollars out of town. All things considered, Huntington Beach gets a
pretty good deal from Rainbow Disposal.
At our house, we’ll probably eventually get a 32-gallon lidded
container with wheels. They’re only $20. But for now, we’re not
contributing our old can to the landfill. We think it’s still got a few
years left in it. We’re just going to fix the lid with duct tape so the
rain and flies can’t get in. It’s the environmentally sound thing to do.
* VIC LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY are Huntington Beach residents and
environmentalists. They can be reached at o7 vicleipzig@aol.comf7 .
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