Maybe there was stuff in there you wouldn't WANT to see.............
Posted on 01/28/2015 10:12:24 AM PST by Reverend Saltine
Seattle to Fine Residents for Throwing Food in the Garbage
In an attempt to shame residents of their city, a new Seattle law will levy a fine on homes that do not properly sort food out of their garbage.
Emblazoned with a red citation tag, violators will start to be fined anywhere from $1-$50 in July. For now, Seattle residents will be publicly shamed by the ‘Scarlet Letter’-like tags.
US Food Waste Food waste is a big, and still growing, problem. (Charles Krupa/AP Photo) "I'm sure neighbors are going to see these on their other neighbors' cans," says Rodney Watkins, a lead driver for Recology CleanScapes, a waste contractor for the city. He's on the front lines of enforcing these rules.
The tags are part of, what the city calls, a “public education campaign.”
In an interview with NPR, Watkins details how he goes about enforcing the draconian statute:
"You can see all the oranges and coffee grounds," he says, raising one lid.” All that makes great compost. You can put that in your compost bin and buy it back next year in a bag and put it in your garden."
The ultimate goal of the law is to boost composting while reducing greenhouse gasses:
Food waste is both an economic and environmental burden. Transporting the waste, especially for distances as far as Seattle does, is costly. So too is allowing it to sit out in the open, where it produces methane, one of the most harmful greenhouses gases, as it rots. The second largest component of landfills in the United States is organic waste, and landfills are the single largest source of methane gas.
The EPA has already begun a campaign to achieve laws similar to Seattle’s.
The outstanding question remains: what purview is it of government to act as people’s trash nanny?
Will the Seattle lawmakers purchase increased liability insurance to protect themselves from the increase in lawsuits for food poisoning? Or, are the leftist lawmakers already except from prosecution?
I’m sorry but I can resist telling you my tale
My first job as a young engineer involved a pile driving project on the US Naval Base at Charleston. I was assigned to inspect the pile driving operations and keep the required records. The contractor got a new engineer, surveyor, and he decided that rather then accept the elevation bench mark of the previous guy, he wanted to run the level line from an official bench mark. The bench mark was noted as being inside the building across the street.
Naive as I was, I went around the front of the designated building and went in to ask to run the level line through the building and out the side door and across the street. I never really made it inside The Naval Mine Warfare Training center before shooed out. I persisted that we had to run the line.
Well that was like kicking a bee hive. In the end several days later after all sorts of both civilians and Navy Brass visited the site, the contractor was advised that to keep peace within the Navy to use the bench mark provided.
I was I guess a No Badger
Worst gardener in the world
Back in the '60s, we had a teacher at my grade school that would stand by the tray return and make sure each child had eaten at least three out of the four items on your plate. Otherwise, we would have to sit back down and eat more of our lunch. She was an older lady that had lived through the Depression, and remembered those days.
I have had rats in my past 3 houses
Oh, do tell!
Maybe there was stuff in there you wouldn't WANT to see.............
Oh, do tell!
Dump it in the City Council chambers instead.
Oh, I’m a weed killer, too! One look at me and they keel over.
I seem to have that affect on women, or at least they run away screaming ;)
Weeds and women!
Is a dead raccoon food?
I see a boom in the Seattle’s plumbing/drain cleaning industry. Also pest control.
Ok Ok it’s 170 miles but same politics. Geesh.
I hate people who do not clean their plate after a meal, and I hate people who do not eat their leftovers. I say ticket the tacos outta them!
Sounds like what we had up at our cabin. Up in the woods my grandpa had dug a big hole and lined it with bricks (with gaps) to keep the hole open. Must of had some sort of roof on it and covered with dirt.
Then a metal pail with the bottom cut out to toss food and fish scraps into the hole. And a lid with a big rock placed on top to keep the raccoons out. Never did get full after 90 years.
The out-house on the other hand.....
My dad’s company was a distributor for the Bard Matic back in the 50’s. We actually had two of them in the back yard. They worked well and the dissolved residue was a lot like you know what. The only problem was maggots.
You lost me at maggots. :)
1. Privatize garbage collection and require residents to have either a contract with a private refuse collection company, or with a private landfill operation, to make deposits there themselves - get the whole thing off the tax and spend roles.
2. Allow garbage collection companies to bill by the pound, charge separately for bulk items, construction materials, collection of “white goods” (old appliances) and other special fees.
3. Require landfills to have methane capture equipment installed, but also allow citizens to make their own deposits at landfills, at rates the landfills set. either as one-time charges or as monthly subscriptions.
That is all the “reform” needed, as markets will take care of the rest.
5) You may not eat.
But...but...what about this big stack-o-sammiches I just made?
D@mmit! ;)
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