[Grovenet] Garbage question

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

I agree about not simply filling dumps with whatever, Katie. 

Still, I wonder. In the old days, the 'dump' brought no revenue beyond the
cost of hauling the stuff from our homes. Today all that glass is SOLD to
companies for reuse, as is the iron and most other metals in our dumpsters.
It's such a huge business collecting our scrap metal, glass, wood, etc., and
sometimes hauling it halfway around the world to factories who buy it, that
there's significant competition for it among companies who want it.

The only thing that goes into landfill any longer is organic waste that
decomposes. Then the landfill becomes a park or even a new subdivision,
often sold to the communities or states where they're located. If it's a
huge landfill, they pipe out the methane gas and sell it. 

So why is it the waste companies, who have folks lined up who actually want
to *buy* much of our refuse, can't turn a profit without charging us
ever-increasing rates? 

Labor costs? Back when our cans were left in the back yard a truck had three
or four workers and covered, at best, 1/4 of the number of homes a truck
does today with ONE person on board. That makes 1/3 to 1/2 the employees in
the road today (two trucks stop by in most places). The results in 6 to 8
times the number of pickups per man-hour today than when teams came into our
yards on foot.

What we do know is that Waste Management Inc., who serves your area, posted
total revenues of $3.36 BILLION in the FY ending in 2007.  

Sure, the contractors should turn a profit, but how much? Who knows how
much? That's all behind the closed doors at WMI corporate Hq in Houston,
Texas. That's fine for a private company, provided it's competition in an
open market. Where competition is not practical, as here, we need very close
and careful oversight. 

I believe the current approach is for communities to take "bids" on handling
their waste. But who is going to compete with a 3.3 Billion dollar company
who wants to keep Forest Grove, or any specific are, among their customers? 

Anyone who is suspicious of corporate giants like General Motors or
Microsoft ought to be even more concerned about a company like WMI. At least
we can buy an Apple Computer, Toyota car. But who can you call if you'd
rather not pay WMI to pick up your trash? 

Ron D'Eau Claire  


-----Original Message-----
I guess partly because now we care what we put in our dumps and what  
becomes of them.
Back then they just scraped off a piece of land, piled garbage on it,  
then covered it with dirt.
Now we line our dumps, siphon off the built up gasses, cap them  
better, set up hazardous waste days to collect the really bad stuff,  
we have three cans for different waste streams, and pay at least a  
part of the sanitation workers' insurance.
One could argue that before we were shifting the 'cost' of our  
garbage on to future generations and now we are trying to better pay  
for it as we go. Or at least mitigating the cost for future  
generations. Money well spent if you want your descendants to live  
decently. A total waste of money if the world revolves around you.  
(And I'm not talking about you Ron, because I know you and the great  
majority of people do care, but there are a few out there who would  
be happy to leave their toxins for others to deal with when they are  
gone.)

Do you feel like you get more for your trash dollars than back then?

Katie

On Dec 27, 2007, at 10:12 AM, Ron D'Eau Claire wrote:

> Remember when one left the garbage cans behind the fence alongside
> the house
> or garage and the trash collectors came into the yard and got them,  
> emptied
> them into the truck and put them back?
>
> Looking at an old budget from the 1960's, as a percentage of my
> housing cost
> I paid less for the service then than I do now.
>
> So why is that?
>
> Ron AC7AC
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: grovenet-bounces at rdrop.com [mailto:grovenet-
> bounces at rdrop.com] On
> Behalf Of Katie Allnutt
> Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 9:43 AM
> To: Tosca at prodigy.net; Forest Grove local interests list
> Subject: Re: [Grovenet] Garbage question
>
>
> I had just the opposite problem. I was off by a day so I put our bins 
> out a day earlier than usual. Now that the service is delayed I hope 
> my neighbors understand why I have my cans out cluttering the curb for 
> so long...
>
> Katie
> Especially those who think the cans are an eyesore.
>
>
>
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