Let's Get Trashed

Once again, curbside trash collection is on the table for Plymouth.

I, personally, would love it if it became a reality. 

But there are so many in town who are adamantly opposed.

When it came up in the spring, I was set to vote in favor of it at Town Meeting. No more trips to the dump on Sunday, my only day off. No more trash stored all week in my shed (as it doesn’t make sense to buy a big rolling trash can if I’m not rolling it anywhere). No more smelly, messy trash in my car. No more folding seats down and taking car seats out to make room in the car for the trash. No more trips to the wretched dump. I could put my bags in the big container, and once a week roll them down my short, flat, paved driveway to become someone else’s problem. No more sorting my glass, cardboard, and plastic. No more weaving in between cars trying to get to the recycle bins at the dump. Sitting in traffic to and from the dump would no longer be an issue. Trash would be easy.

But then, at the caucuses, I heard from many constituents and fellow reps that were deeply set against the idea. My phone started ringing, and my inbox filled up – my neighbors did not want curbside.

Some did not like the budget structure. Some liked going to the dump, while others had serious concerns, like long, winding, hilly and unpaved driveways. Several fellow reps have driveways from hell, and the idea of rolling a trash barrel in dry weather would be difficult, let alone in rain, wind, mud, snow, or icy conditions.

Though it was something I was all for, and thought it would be a blessing in my neighborhood, it would be a nightmare for others. As a rep, I had to consider that I was not voting for me, but for the people I represent. So I voted no.

I’m a man of compromise, and believe the best solution to a problem is to find what will work for both sides on an issue, and find a way to meet in the middle.

In reviewing curbside, it seemed the best solution would be to offer it to the whole town, close two of the three transfer stations, and leave one open, either as a Pay-As-You-Throw station, or as an option to those who paid the general trash collection fee. That way, the majority would benefit from trash collection, while that minority who prefer going to the dump, or who would be greatly inconvenienced by curbside, would be able to operate statusquo.

But this new proposal lacks the transfer station option. Without it, it’s a deal breaker.

Part of me wonders if this is an ace-in-the-sleeve tactic. Introduce the bill with no transfer station option, get people to admit they would support curbside with one transfer station left open, and then say "OK, we’ll compromise and keep one open," and the bill passes.

I’m curious to see how this pans out. I would love to see curbside happen, but not at the inconvenience of so many of my neighbors. Hopefully, there’s a compromise, and we all meet in the middle, whether by design or by negotiation - because I hate going to the dump.