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PopularPopulist t1_jd5mgqv wrote

I wish someone would listen: It’s NOT THE TRASH, it’s the un-bagged recycling that is covering our streets. Please, actually look around; it’s not dirty diapers, it’s not piles of uneaten food covering our streets. When you see “trash” on the ground PLEASE ask yourself: “does this look like stuff my neighbors would try to recycle?” 9 out of 10 times, it is.

This is because the city has a rule against bagging recycling. And since we can’t use bags, stuff falls out of our recycling bins- Usually from when it’s really windy, or when the recycling people dump the bins and stuff falls out (or gets stuck in the bins and then falls out when it gets thrown back to the curb). I’m not saying nobody is to blame here, but I’m telling you that street sweeping won’t fix the cause of the problem: un-bagged recycling.

Inevitably, someone chimes in with “the recycling plants can’t handle stuff in plastic bags” as if it’s too expensive to hire someone with a knife to open the bags before the stuff is sorted. Nah, we can’t do that. Much too hard.

Every time I say this stuff I get downvotes because it doesn’t fit this sub’s weird narrative about who is at fault, but please, just once, compare what your sidewalk looks like the day BEFORE recycling day, and the day AFTER. Look around at what’s covering the street. 9 out of 10 times it’s un-bagged recycling.

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ToughLittleTomato t1_jd5z4ie wrote

This. I moved from Philly to Wilmington and the city provides large, heavy duty, lidded recycling and garage bins for every residence. The bins don't blow over. They don't break and the lids don't fall off.

Yea, ol' Wilma is a smaller city and it would be costly for the city of Philadelphia to provide every residential building these bins, but it is working for us. There is no trash all over the street UNLESS a neighbor is not using a city provided garbage bin and is choosing to use their own open garbage can (I am looking a you, person down the street!). The loose recycling IS a problem.

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PopularPopulist t1_jd603pk wrote

Thank you for this. I agree it would be a lot, but it would be worth it.

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fadetoblack1004 t1_jd6dgjc wrote

My little borough in southern Chester County does it. If we can afford it, Philly can find the funds. I think they're like $60 ea when bought in bulk. Really not that much $ in the grand scheme of things.

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ApocSurvivor713 t1_jd690cm wrote

THIS!!! One time last year they didn't come for our recycling for over a week. My girlfriend called 311 probably 20 times as the recycling built up. What was a reasonable amount for our bin (& those of our neighbors) inevitably began to overflow within a few days as people made good faith efforts to deal with their recycling, then the wind picked it up and distributed it nicely all over the street.

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Lindsiria t1_jd9312e wrote

This was something I was baffled with I first visited Philly.

I'm from Seattle and we have unbagged recycling as well, but our bins have lids that swing open. (https://www.seattle.gov/images/Departments/SPU/Services/Recycling/Recycle_Right_Carts_Logo.jpg)

This keeps the birds/wind from moving things around, while still keeping it easy to open. I never understood why this approach wasn't used in many areas of the east coast.

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estelle2839 t1_jdg8poe wrote

People don’t even know what belongs in recycling and what doesn’t (hint: your cardboard pizza box isn’t recyclable).

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martymoran t1_jd5o0us wrote

this is just way oversimplifying an issue that has plagued philadelphia for its entire existence

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PopularPopulist t1_jd5qfg5 wrote

It’s really not. I look around my neighborhood every day. I never see rotting food. I never see ANYTHING on the ground that doesn’t look like someone thought they could recycle it. Why does everyone think this issue is impossible? Other cities don’t have this problem? Other cities can’t deal with it?

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