Ah Portlandia, the city that practices on a daily basis: "Ready, Fire, Aim"

At this point I'd rather they did one of two things.

1. Go back to weekly garbage pickup and biweekly green container pickup with the option to add composting material.

2. Do biweekly pickup on all my containers and cut my bill by a healthy percentage.

Our home doesn't produce enough food waste or recycling to justify hauling it away every week. Paying extra to haul away ~1/2 gallon of food waste every week is ridiculous.

I think that the issue is more than 5% non-food waste (wrappers, plastic forks, etc); this has been a long-term problem in making composting a successful option; folks dont like to handle their garbage; trash is trash, in other words.

From the link about the rate increases: "In a memo to Portland Mayor Sam Adams, Susan Anderson, the planning and sustainability bureau’s director, acknowledged that some residents “may be displeased by an increase in charges.” "

I'd say Susan's mastered the art of the understatement. Or the art of keeping one's job while giving one's boss unwanted information.

Recology website I posted some time back:

http://www.recologyoregonmaterialrecovery.com/fosterRoadRecyclingCenter.htm

We cannot accept "wet" household garbage, or waste which is liable to decay, spoil, or become putrid.

The city makes these ridiculous decisions, after all this, they are in violation of permits? How long is their list of violations across the board? They just don't care.

Just keep the food waste out of our compost material!!!!
Who knows what would end up in our agricultural food growing lands?

ah yes Portland...go by garbage truck!

Adding to what "Pragmatic Portlander" said above, I really put my green bin out perhaps once every three weeks. I'd give anything to have weekly trash pickup and bi-weekly food waste/yard debris pickup. Let me tell you, as the owner of a large dog, my trash smells RIPE by day 12 or so. With warm weather now upon us, the bi-weekly trash pickup makes absolutely no sense.

Given what's been revealed about the Portland Robber Bureau shenanigans, one has to wonder if another utility isn't being jacked up to fund some other back-room public-private project as much related to municipal waste management as a bear peeing in Forest Park is related to storm water management.

Next we'll hear we shouldn't complain because it's less than a cable/ISP bill.

Mr. Grumpy,
Some of us have already heard that kind of response from a Senator's rep. On our concern about water bills, we were told water rates are lower than other bills.

Time to find an alternative to the city service.

Any ideas (no illegal dumping please.)

Thanks
JK

I am still very upset with the Multnomah Health Department
either not being involved in this decision or simply laying down
and letting the city move forward with this garbage plan.
Where is the oversight on such a serious matter?

For fun get out in your neighborhood early in the morning and watch the garbage trucks.
I do, during my morning run.
It's amusing to see them circle around and about, stopping here and there to tip a bin only to them roar off around the corner and up the next street.

You Podunkers are in deep doo-doo. Youi'd better wake up at election time. I'm not holding my breath though, cuz time-and-again you've sowed what ye reaped. But on second thought, I really don't give a sh-t!

JK above: I've been burying my "wet" garbage (sans meat scraps and a few slow biodegrading items)in my little flower and vegetable garden plots for years. It completely goes away in a few weeks and you can dig in the same spot and bury more. No smell. No mess. And, good news! I've learned that coffee grounds are good for my horrible clay in the front yard!

JoWriter,I've been burying my "wet" garbage (sans meat scraps and a few slow biodegrading items)in my little flower and vegetable garden plots for years....

One of the issues for me is the meat scraps in with yard debris?? I have been told by several people that "meat scraps" are a no no for compost. Noted that you also do not put meat scraps in your garden.

Another point, many people live in high density units and have no garden plot. One of the reasons I object to extreme density. Community gardens serve a purpose, but from what I hear, a long waiting list.

A question.
If the plant is in fact in violation of it's permits just who would a private citizen make the complaint to asking for enforcement ?

KGW just ran a great story on the trend of Portlanders stuffing trash into the recycling bin to compensate for the halving of garbage pickup. Diapers are a major problem.

Watch the whole thing: http://www.kgw.com/video/featured-videos/Latest-recycling-changes-mixed-in-garbage-loads-151476925.html

Far West Fibers said that they used to see one diaper end up in the recycling every month or so. Now it's 120 pounds a day. This frequently clogs the equipment.

The best part: The City can track down and warn the offenders, who face fines if they don't stop it. If I still lived there, I would love to know how they do it.

How long will recyclers put up with the ridiculous rules? They may depend upon government to get contracts, but there must be a limit to what they can tolerate.

Let's see -
Cut garbage service by half - check
Make them live with the smell of rotting garbage - check
Lie to them and tell them that you know better than they do and force the action - check
Raise the rates - check

Hmm, the only thing left on the list is to laugh in thier faces.

(No longer sorry I moved) - check

Clear proof that Portland and Metro are run by idiots and eco-nutcases without a shred of common sense.
A better idea - dump a few dozen loads of putrid garbage and slop on the steps of City Hall. Maybe it will wake up a couple of the fools that work inside..