Natural Perspectives

Vic Leipzig and Lou Murray

As we were hauling our plastic trash containers to the curb the other

day, we noticed that the lid of one container is badly cracked from

having been run over by a car. These containers are over 20 years old. We

decided that it might be time to invest in at least one new can.

We wanted containers that were quiet, convenient and lidded. Lidded

containers are important for keeping crows, possums and other pesky

wildlife out of the trash. Putting kitchen waste in black plastic bags is

just asking for trouble. No way a thin layer of plastic will keep out the

wildlife. The skunks and possums and any roving dogs can smell what’s

inside, and the crows have learned that if they rip the bags, they

occasionally find food. If animals get in, the trash gets scattered all

over the street or yard. Food trash should be in lidded cans, not bags.

A good lid keeps the rain out, too. In August, it’s hard to remember

what rain is like, but water in the bottom of a trash container can breed

mosquitoes. And in the summer, an uncovered trash container can breed

flies. These are not good things.

I found many options at Home Depot. The first thing that caught my eye

was a round galvanized can with lid. I hate them. Too noisy. They remind

me of dawn in New York City, with a cacophony of bangs and clangs

rousting sleepers. Out of consideration for our neighbors, I avoided

those. I thought the round plastic 20-gallon containers were a bit small,

although they were a bargain at $7. I wanted a wheeled container with a

lid.

I also saw some really nice 44-gallon containers at Home Depot. They

had lids and wheels and would hold a lot. However, they’re also illegal

because they’re too big. Bet you didn’t know that. The law has been on

the books since 1972, but it’s just now being enforced.

No, they’re not illegal to sell, not illegal to buy, not illegal to

store trash bags in, just illegal to leave on the curb for the trash

hauler to empty. There was no point in buying any container over 32

gallons since we couldn’t use it. It would have been nice if there had

been a sign in the store warning unsuspecting customers that these

containers won’t be emptied by our trash haulers, but there wasn’t.

Caveat emptor. Fortunately, 32-gallon lidded trash containers with wheels

are also available, and they are legal.

What about people who already own a 33-gallon or larger container?

Your Rainbow Disposal trash collector has already put a red X sticker on

containers that exceed the volume limit, warning you that these

containers will no longer be emptied.

Why, you ask? Out of consideration for the health of the Rainbow

drivers, cans larger than 32 gallons, or any trash container holding more

than 60 pounds of trash, or any plastic bag holding more than 40 pounds

is not allowed. And if you have green waste such as tree trimmings, it

must be bundled in lengths of 4 feet or less and weigh less than 40

pounds. If you need more information, visit the Rainbow Web site at o7

https://www.rainbowdisposal.com/f7 or call customer service at (714)

847-3581.

At first glance, it might seem ridiculous to have these limits, but

think about the poor guy going house to house, picking up 50-60 pounds at

a time and hefting it to waist or shoulder height, dumping the contents,

setting it down, picking up another, all day long. No wonder the number

of back injuries among the drivers has gone way up. And it’s happened

since those 44-gallon wheeled containers became popular.

We’re lucky in Huntington Beach. We don’t have a limit on the amount

of trash we can set out. Households may have as many bags or cans on the

curb as they want, as long as each one is within the size limit. We also

don’t have to separate our recyclables into separate containers or set

out particular kinds of waste on particular days. You put it out, and

Rainbow picks it up. It’s that simple. Rainbow will take items larger

than 60 pounds, such as furniture or appliances, twice a year for free,

but you need to call them at least a day in advance so they can send out

a special truck with two guys.

Of course there are other systems. Costa Mesa gave out standardized

trash containers to each household, free of charge. These containers are

lifted mechanically, saving the backs of their drivers. But Costa Mesa

gets the tax revenue from all of us who shop at South Coast Plaza, so

they’re richer. Think about that the next time you take your purchasing

dollars out of town. All things considered, Huntington Beach gets a

pretty good deal from Rainbow Disposal.

At our house, we’ll probably eventually get a 32-gallon lidded

container with wheels. They’re only $20. But for now, we’re not

contributing our old can to the landfill. We think it’s still got a few

years left in it. We’re just going to fix the lid with duct tape so the

rain and flies can’t get in. It’s the environmentally sound thing to do.

* VIC LEIPZIG and LOU MURRAY are Huntington Beach residents and

environmentalists. They can be reached at o7 [email protected] .