Costa Mesa Sanitary District ordering more lockable trash bins to try to foil scavenging
In a bid to ward off would-be scavengers, the Costa Mesa Sanitary District has decided to order 100 more lockable trash bins that will be available to ratepayers for free.
The hope is that the additional receptacles will keep people from making off with recyclable materials, according to district General Manager Scott Carroll.
Scavengers sometimes rummage through mixed-waste containers looking for recyclables such as aluminum and glass that can be redeemed for cash.
But trash haulers use proceeds from selling such items to help offset collection costs, Carroll said Monday.
“If they don’t have those revenues coming in, recycling costs could go up, in theory,” he said. “That could increase your rates.”
Residents can switch one of their mixed-waste bins for a lockable model for free.
The lockable bins cost the district about $75 each, and it could order more if there’s enough demand, Carroll said.
The sanitary district has provided lockable bins since 2011, and 225 households currently have them. The district’s contracted trash hauler, CR&R Environmental Services, has an additional 42 in its inventory.
The bins are virtually indistinguishable from regular ones, except that they have a keyed lock on the lid.
Though the locks keep the bins secured, the lids are designed so gravitational force will open them when the bins are tipped upside down to be emptied into a garbage truck, Carroll said.
Lockable bins are available to anyone who lives in the sanitary district’s service area, but the focus of the program is Costa Mesa’s Westside neighborhood, where the district sees the most reports of scavenging.
Carroll said the district plans to mail fliers to Westside residents to let them know the bins are available.
The district provides sewer and curbside trash collection services to about 116,700 ratepayers in Costa Mesa, parts of Newport Beach and unincorporated sections of Orange County.
Those interested in swapping their current bin for a lockable model can call the district at (949) 645-8400.
Twitter: @LukeMMoney
