The view from the dumpster--Hiding behind the rules

The view from the dumpster—hiding behind the rules

I know that it's been a while since I used that tag line. Lately my attention has been focused on our business, our schools and other community issues. More than enough to keep an old busy. It's not that I haven't been checking dumpsters, I still do. What I have seen is less dumping but I don't know why. I don't know if the signage and security cameras are working. I don't know if the impact of the covid economy has caused people to hold on to everything for as long as they can. I could be delusional and pretend that people are actually seeing the light and changing their ways, probably not.

With the various dumpsters I look at, there's a distinction as to the type and source of the materials. A lot of what I have recovered over the years comes from “midnight dumpers”, people looking to get rid of stuff by dropping it in someone else's dumpster, near a dumpster, near a clothing collection bin, or just on the curb or in the woods. Some of these folks are responsible for disposing of excess in their household or cleaning up after a loved one passes. Some are in the various trades and have to dispose of their waste from a customers location. Some are companies that do clean-outs of rental units or disaster damaged units, for which they charge the client a disposal fee. All of these are classified as illegal dumping, they are crimes.

The other source is, which is probably the most significant one in terms of wasting resources, is the commercial enterprise that actually pays for the dumpster. They routinely toss items because they are out of date, short dated, seasonal, not selling, damaged packaging, with no consideration for anything other than expediency. All of their errors and sins are hidden in that bin. While at the same time they tout their environmental responsibility because they recycle, they have met the requirements for commercial recycling as imposed by the local municipality or county. What that really means is that they have a separate dumpster for cardboard and a 95 gallon Toter for bottles. Lip service at best, but they are meeting the requirements. There's nothing illegal about what they are doing. There's also nothing morally correct about what they do.

In our society where the environmentalists and the regulators are all looking for producer responsibility so that they can say something is being done, they hammer on the easy targets. They mandate that some industries take care of their waste, while others are left alone. They do not address the retailers waste, waste that could be returned on the company trucks, waste that could be minimized by reduced price sales, by donations, by compassion. In terms of producer responsibility, we hold the manufacturer responsible, while their minions do the dirty work and dispose of the evidence. We need to rethink producer responsibility and include supply chain responsibility, everyone that profits or benefits from the sales and marketing of these commodities or goods, should also participate in the responsibility for the ultimate disposition of the unsold goods.

But for now, let's look at the picture. I pulled those out of a Walgreen's dumpster. Seasonal merchandise, and there was more not in the picture. Easier to throw away, scan it out of the system as disposed. Can't send it back to the supplier because China is a long boat trip away and they don't want it back. The profit has been made on what was sold, enough to cover the cost of what didn't sell. Enough money was extracted from our community and the stockholders are happy. But I'm not happy. I retrieved these and they will go to a “secret closet” for use next year. But this is only a minuscule amount of what could have, what should have gone this route.

We need to hold the corporate raiders of our community dollars responsible for their total impact on our community. They need to step up and be participants in our community, to be of benefit to our community, to be invested in our community and not just the profit potential in terms of dollars, but that profit potential in terms of humanity and the viability of all of our citizens.??