Dumpster divers

why do we lock dumpsters in the first place?  I wasnt always comfortable with the divers especially when I would go out to my dumpster at night and there were people back there lurking - it was a weird vibe. but now that I have thought about it, I have started to see what a great thing they are doing - reducing waste.  if i dont want it why shouldnt someone else have it? waste not want not.

Having served as Strata Council President of a building in Gastown this issue came up frequently.

To lock or not to lock...

Well if you do not lock the bins, often you will get other buildings and businesses using your dumpsters for the garbage that they do not have room for in their own bins.

You might think that leaving them open so anyone could take out what they want may be the answer to the volume issue however much more garbage is produced than is carted away. 

All of that garbage costs money to pick up and it is very hard to monitor others using your dumpsters.  These costs are then added on to the strata council's operating fees (divided amongst all of the residents) for the collection of the additional volume of trash.

Some (but not all) 'divers' also create huge messes in the alleyways throwing garbage from the dumpsters out on to the street.  This creates a health concern as it attracts mice, rats etc., not to mention the smell for owners whose units face the alley.

This was such a problem is Gastown that the Business Improvement Society there sent around a 'clean up' crew every morning to clear out the alleyways, and I believe still does.

Better more accessible social programs are a better choice in my opinion than leaving an unsanitary garbage bin open.

I'm all for leaving the recyclables outside and open however, some buildings do this already.  The ones that do not and leave them in locked parking garages are unfortunately subject to break ins and vandalism. I really don't see the logic in locking up recyclables, especially bottles and cans, so I would agree with you there.

Freecycling is also a great way to give things that would otherwise be trashed to a good home.

I had a friend in high school who lived with his parents around the Shaughnessy-ish area, and they made a deal with the guys who raided his garbage for pop cans--"Just keep it clean and I'll even sort them out for you." 

I actually find binners (the more "PC" term) kind of handy and helpful, from both an urban social enterprise-y point of view, and also just in terms of diminishing garbage. We've had no problems at my building, and the bins are (literally) right out side my living room window. 
I agree with what Pierre's saying about more accessible social programs, but in the short term, suggesting that solution is a bit unrealistic, considering who's holding the levers of power.  It becomes an intellectual, idealistic discussion that doesn't address the here and now.  Sometimes citizens need to come up with their own interim solutions until those programs (if ever) come along.  
We have a similar issue at work downtown, where people are sleeping (and doing other things) in the stairwells of my building.  While it's unsafe for employees and pedestrians...the cold hard fact of the matter is, these people have no shelter, no where else to go, no adequate drug treatment.  The solutions are far from simple, and the social programs are nowhere in sight, as the provincial and local governments don't currently even have these issues on their radars.

In the immediate short term you may be right Lesli, programs will of course not appear overnight but I still believe there is value in working towards a long term solution, no matter who's holding the levers of power. 

However it seems we are lucky that we have the perfect forum to encourage discussion and potentially affect here and now change, why not ask our fellow bloggers?

Does anyone out there have any ideas or suggestions on the subject, perhaps you know of other citizens led programs etc. that have worked in other cities or countries? 

Toronto Island's "Boutique"

I lived on Toronto Island where we had something we called "The Boutique". It was a kiosk in a common public space where everyone would bring old stuff that was garbage to them, but could be valuable to someone else.

Everything at the boutique was free for the taking and it became a common topic of conversation to talk about the great things you found at the boutique.

Why aren't there more of these? Someone change that! Spread the word. Change everything darn it!

My in-laws live in a little town outside Boston where there is no organized garbage collection. As a result, many of the residents go to the city dump on a regular basis. At the dump there is a little house where people can leave stuff they think might have value and anyone can take from this house. It's a great form of recycling and seems to work.

I'm not advocating that the City of Vancouver halt garbage collection (though it may be interesting), but it's so easy to throw everything away before separating items that may still have value to others...

I agree that putting things in the trash that don't need to be there is inefficient and forces people to 'dive' into the dumpsters.

That is why I used usedvancouver.com or craigslist or freecycle [I htink this is a yahoo group, if I recall correctly] to get rid of things that I am no longer interested in keeping. People who use these sites will come and pick stuff up, or you can post a note, for free, saying that you have left stuff outside your building/home and it will be gone by the next day.

I also donate things to various local thrift stores and charities, especially those who pick up stuff like Canadian Diabetes.  

 As for dumpsters, when I want to be rid of something small, even bottles/cans that have refunds, I leave them outside the dumpster so that the 'collectors' who travel around will not make so much noise picking them up.

So, there are lots of ways to be rid of things greenly. We just have to make the effort.

Believe what you will until experience changes your mind.

you're more trouble than a toilet full of snakes, but I love you!

Hi,

Thanks for your comments!  It brought great memories to me when I read your reply because when I visited Toronto in the winter (don't ask me why!), I took the ferry to Centreville.  Instead, it took me  to Toronto Island.  I saw the boutique that you were talking about.  It is a great idea to have a boutique.

Close to where I live now, there are people dropping off stuff by the Salvation Army Clothing Bank.  (Clothes would be deposited into the locked bin). I have noticed that someone usually comes by in the evening and goes through the stuff to find useful, or possibly resellable items.

At first, I objected to this, but then realize that:

• It is helping the person to make some money
• He/ she is helping to reduce waste
• Salvation Army Clothing Bank pickup person does not pick up stuff around the bank; instead, he either leaves them lying around or throws them in the garbage bin

The Island Boutique is alive and well and a great place to pick up: used clothes, a book to read, back issues of obscure or expensive magazines. I have a lovely silk scarf and a set of picnic mugs from the boutique. I regularly 'borrow' a book or magazine for the day and then return it for someone else to read.

The boutique works because there are folks to tidy it up and add new items.

I have taken many pictures of tourists standing next to the Boutique who are charmed by the idea.

please do tell where this magical place is!