San Diegans might notice a new tag hanging from their waste bins, and it's not a Halloween trick but a nudge towards better recycling habits. The City's Environmental Services Department (ESD) has begun leaving "oops" tags on bins containing improper items, serving as a reminder to residents to sort their waste correctly, as reported by the City of San Diego. This initiative is part of the state-mandated container checks, also known as "lid flips," aimed at reducing contamination in trash, recycling, and organic waste bins.
Fires and equipment damage from contaminants in waste bins are serious concerns, with 25 waste collection truck fires this year, as Alex Galasso, Program Manager for ESD's Waste Reduction Division, detailed in an interview. Things like propane tanks and lithium-ion batteries, which have caused such incidents, are hazardous and not meant for regular disposal.
Conducted as bins are set out for collection, these checks consist of a glance at the bin's contents without digging through the trash, as early as 6 a.m. If non-compliant items are spotted, an informative tag is placed on the bin. These tags highlight the incorrectly placed items and offer guidance on where they should go instead. For instance, recyclable items such as cans and bottles should be placed loose in the blue bin, not in bags. Food scraps should be placed in the green bin, but wrapped in paper bags, not plastic.
While the "oops" tags indicate a need for improvement, they don't carry any immediate penalties. However, for items that pose a significant risk, such as household hazardous waste, "Do Not Collect" stickers are used to flag bins, preventing them from being collected until the items are properly disposed of. New gray trash bins are on the way to over 225,000 households as well, aiming to streamline waste management and support the city's ambitious waste reduction goals. Customers are encouraged to manage their service through the newly launched Residential Waste Collection Services Portal, noted InsideSanDiego.
