Dumpster Overload: Major Problem - Simple Solution

IRONWOOD, MI - Monday, June 08, 2009 - The photos above demonstrate a serious problem and a very simple solution. Unlocked dumpsters are an open invitation to anybody and everybody to dump their trash. Now, while most of us would never dream of dumping our trash in someone else's dumpster, there are those who would do just about anything to avoid going to the transfer station. The fees the transfer station charge are very reasonable. Perhaps some people don't have the patience to wait in line. It's hard to say, but at some point people should realize that a dumpster is full to capacity.

There is a very simple fix to this very common problem. Dumpsters can be locked.

EDITOR'S NOTE: When a dumpster gets full to overflowing, it gets to the point where people are no longer "using the dumpster"-- they are simply littering - either on top of the dumpster, or along its sides. I would like to see the City pass an ordinance that required dumpsters to be locked. There are several reasons this would be a good thing.

1. Where dumpsters are locked, the lure to vermin and unauthorized use  is eliminated. 
2. Dumpster diving -- the act of people jumping into dumpsters to gather "discarded treasures" (such as aluminum cans) would instantly cease.
3. The wind won't force the lids to flip open, and the garbage to scatter all over.

One of the things that Doyle Hyett stressed as being important for Downtown Ironwood's Blueprint is the control of litter. The City needs to get a handle on littering and improper disposal of trash. It has become a major problem in the City and it certainly doesn't put the City in its best light to visitors to the community.