Collection proposal makes sense
Collegian Opinion

    It is not surprising that the city of Fort Worth is looking for a new garbage collection system. The current plastic-bags-on-the-curb style is antiquated and inefficient.

   What is surprising is that there is any opposition whatsoever to the Environmental Management Department’s recent proposal.

   If you have not heard, the proposal is to get rid of the plastic garbage bags. The city would like to make a shift to once-weekly garbage collection in wheeled plastic carts.

   Yet a couple of city council members think people are crazy about plastic garbage bags and would never want to change things. While a few residents may be against change simply for the sake of being argumentative, most of us happily accept better ways of doing things.

   Well, here is a better way of doing things. Simply put, the cart system makes more sense.

   Residents get to choose a 30-, 65- or 90-gallon cart. Instead of paying a flat fee as they do now, residents who choose smaller carts pay less than those who require the larger carts for their waste. The carts cannot be torn open by animals and do not require lifting to take to the curb.

   It seems only fair that those who consistently throw away less trash should pay less for collection services.

   But here is why it is a brilliant idea: it would almost certainly improve the condition of the city of Fort Worth.

   First of all, it is going to encourage waste reduction and recycling. If people know they can save money, of course, they will produce less trash. The best way to do that is to recycle. Many people do not recycle because it is inconvenient. The current bins are heavy and newspapers blow everywhere on windy mornings.

   But with new, wheeled carts (similar to the new garbage carts), recyclables will be much easier to get to the curb, especially for older residents. They have lids to keep papers from blowing away. You do not even have sort your recyclables; just throw them in the cart.

   Residents would not be the only ones saving money either. The city would save money by collecting only once a week on semi-automated trucks. It also will hopefully make more money by collecting and selling more recyclables.

   Other cities in Texas have already instituted similar programs and seem to have reached a similar verdict: they work.

   Austin has a three-tiered cart program with different rates for 30-, 60- and 90-gallon carts. They also collect yard waste separately in brown paper bags. The program has boosted Austin’s garbage diversion rate to 28 percent.

   That is 28 percent less trash going to a landfill.

   Fort Worth recycles a dismal 6 percent of household waste.

   Let us not question whether the proposal is a better option. It is. The only thing we should ask is why the city did not do this long ago.

   It is time to do something differently. A cleaner environment, more attractive city, less cost to residents and more revenue for the city … what is not to like?