West Seattle Blog...

WSB Forum » Open Discussion

(32 posts)

No Trash Cans in Seattle Parks

Started 3 years ago by Gina
Latest reply from WSB

Gina
Member Profile

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009259170_parkstrash25m.html

In a utopia, this might work as a money saving idea.

In the real world, I see a potential to turn every city park into a mini landfill.

Posted 3 years ago #
WSB
Member Profile

Let me know if anyone has noticed this at their neighborhood park. It certainly has not been implemented at places like Alki, Lincoln Park, etc. By the way, if you want to see the BigBelly solar compactor mentioned in the story, it is just west of the Alki Bathhouse.

Posted 3 years ago #
KBear
Member Profile

Good grief! A city park is not a wilderness area. "Pack it out" is a totally irresponsible policy. Garbage collection is not an optional luxury; it should be considered part of the minimum required maintenance of any city park. Maybe the city could save some money by not removing crosswalks and shift it over to garbage collection.

Posted 3 years ago #
clark5080
Member Profile

Don't worry they are just setting things up for another parks levy to cover garbage collections

Posted 3 years ago #
Sue
Member Profile

I don't see the big deal - if you can carry it into the park, why can't you carry it out? Trash cans are not a god-given right in parks. The article did say that they would try to leave garbage cans in place at picnic areas.

Posted 3 years ago #
KBear
Member Profile

Unfortunately, a lot of people won't do the right thing unless it's made easy for them, and their garbage will mess up the parks unless the city provides proper receptacles and pickup. What's the point of having city parks if they're nothing but polluted garbage dumps? If I want to walk among garbage, I can always visit one of the alleys behind the Alaska Junction--and they HAVE garbage pickup!

Posted 3 years ago #
Mayor Quimby
Member Profile

Fauntleroy Park I feel has always had minimal trash cans.

Pack it out is a great policy though not many people follow it, unfortunately.

I think this is another example that the City is in dire straights for $$. I look forward to the parks levy update though.

Poor Seattle economy, don't let the parks lose!

Posted 3 years ago #
Que
Member Profile

My daughter was practicing her reading this morning and decided to pick up the paper. (She is 8) She read this article and decided that taking garbage cans out of the parks was stupid and everyone would litter and make the parks gross.

I couldn't be prouder of her.

Posted 3 years ago #
WSB
Member Profile

Does she need writing practice? If she wrote a few lines elaborating on that I'd publish it on the home page :) Working on ways to hear from more kids/youth :)

Posted 3 years ago #
WSratsinacage
Member Profile

How is the city so strapped for cash with property tax going up every year with people moving here in droves until recently. Sales tax is 10%, gas tax is 2nd highest in the nation, etc, etc. I am amazed that we have no money and budgets get cut for schools, parks, etc ..

Posted 3 years ago #
alki_2008
Member Profile

I'm sure that money played a large role in the parks department's decision, but maybe the city will make even more money by issuing fines for littering...which will undoubtedly happen when there are fewer trash cans available.

But seriously, I'm not too opposed to this on an environmental level. Much of the "trash" that's placed into the park's trash cans are recyclable or compostable materials...so 'packing it out' should encourage folks to separate out their waste at home. I've been to large events (50+ people) at parks before where we had our own trash/recycling bags and took the bags home to dispose of...it's not that difficult.

I'd rather have the trash cans removed than pay more property taxes to accommodate people that don't respect the parks/environment enough to separate their waste appropriately.

Posted 3 years ago #
RS
Member Profile

TR- this happened at our neighborhood park on 28th ave by Longfellow creek, the dragonfly park or whatever it's officially called. We noticed the garbage cans missing in late February. I think it's a terrible idea and I've seen first hand how badly it's working out for the park and for our neighborhood. . The garbage can used to sit right next to a poop-bag dispenser. Now there is no place to throw away dog poop, so people have taken to just leaving the full bags at the base of the dispenser, at various spots around the park or on the sidewalk! I know that people should be responsible enough to "pack it out", but they clearly are not. It's a little odd to encourage people to pick up after their dogs and then not provide a place for them to dispose of what they've picked up. Ultimately, parks employees have to come and clean up the park. Wouldn't it be easier for them to empty a few garbage cans rather than go around the entire park picking up all the extra trash??

Posted 3 years ago #
RS
Member Profile

To the Alki_2008's comment about fines for littering- that may work in larger parks, but the smaller parks are not regularly patrolled by cops or parks staff. I've NEVER seen any at our small park and the fear of a littering ticket is clearly not having a deterrent effect on the litterers in our neighborhood.

Posted 3 years ago #
alki_2008
Member Profile

RS - good point about disposal of dog poop. I used to just carry the little (sometimes not so little) bag on the walk home...but I guess it might be different for people that drive their dogs to the park, rather than walk there.

About the fines...maybe they could 'deputize' the parks employees. Since they won't be spending their time cleaning garbage cans, then they could spend time issuing littering tickets. :p

Posted 3 years ago #
RS
Member Profile

Uh-oh, update- our trash can has been returned!! My husband pointed out to me that our trash can was restored sometime over the weekend. (you can tell who's been walking the little avatar lately!) So I wonder if someone complained or if they're rethinking the policy??

Posted 3 years ago #
OlMom
Member Profile

The high schoolers will not "pack it out" of Hiawatha. I guarantee it.

Posted 3 years ago #
Julie
Member Profile

Not that many of them seem to use the cans, anyway....

Posted 3 years ago #
itneverrainsinwestseattle
Member Profile

Why don't we just make one big trash can? Duhhhh.

Posted 2 years ago #
JoB
Member Profile

penny wise .. pound foolish...

Posted 2 years ago #
Que
Member Profile

Hey TR! Great Idea! I will talk to her about writing something up for you! She would LOVE that!

Posted 2 years ago #
JimmyG
Member Profile

The small park down beside the Harbor West condos has never had cans ever since it got it's do-over about 9 years ago.

But hey, we've got money for car-free Alki. Just no dollars for basic city services like garbage collection in our city parks.

Posted 2 years ago #
alki_2008
Member Profile

Problem is...it's not all garbage. Most of the stuff going into park garbage cans is compostable or recyclable (paper plates, napkins, paper towels, drink bottles/cans, etc).

With the "powers that be" forcing everyone to be green, then they either have to put out sorted containers at the parks or take away the garbage cans entirely...or pay people to sort the garbage that's collected at the parks. Yucky job.

Posted 2 years ago #
KBear
Member Profile

So it's better to have recyclables, compostables AND garbage strewn all over the place than mixed together in a trash can? I think everyone knows that if you're going to try to collect recycling and compostables in public areas, there's going to be some additional sorting to do. That's not an excuse to take away the containers entirely.

Posted 2 years ago #
alki_2008
Member Profile

Actually, it's better to have park-goers responsible and considerate enough to take their garbage away with them. Honestly, it's not that tough. Done it plenty of times for events with 50+ people, so bringing a bag or two for a dozen people or just a single plastic bag for oneself shouldn't be too complicated. Bring a bag of mickey-d's to the park, then put the garbage in the same bag and throw it in the garbage when home.

But yeah - I'm realistic enough to know that people just won't do it because it just seems "too inconvenient". How about no parks at all?

Posted 2 years ago #
Sue
Member Profile

One thing I notice here in Seattle is that some people complain about not having certain services, like the cutting back on the garbage cans (and many other things). But somebody's got to pay for that. We don't have city or state income tax here. I've lived in a state with both and paid many thousands of dollars a year in more taxes than I pay here - and we did get more services. Paying for water/sewer/trash was unheard of to me when I moved here, but I was used to my taxes paying for this stuff. Now, I'm not suggesting we start having city/state income taxes here - I rather like NOT having them. But where is the money going to come from for every pie-in-the-sky thing we want? Would people be upset if they had to pay $5 to visit a local park to pay for park maintenance?

Posted 2 years ago #
JoB
Member Profile

alki_2008

when i am at at large picnic at the park.. i too bag and cart my garbage...

When i stop at the park while doing errands so i can walk the dogs, i really don't have anyplace to put those little plastic wrapped gifts to cart them home with me since i don't have a trunk..

I'm really careful about bagging and i can put a sealed can in my car for that purpose...

but if the little gifts i pass on the trails are any indication... there are too many people now who won't bag and toss...

i too would like to live in the land of should. There would be convenient fenced areas for off leash dogs in any larger park, everyone would leash their dogs outside of those areas, everyone would carry bags and pick up their little (or not so little) darling's gifts, no-one would carry guns in public parks, bigotry of all forms would disappear, please and thank you would become the norm... in the land of should, there wouldn't be a need for a plastic bag bill because everyone would carry their own and grocery clerks wouldn't bag without asking if you have your bags (for those of us who need to be reminded)....

i really would like to live in the land of should.. but until then i am grateful for garbage cans and the people who actually use them.

If recycling is the issue.. add recycling cans... most businesses that ask you to bus your own tables have already done so.

as for paying a fee to use our parks.. we already do. they are called taxes and i am in favor of spending them on parks instead of "economic incentives" .. you know those taxes we pay to subsidize those businesses who have been making double digit profits...

this is just another tactic to increase our taxes so they can feed more cronies from the public trough...

at what point will we tell them no?

Posted 2 years ago #
OlMom
Member Profile

I did not know having garbage picked up in the park was a "pie in the sky" item. It is interesting what the city chooses to cut back on. How about not having the free lunch and snack in the park to any kid who may or may not require a free meal. Oh and by the way, where is that garbage going to go?

Posted 2 years ago #
HMC Rich
Member Profile

Wait... Didn't we vote on the parks and their maintenance? I don't know enough of how the local funding of the parks works. I think they probably had to make cuts. I might have to look into this.

I pack out a lot of our trash when we go to a park but I admit it is nice to dispose of the "gifts" that our new Bassett Hound leaves. She is beautiful.

Posted 2 years ago #
flowerpetal
Member Profile

OlMom, the summer food program that you inquired about is not City funded although it is run by the City. It is supported by Federal funds from USDA.
Congrtulations HMC Rich. You do have a beautiful new BH. Those levy funds? Like any levy funds, those have specific purposes and I doubt that trash cans were one of those. Before a levy goes to the voters, a committee of citizens and input from any resident; says what will be in the levy. When a levy is passed, the resulting funds cannot be switched around to meet the other needs that arise.

Posted 2 years ago #
RS
Member Profile

I agree, Sue. I'd never lived anywhere else where you had to pay water/sewer/garbage until I lived here. But I do think that trash collection in the parks should be part of the park service budget, however that budget is funded.

HMC- hounds rule!! Nice pic. :)

Posted 2 years ago #
miws
Member Profile

[OT] Yes! Congrats on your new girl, Rich!

I wondered, the second I saw your new avatar, and reading your post confirmed it! :-)

Maybe start your own thread announcing her, so that we can all give our congrats?[/OT]

Mike

Posted 2 years ago #
WSB
Member Profile

By the way - Que's daughter DID write something for us. Just posted tonight:
http://westseattleblog.com/blog/?p=17295

Posted 2 years ago #