Trash Talking: Don't Put your Junk in that Trunk

by ryan | August 20, 2007 at 01:02 pm

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In Vancouver every garbage bin is overflowing and the last place to dump your junk is in the public bins. But in New York City the opposite is true and lawmakers are trying to discourage the dumping of junk in public bins. Legislators seem to be regulatory happy and are just piling more rules on the people of NYC.

It is illegal to put household or business trash in a public litter basket, but many people do so.

A new bill before the City Council is intended to crack down on that practice. The bill, which the Council is expected to approve on Wednesday, would create a presumption that a person misused the litter basket if the person’s “or other identifying information” appears on residential or commercial trash found in a public trash can. If, for example, a phone bill with your name on it is found in a garbage can on the street, you could be fined.

The bill, introduced by Councilman Michael E. McMahon, Democrat of Staten Island, would set new penalties of $100 to $300 for a first violation, $250 to $300 for a second violation within a year, and $350 to $400 for a third or subsequent violation within a year.