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    • Garbage Can Tug Of War In Southwestern Brooklyn


    by on Aug 23rd, 2011

    A new article in the Brooklyn Paper highlights the conflict between the city and Community Board 10 over whether or not to keep garbage cans on Bay Ridge Avenue in Bay Ridge.

    The community board had requested a study, which began in May, where trash receptacles were removed from Bay Ridge Avenue, in order to determine if the lack of cans would reduce the amount of illegal garbage dumping.

    However, over the course of the study new cans were installed on the avenue at the request of State Senator Marty Golden.  These cans had smaller holes, meant to discourage the dumping of household garbage.

    CB 10 District Manager Josephine Beckman and Environmental Committee Chairman Greg Ahl think these new cans have interfered in their efforts to reduce littering, causing more dumping. Sanitation officials disagree with this assessment, saying more cans are on the way.

    The precursor of Bay Ridge’s effort to do away with public trash cans started back in 2009, when Community Board 11 in Bensonhurst got rid of cans on 86th Street.

    More recently, Bensonhurst Bean reported that garbage cans were nixed on 18th Avenue between Bay Ridge Parkway and 65th Street.

    What do you guys think? Do more trash cans mean more or less litter?

    You’ve all probably seen the larger receptacles with smaller openings put in place by elected officials. Could they strike a happy medium between traditional cans and no cans at all?

    And don’t even get me started on trash compactors…

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    • Grace O’Malley

      They took away the trash cans on 4th Ave on Bay Ridge and all that happened was more trash on the sidewalks and streets.

      I can understand why they think that trash cans with smaller holes would discourage illegal dumping but frankly we all know that they will just put the trash on the ground next to the trash can like they do when the traditional trash cans are full.

      • Yvette

        They need to collect this garbage 7 days a week. Enough said.

    • Jane

      They took the trash cans away from 64th street and 21st ave. Now.. the block of 64th street between 20th and 21st ave is littered with so much garbage!! People in the hood just dump household trash as well as construction materials. The 2nd half of that block doesnt have any houses because of the train behind it (20th ave station). It’s absolutely disgusting!

      • Yvette

        It seems to me that the city makes excuses for workers dealing with the garbage issue. It is really out of hand. I could understand about the illegal dumping, but if they eliminate the cans all together, more garbage is to come. They know this. They just don’t want to deal with it. I think for those of us who care for our environment need to go to these community meetings and speak up about the matter. I walk to Bensonhurst Park almost everyday and see that they need to put out more trash cans. People have tied big trash bags to the park’s walkway rails so that everyone can throw their garbage away in there. So at least a lot of people care. But the park still needs workers or community service helpers to clean the disgusting trash in this park once and for all.

    • Barkingspider7

      I think that if trash cans are removed, the streets will become more littered. Most people are slobs who will throw their garbage on the ground, even if there is a trash can right next to them. At least, some people believe in using them.