I thought the city was supposed to be providing new trash cans for everyone?

I really hope this works - we are looking forward to it! But I am concerned about getting compliance from (lovely, nice, enjoyable, friendly) neighbors who already don't follow the rules. Any suggestions for gently and politely correcting neighbors who don't play by the rules (eg trash in bags not cans, recyclables out on the wrong days,...)?

Whoah whoah whoah. 50 dollar fine? I seriously hope they don't just start handing out tickets willy nilly and at LEAST give out a warning or two before royally pissing off the entire populace with even more tickets.

Providing municipal trash cans was part of the original proposal but because of financial constraints we are not able to provide them at this time. However, they are an option we are looking at for the future.

Suggestions for compliance? Absolutely - its called 311. Part of this reorginization will include increased staffing to investigate and issue citations to slobs who can't bother to follow the rules. You can call or (my preference) submit requests online at baltimorecity.gov. This really does work if you keep on it and eventually people do learn.

the trash men always bang up lids and cans so that the lids don't fit

I've seen that other cities that have instituted similar requirements provide their citizens with sturdy trash containers of maximum size. Especially now that recycling can no longer be in plastic bags, why not provide those containers, too. Baltimore should take foot part of the bill for this!

It's a great idea to mandate the use of trash cans with lids. However: We have the chronic problem of trash cans being stolen from our alley. It's happened time and time again over the years -- whether cans are marked with an address or not. I hope that those diligent folks who monitor neighbors' following the rules also note and report -- and the city fines or prosecutes --trash-can thieves.

I started out last fall with three trashcans with 3 tight lids. The lids disappear first, then the cans. I'm down to one can and one lid. I don't want to leave the lid on the can when the can's out for trash pickup because I expect them to accidentally take the lid with them. I don't want a $50 fine either.

what is the difference between trash and garbage in the eyes of dpw?

Let's see: the City has to cut trash collection but can afford to hire more people to fine us. The money for those salaries should be spent on recreation programs for our kids instead of going after taxpayers. The sanitation workers themselves create a a mess by not completely emptying the cans and by tossing the cans and lids after they're done. When I lived in a rowhouse I was specifically told by the sanitation workers to leave my trash in a bag and NOT put my can out -- that cans slow them down and make their jobs harder. Has anybody asked the sanitation workers what would work best for them? I'm tired of losing lids and coming home to find my can in the street, blocking traffic.

A 3-foot length of light-gauge chain (or rope) connecting your can lid to your can (and your fence, if you have one) prevents the lids and cans from becoming separated or blowing/rolling away. Get a heavy-duty plastic Rubbermaid trash can and you don't have to worry about the denting that happens to metal cans.

I live in Fedeal Hill, or as we life time residents call it South Baltimore. This recycle program will cause a mess in our nieghborhood. The recycle trash will be set out the night before and remain all day in front of our house making this street look like the dump. I know this because I see it everytime recycle day comes long. I also clean up the mess left behind and I put it in a black bag and set it out for the trash collection day. These nieghbors may have all the good intentions but they do not have any comon sense or respect for our our city, they think because they pay some taxes they should be catered to. Look out 311 operators I'm going to call often and will expect that the city do their job of cleaning up the mess these nieghbors make. I got a new memory chip for my camera just for the pics I'm going to take and submit to city hall. This will be end to a nice place to live mark my words.

Personally, I am not opposed to the idea of once-per-week collection - if it saves money and makes it easier to recycle, then great.

I get the impression, however, that the city just came at this half-assed, from the changes in the weekly limits to amounts collected, to the sudden removal of new cans - I just don't see this as anything more than DPW looking for another way to make money by fining us for the smallest infractions.

I live in a neighborhood where most of the residents don't seem to know what a trash can is, much less when to put it out for pickup. To Mayor Dixon--what happens when a holiday falls on a scheduled trash pickup day? Mind you, it is summertime, and this could rapidly become a smelly problem.

How can the city fine for lids not being on trash cans, when the trashmen don't put the lids back!!! they barely put the cans back. after each trash day I have to comb the alley for my cans and lids, and I always come up short.

Recycling should mean *all* recyclables. The business of having to separate-out shopping bags is a waste of everyone's time and leads to confusion. The supermarkets which supposedly take these bags do not empty-out their bins, meaning trips to recycle them are just wasted gas.

At least the fine by code enforcement in the city is not as bad as it is just over the city line -- in the county, the fine for placing trash in trash cans without tight fitting lids is $500!

What does the DPW suggest about the theft or destruction of lids by either thieves or the trash collectors or garbage trucks running over them?

I certainly hope the City isn't being pennywise and pound foolish by not providing the trash cans. The rat population is already outrageous and may get worse with this current plan.

I think this is a very stupid idea.To have trash day once a week. We will have rats as big as dogs and humans walking around.I see how some neighborhoods look,they have trash up and down the street and won't bother to clean it up.When foks place their trash out at night the rodents get it to it and have a mess.Even though some folks have tight lids on their trash can the rodents still get in them.I don't have a lot of trash to be place out,maybe 2 trah bags a week.I feel sorry for folks who have a large household.

Baltimore litters! That should be the slogan. Sheila needs to add 300 trash cans around the city and try to get people to use them instead of some idea that Baltimorons will recycle.
Baltimore Public Works does not even clean regularly the trash cans that are full for weeks and smell like dog poop on the Prominade in Fells Point. Sheila has done too little too late!

Listen people, adapt. To those of you whose household produce alot of trash, pony up and get the appropriate number of sturdy, rubbermaid-style containers for your trash output. They'll last. And as has been suggested, to prevent lid-loss, rope or chain lids either to your fence (if you have one) or to the handle of the cans themselves. Suggestion: Also, paint your address boldly- even put a loud, colorful design- on your containers to discourage theft.
The important thing is to do Your Part to not feed the rodents and other strays. There is no excuse to promoting rodents right in your own neighborhood. Right?
All cities are experiencing budget problems. Hopefully, in the future, we can be supplied with large, sturdy containers by the city for both trash and recyclebles. I lived in Los Angeles for years and the city provided everyone with these large, lidded containers for everything and they worked great along with their weekly trash and recycling programs.
Yes, it would be great to have that and we should to continue to pursue it. But don't shoot yourselves in the foot and not take charge of an important issue to keep your own neighborhood clean.

I just searched Home Depot for a 96 gallon trash can and they do not exist for sale. Considering the city does not plan to supply the 96 gallon cans, will we be able to curb two 45 gallon cans on gargage collection day.
Furthermore, my understanding of the new garbage collection system is that it is ergonomic and involves trash cans that are fitted to a lift device and then dumped into the garbage truck. In light of this, I do not understand how this new system is saving manpower hours if there are no new cans with the lift mechanism.

The city is making a huge mistake. And, to compound the damages, they are not getting the word out about the changes coming. For example, did you know that you can not put recycling out in plastic bags any more? Did you know that your recycles will now go where regular trash is placed? Thanks Mayor Dixon. We'll remember this come next Election Day.

My one concern is that my rear yard is surrounded by a six-foot wooden privacy fence. When I set my cans and recycling bins outside of my gate at 6:00 am., how do I know when the trash/recycling has been collected. What if I have an early appointment and I'm not at home when the pick-up takes place. If my cans/bins are left outside of the gate who's to say that they won't be picked up by a passer-by and what if the trash collectors toss them over the fence and damage them. Who pays for the damage?