When Trash Becomes Profit
A Nordic take on the trash business in the United States
“Which day does the garbage truck come around here?” I asked one of my new neighbors right after we had moved into our new neighborhood.
I was told it depends on which company you decide to use. That there were a handful of companies serving the area, competing over the trash, all trying to give their customers the best deal.
American competition
My response was that this approach seemed a little unnecessary. Having large garbage trucks in and out of the neighborhood several times each week. There’s no way that’s good for the environment or the climate. The area isn’t even that big.
Doesn’t it make sense to get one company to serve the whole neighborhood?
One neighbor completely agreed, saying not only do these trucks use a significant amount of fuel, but he also pointed out the safety issue, having large trucks in an area filled with kids biking, playing on the sidewalks and from time to time running out to grab the football that ended up in the street.
The other neighbor welcomed the trucks. He said it’s really just how America works. Healthy competition and capitalism. One company having a monopoly on trash in our area would be wrong, and…
