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Everyone has to bear the costs while thieves make money sounds something that is worth fighting against. Keep in mind that this is only possible because they a

Everyone has to bear the costs while thieves make money sounds something that is worth fighting against. Keep in mind that this is only possible because they are stealing cherrypicked materials. No municipality would allow them to run garbage removal legitimately if they would collect only valuable materials while leaving worthless at the curbside for someone else to deal with.

freeone3000 6y ago
Referring to it as stealing when the owner put it out as trash makes it lose the moral cachet. I don't have a hugely positive view of garbage men as crusaders for truth and justice. I have no clue what separates legitimate garbagemen from illegitimate ones. So far the only difference to me, the theoretical person who had his trash taken before the day I expected it to be taken, is it's a bit cheaper, so it seems like all of the harm is on someone completely unrelated to me. If I were to pay these men to take the trash away, would that be better for the city?
- rvnx 6y ago
  The garbage monopoly makes me think about the cases of cinemas. The core of their activity is at a loss and they make up for high profit on the side (selling drinks). Then the cinema kicks you out if they catch you with a cola you bought in another shop. All the shop did, was to provide a better service, at a better price. This situation could stop if the law would stop allowing that. The cinemas wouldn't die; the movie distributors would ask for less and less fees. Now the distributors can ask for high fee (up to 90%) because they know the cinemas charge for these add-ons and make some turnover.
  - sukilot 6y ago
    That would raise prices for tickets. Concession prices are there so rich people subsidize poorer people.
- _Microft 6y ago
  Selling these resources and your bin taxes [0] are what helps the municipal garbage service covering their costs. If you pay another service to take away the more valuable parts of the trash, you would sort of pay twice, as your municipal provider would not be able to make money on these resources and needed to cover their costs in a different way. [0] At least here in Germany one can not opt out of this which is a good thing in my opinion. Otherwise some people undoubtely would opt out which would leave us with either unhandled trash or the public having to pay for their trash instead.

freeone3000 6y ago

Referring to it as stealing when the owner put it out as trash makes it lose the moral cachet. I don't have a hugely positive view of garbage men as crusaders for truth and justice. I have no clue what separates legitimate garbagemen from illegitimate ones. So far the only difference to me, the theoretical person who had his trash taken before the day I expected it to be taken, is it's a bit cheaper, so it seems like all of the harm is on someone completely unrelated to me. If I were to pay these men to take the trash away, would that be better for the city?

rvnx 6y ago
The garbage monopoly makes me think about the cases of cinemas. The core of their activity is at a loss and they make up for high profit on the side (selling drinks). Then the cinema kicks you out if they catch you with a cola you bought in another shop. All the shop did, was to provide a better service, at a better price. This situation could stop if the law would stop allowing that. The cinemas wouldn't die; the movie distributors would ask for less and less fees. Now the distributors can ask for high fee (up to 90%) because they know the cinemas charge for these add-ons and make some turnover.
- sukilot 6y ago
  That would raise prices for tickets. Concession prices are there so rich people subsidize poorer people.
_Microft 6y ago
Selling these resources and your bin taxes [0] are what helps the municipal garbage service covering their costs. If you pay another service to take away the more valuable parts of the trash, you would sort of pay twice, as your municipal provider would not be able to make money on these resources and needed to cover their costs in a different way. [0] At least here in Germany one can not opt out of this which is a good thing in my opinion. Otherwise some people undoubtely would opt out which would leave us with either unhandled trash or the public having to pay for their trash instead.